Friday 17th October saw over 100 volunteers from across the town gather at the iconic Borough Theatre to celebrate the success of Abergavenny in Bloom at Wales in Bloom 2025. Chair and Judge Peter Barton Price and Vice Chair John Woods attended the Borough Theatre to present the awards announced in Wrexham on 3rd October.
Mayor Cllr Philip Bowyer opened the evening by welcoming guests and congratulating everyone who had contributed to Abergavenny’s outstanding achievement, securing a Gold Award for the second-year running.
Principal Officer Sandra Rosser introduced the awards, beginning with a special mention for the dedicated volunteers of Keep Abergavenny Tidy (KAT), winners of both the Cleaner Communities Award and the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award, recognising the very best across Wales. The KAT celebrations came just a day before representatives from Abergavenny in Bloom travelled to Wrexham on 3rd October for the official Wales in Bloom Awards ceremony.
It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards
A remarkable 19 “It’s Your Neighbourhood” awards were presented to a wide range of local growing initiatives, from guerrilla gardening patches and community buildings to fully fledged parks and gardens.
Peter Barton Price shared that, after checking with counterparts across the UK, Abergavenny had the most entries in this category of any town in Britain, a testament to the town’s thriving community spirit and passion for horticulture.
This year’s recipients were:
Level 2 – Improving
- St John Ambulance Cymru Abergavenny
- The Workhouse Quarter Communal Garden
- ABC Eco Church Group
- Castle Street Methodist Church
- Trinity Square Alms Houses Garden
- Gabb Square
Level 3 – Advancing
- Abergavenny & District Civic Society Bus Stop Beds Project
- Park Crescent Patch
- Castle Street United Reformed Church
Level 4 – Thriving
- The 7Corners Centre for Young People
- Abergavenny Community Centre – Urban Nature Garden
- Friends of Linda Vista Gardens
- Park Crescent Parklet
- Abergavenny / Y Fenni Women’s Institute
Level 5 – Outstanding
- Perllan Gymunedol Laurie Jones Community Orchard
- Friends of Bailey Park
- Friends of Castle Meadows
- Library Square Community Gardens
- Growing S.P.A.C.E
Schools and Town Awards
In the newly revamped Schools Category, Our Lady and Saint Michael’s RC Primary School achieved Level 4 – Blossoming, following their impressive success in gaining the John Muir Award earlier this year, supported by the Friends of Castle Meadows group.
Abergavenny once again competed as a Town (Category 4) and proudly retained its Gold Award and overall win for a second consecutive year.
In Category 12a – Hotels, Guest Houses, Public Houses & Restaurants (Frontage), first-time entrants The Angel Hotel earned a Silver Award.
Special Recognitions
In a surprise announcement, Wales in Bloom Chair Peter Barton Price revealed two new Wales in Bloom Champion Certificates, which had been kept secret until the night. The awards went to Jay Shipley and Sandra Rosser, recognising their outstanding dedication and commitment in bringing together the Abergavenny in Bloom initiative.
The John Woods Environmental Award, one of the Wales in Bloom Discretionary Awards for 2025, was presented to the Friends of Castle Meadows. This award honours groups that inspire environmental learning, enhance local ecology and biodiversity, and promote environmental awareness through education and workshops. The group’s recent achievements, including securing National Forest of Wales status for The Copse and Conservation Status for The Big Pond, made them deserving winners.
Finally, the Norman Stewart Award 2025 was presented to Tony Konieczny by Peter Barton Price. This award celebrates individuals and groups who go above and beyond in promoting ecological awareness, encouraging community participation, and protecting local environments. Under Tony’s leadership, Abergavenny in Bloom has truly blossomed into a vibrant, collaborative community effort, uniting dozens of groups and organisations in pursuit of a shared goal.
Looking Ahead
Representatives from Abergavenny in Bloom will travel to Brighton on 31st October for the Britain in Bloom Awards 2025, where they will see how Abergavenny fares against other finalists from across the UK.
