Newcastle-under-Lyme Wins Gold for Third Consecutive Year at Heart of England in Bloom Awards
The town secures top honours and the Business Improvement District category, with local historian Jim Worgan also receiving a special award.
By Aisha Mahmood
••3 min read
AI
Generic image of a red-brick building facade in The Midlands with green fields under an overcast sky.
Newcastle-under-Lyme has secured Gold and won the Business Improvement District (BID) category for the third consecutive year at the Heart of England in Bloom awards, with local historian Jim Worgan also receiving recognition.
The LoveNUL in Bloom entry, a collaboration between Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, also received the discretionary Landscape Award. Local historian Jim Worgan was presented with the Chair’s Award for his dedication to preserving and sharing the borough’s heritage.
The awards follow a visit by regional judges on Wednesday 29th July, where businesses, volunteers, community organisations, and council teams showcased efforts to enhance Newcastle-under-Lyme's environment. The judging tour, which started at Brampton Museum and concluded in Queen’s Gardens, highlighted planting schemes, heritage projects, public art, community safety initiatives, markets, and cultural activities, alongside regeneration efforts.
The Landscape Award specifically recognised the Council's shift from traditional annual bedding to more sustainable planting, incorporating mixed shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Judges commended the redesign of major roundabouts and improvements to the area known as the Bear Pit, as well as changes made in March 2025 to town centre planters and beds in Queen’s Gardens. They described the sustainable planting approach as a “brave move” that “looked stunning”.
Jim Worgan's Chair’s Award celebrated his extensive involvement in the judging visits and his commitment to local history. A former miner and the last curator of Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum, Worgan has spent four decades researching the borough's past. Granted the Freedom of the Borough in 2021, he continues to share his knowledge through local groups and talks, with judges praising him as a “living repository of the history of the Borough”.
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"What I love about Bloom is the opportunity to bring together the people behind so many different aspects of town centre life. From planting and public art to events and heritage, July’s visit showed just how much is happening in Newcastle and how many people play a part. To receive Gold and win the BID category for a third consecutive year is a lovely recognition of that shared effort and the commitment people continue to show to Newcastle. Thank you to everyone who helped us tell the town’s story and gave their time to welcome the judges. Seeing Jim receive the Chair’s Award was a particular highlight. He brings our history to life with such warmth and enthusiasm and anyone who has spent time with him will know how much he has to share. We’re absolutely delighted for him."
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"Winning Gold and the BID category for the third consecutive year is a fantastic achievement and a real credit to everyone who helps make Newcastle town centre a place we can all be proud of. The Council is leading major regeneration work to help shape the future of our town centre, and initiatives that enhance its appearance and celebrate its character are an important part of that wider picture. The commitment of the BID, local businesses, community groups, volunteers and Council staff helps strengthen civic pride and create a more attractive place to live, work and visit. Congratulations to everyone involved. We’re also pleased that the judges have recognised the Council’s efforts to make planting more sustainable, alongside the time and dedication Jim devotes to the Bloom campaign."
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"An attractive, welcoming town centre makes a real difference to businesses, residents and visitors. It’s wonderful to see Newcastle’s character and the work that goes into caring for it recognised in this way."
The Heart of England in Bloom awards recognise horticultural achievement, environmental sustainability, biodiversity, community participation, cleanliness, heritage, and conservation.
