GREEN-FINGERED volunteers from North Berwick will represent Scotland at a national awards ceremony.

North Berwick in Bloom are finalists at Britain in Bloom, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

Four groups – Forres in Bloom, Bonnie Dundee and Lauder in Bloom, as well as the North Berwick group – were successful in Keep Scotland Beautiful’s 2023 Beautiful Scotland competition.

Now they have been nominated by the environmental charity and have reached the Royal Horticultural Society’s UK-wide Britain in Bloom final.

Results will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.

North Berwick in Bloom scooped the top award – the prestigious Rosebowl, alongside Forres in Bloom – as well as the Coastal Town Award and VisitScotland Award for Tourism in the Beautiful Scotland initiative last year, and is now one of four finalists in the Coastal category, alongside others from Guernsey and the north-west and south-east of England.

READ MORE: Green-fingered groups strike gold at Beautiful Scotland Awards

Alex Hutchison, from North Berwick in Bloom, said: “North Berwick in Bloom are delighted to have been nominated by Beautiful Scotland to represent Scotland in the Britain in Bloom finals this year.

“We enjoy working on perennial beds and town centre planting throughout the year to keep North Berwick looking beautiful and to support wildlife and biodiversity.

“We are supported by many different organisations within our community and we will link up with them all again as we move out of winter and towards this summer’s judging.

“We are all really looking forward to the next few months.”

North Berwick has enjoyed success at several previous Britain in Bloom ceremonies.

Most recently, in 2022, North Berwick in Bloom was one of two groups representing Scotland in the UK-wide finals.

The group won a well-deserved gold medal and were overall Coastal winners.

Libby Morris, chair of the group, was also recognised with a Community Champion Award.

Fifty-two groups from across the UK will be competing in 11 categories.

Judges will tour the UK between July 24 and August 16, with the results revealed at the awards on October 21.

Juliette Camburn, senior community initiatives officer with Keep Scotland Beautiful, congratulated the group. She said: “It’s fantastic to see North Berwick in Bloom reach the RHS Britain in Bloom UK finals.

“All of our Beautiful Scotland groups do so much spectacular work in their communities, and are committed to climate and nature action and the preservation and enhancement of their neighbourhoods.

“They are fully deserving of their place, and I wish them the best of luck.”

Anyone interested in helping their community to become part of the network of more than 250 groups taking positive climate and nature action can register to take part for free in the competitive Beautiful Scotland or non-competitive It’s Your Neighbourhood initiative.

Go to keepscotlandbeautiful.org for more information.