Beautiful Scotland

Guidance for Entrants

2018

Your charity for Scotland’s environment

Beautiful Scotland Welcome to Beautiful Scotland 2018.

Beautiful Scotland aims to encourage community participation through horticulture and environmental quality improvement work. Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), the charity that is committed to making Scotland clean, green and more sustainable, is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Bloom Federation, delivering the Beautiful Scotland campaign in Scotland. The network of communities working with KSB is strong, and it is particularly heartening to welcome entrants from areas of the country that have been traditionally under-represented in the campaign. With our continued emphasis on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility, and community participation, together we are a major force in promoting sustainable development and biodiversity in communities across Scotland.

Whilst there is a competitive element to the Beautiful Scotland campaign, winning prizes isn’t the

main objective of taking part; by doing your bit in your own community, wherever you are, you are

contributing to making Scotland clean and green.

In 2018, we continue to encourage groups to make contact with one another, share their experiences

and pass on the benefits, particularly to less experienced entrants. Please make full use of the

Beautiful Scotland (www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/beautifulscotland) and the RHS Britain in Bloom

(www.rhs.org.uk/communities) websites, to find out more about the work of groups across Scotland

and to share your experiences with us so we can share them with other groups.

This manual provides a valuable reference for your group’s entry in the 2018 campaign. Please

ensure that all of those involved in planning your entry are familiar with its contents.

The manual has been designed to be distributed electronically. If you require a printed version,

please contact us on 01786 477 171 or email beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org to

request a copy.

Year of Young People – the 2018 theme

For 2018, KSB has chosen the theme of ‘Year of Young People’ as a focus for groups taking part in Beautiful Scotland. Every group will be sent a packet of sunflower seeds to get them started and a document full of ideas, but we would love to hear your plans and share your projects and stories of everything you do to celebrate this theme. Please email beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org throughout the year, and share through our social media channels - you never know who you might inspire. Please see Section 2.3 of this manual for more inspiring ideas on how to celebrate in your community. Social media: Please use #BeautifulScotland and #ourbloom in social media posts to help spread the word.

Keep Scotland Beautiful, First Floor, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling FK9 4TZ

Tel: 01786 471333 Email: info@keepscotlandbeautiful.org Registered Scottish charity: Number SC030332.

Contents 1. About Keep Scotland Beautiful and Beautiful Scotland ..................................................................1

1.1 Keep Scotland Beautiful ............................................................................................................1

1.2 The RHS Bloom Federation.......................................................................................................1

1.3 Beautiful Scotland ......................................................................................................................1

1.4 Aim and objectives ....................................................................................................................2

1.5 It’s Your Neighbourhood ...........................................................................................................2

1.6 Useful contacts ...........................................................................................................................2

2. Important information for 2018 .......................................................................................................3

2.1 Entrant fees ................................................................................................................................3

2.2 Calendar of key campaign dates and events ..............................................................................4

2.3 The 2018 theme – Year of Young People ..................................................................................5

3. Support for your entry ......................................................................................................................5

3.1 Information, resources and funding ...........................................................................................5

3.1a Monthly newsletter...............................................................................................................5

3.1b Community Projects resource ..............................................................................................5

3.1c Clean Up Scotland resources ...............................................................................................5

3.1d Logos....................................................................................................................................6

3.1e Media and social media support ...........................................................................................6

3.2 Events .........................................................................................................................................6

3.2a One to one guidance and advice visits in May .....................................................................6

3.2b Beautiful Scotland Awards Ceremony and judges’ surgeries..............................................6

3.2c Annual Seminar ....................................................................................................................6

3.3 Online resources.........................................................................................................................6

3.4 Support available from the RHS ................................................................................................7

3.4a Discounted insurance ...........................................................................................................7

3.4b Horticultural advice .............................................................................................................7

3.4c Online resources ...................................................................................................................7

4. The three pillars ...............................................................................................................................7

4.1 Horticultural Achievement - 50% of overall marks ...................................................................8

4.2 Environmental Responsibility - 25% of overall marks ............................................................10

4.3 Community Participation - 25% of overall marks ...................................................................11

5. The portfolio, presentation and tour...............................................................................................14

5.1 The Portfolio ............................................................................................................................14

5.1a Layout ................................................................................................................................14

5.1b Content ...............................................................................................................................15

5.2 The Presentation.......................................................................................................................15

5.3 The Tour...................................................................................................................................16

5.3a Categories and tour times ...................................................................................................16

5.3b Planning your tour..............................................................................................................17

5.3c Judging fairness ..................................................................................................................19

6. Beautiful Scotland Awards ...........................................................................................................19

6.1 Trophies and Awards ...............................................................................................................19

6.1a Premier Award ...................................................................................................................19

6.1b Category Awards ...............................................................................................................20

6.1c Discretionary Awards.........................................................................................................20

6.2 Medal descriptions ...................................................................................................................20

7. Images and media support .............................................................................................................21

7.1 Images ......................................................................................................................................21

7.1a Media images .....................................................................................................................21

7.1b Images required by KSB ....................................................................................................22

7.2 Media support ..........................................................................................................................22

APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................................... i

Appendix 1 – Discretionary Award descriptions ............................................................................. i

Appendix 2 – Discretionary Award nomination form ................................................................... vi

Appendix 3 – Photograph contributor consent form..................................................................... vii

Appendix 4 – Judging checklist..................................................................................................... ix

Appendix 5 – Example of tour itinerary ..........................................................................................x

Appendix 6 - Judges marking sheet ............................................................................................... xi

Appendix 7 – Example media releases/photocall ........................................................................ xiv

7a. Media Release – taking part in Beautiful Scotland 2018 ................................................... xiv

7b. Media release - judging ...................................................................................................... xvi

7c. Media photocall ................................................................................................................ xviii

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1. About Keep Scotland Beautiful and Beautiful Scotland

1.1 Keep Scotland Beautiful KSB is the charity that campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local, national and global environmental issues to change behaviour and improve the quality of people’s lives and the places they care for. We are committed to making Scotland clean, green and more sustainable. KSB is a multi-faceted charity operating across the spectrum of environmental issues from littering to climate change. Our initiatives are estimated to reach at least one in five people across Scotland. We operate in three main areas: sustainable development education, local environmental quality and sustainability, and climate change.

We work in partnership with all of Scotland's local authorities, 98% of schools, 1000+ community groups and organisations, and a variety of Scotland's leading businesses.

1.2 The RHS Bloom Federation KSB is a member of the RHS Bloom Federation established with the RHS and the Britain in Bloom Regions and Nations (R&Ns). This allows KSB to contribute to the development of the campaigns across the UK. Federation Members Anglia in Bloom, Cumbria in Bloom, East Midlands in Bloom, Floral Guernsey, Heart of England in Bloom, Jersey in Bloom, Keep Scotland Beautiful, London in Bloom, Northumbria in Bloom, North West in Bloom, South & South East in Bloom, South West in Bloom, Thames and Chilterns in Bloom, Translink Ulster in Bloom, Wales in Bloom, Yorkshire in Bloom, and the RHS. Through the Federation, KSB, RHS and Bloom R&Ns have agreed a shared vision for, and commitment to, Bloom and to actively work together to support the on-going development of the campaigns across the UK.

1.3 Beautiful Scotland The ‘In Bloom’ campaign started in Scotland in 1967 and was administered by the Scottish Tourist Board and supported by the Scottish Women’s Rural Institute. In 1983, KSB was approached to take on the administration of the campaign and the name was changed to ‘Beautiful Scotland in Bloom’ (BSiB). The themes of cleanliness, sustainability and biodiversity were added to the horticulture elements over time, and BSiB became a major environmental campaign, with entries from all over Scotland. The name of the campaign was changed again in April 2007, to Beautiful Scotland, to reflect more accurately the breadth of current themes. The Beautiful Scotland campaign, judged, and with awards presented each summer, gives focus to community efforts in relation to the three pillars of horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation. Entrants are also expected to show that their efforts are sustained throughout the year. As a member of the RHS Bloom Federation, a number of category winners from Beautiful Scotland are nominated to represent our country at the UK level the following year.

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1.4 Aim and objectives The aim of Beautiful Scotland is to assist communities of all sizes across Scotland to improve their local environment and to celebrate their achievements. The particular objectives of the Beautiful Scotland campaign are:

• To reflect and support the Scottish Government’s policy on a range of issues: sustainable development, social inclusion, regeneration, and quality of life;

• To encourage participation by communities in Scotland; and

• To provide support to communities: by means of regular e-mails, website, social media, awards ceremony and annual seminar.

1.5 It’s Your Neighbourhood It’s Your Neighbourhood (formerly The Neighbourhood Awards) was first piloted in 2003 in conjunction with the RHS, and has run in Scotland since 2005. It’s Your Neighbourhood is designed to encourage new and/or small resident-led community groups interested in ‘greening up’ their local areas to join the wider Britain in Bloom campaign. It is non-competitive, however participating entries are visited by assessors who serve as mentors and give realistic and helpful advice on how to incorporate the three pillars of Community Participation, Environmental Responsibility and Gardening Achievement, and how to make genuine improvements and progress projects. Participants are presented with a certificate of achievement of Establishing, Improving, Advancing, Thriving or Outstanding. Many of the It’s Your Neighbourhood groups work with Beautiful Scotland groups, adding value to projects in local areas.

1.6 Useful contacts Throughout the year, members of the KSB Community Projects team will be in touch with you, providing useful information; informing you of the registration and judging processes; and arranging the awards ceremony and annual seminar. We are all happy to try and help with your queries but, so you can direct them to the most appropriate person in the team first, we thought we would let you know who we are and what we do: Juliette Camburn – Community Projects Officer

E-mail: juliette.camburn@keepscotlandbeautiful.org Tel: 01786 477 171

Qualified to MSc level in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, and with fourteen years’ experience working in the charity sector, Juliette has worked with KSB for over nine years. Juliette is the first point of contact for entrant groups and is responsible for the day to day delivery of the campaign. She provides regular face to face, telephone and e-mail support to the entrant groups, volunteer judges and assessors, and local authorities, organises guidance sessions, judging tours, training and debriefing events, and supports the team as necessary. She is also responsible for evaluating the Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood campaigns, organising the seminars and the awards ceremony, and for dealing with enquiries from volunteers and members of the public. Carole Noble – Operations Director Carole is an Environmental Health Officer with 24 years’ experience in environmental health, cleansing and waste management within local authorities. She has experience in the development

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and implementation of quality management systems and is a qualified Lead Auditor for ISO9001:2000.

Within KSB, Carole is responsible for development of contracts, partnerships, campaigns and programmes. Carole is a Member of The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland and an Associate Member of the Institute of Wastes Management. Keith Jackson – Principal Ambassador of Keep Scotland Beautiful

Keith is a Principal Ambassador of KSB, and, amongst other activities, assists with the judging processes for Beautiful Scotland. Keith founded Falkland in Bloom over 25 years ago and steered the community to success in national and international campaigns. Falkland competed at the highest level, winning Gold in Entente Florale and securing the Champion of Champion category in Britain in Bloom for two years in succession in 2009 and 2010.

He has always encouraged other communities to become involved in floral and environmental enhancements and, in 2008, this work resulted in him being appointed to Fife Councils Parks department. Beautiful Fife was created and is now the vehicle which aids the development of Fife communities. About 60 communities participate to an extremely high level, with the best entering the Beautiful Scotland campaign.

2. Important information for 2018

2.1 Entrant fees The entry fees for 2018 remain as they were and are as follows:

Category Electoral Roll* Cost per entry (including VAT)

Wee Village Up to 300 £50

Small Village 301 - 1,000 £50

Large Village 1,001 - 2,500 £50

Coastal (Village) Up to 2,500 £50

Coastal (Town) 2,501- 35,000 £150

Urban Community** 1,001 - 12,000 £100

Small Town 2,501 - 6,000 £100

Medium Town 6,001 - 12,000 £150

Large Town 12,001 - 35,000 £200

Small City 35,001 - 100,000 £250

City 100,001 and over £500

Residential Community*** Up to 2,500 £20

Business Improvement District (BID) N/A £150 In order to determine which category you should enter, please contact your local joint valuation board and ask for the electoral roll size. If in doubt please contact a member of the KSB Community Projects team for assistance.

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An invoice for the relevant amount will be sent in May to the first contact for your group. If you have any queries with regard to this, please contact us at beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org or 01786 477 171. *Selected winners of Beautiful Scotland are nominated to compete in the following year’s UK wide RHS Britain in Bloom finals. ‘Electoral roll’ is used rather than ‘population’ to define a category as this is the only way that the RHS can check that the communities are nominated into the correct category. A community could state their population, but this cannot be verified in any way, particularly from a satellite and distant organisation like the RHS.

**An urban community must be an identifiable community within a larger conurbation (sometimes described as an urban ‘village or town’). It must have its own sense of identity and have its own “Bloom” group (a group dedicated to leading the “in Bloom” initiative locally). An urban community may not have its own Council, or be able to stand alone, but it will have its own ‘sense of place’. There may be examples where a whole town/city is an entrant, and there are also areas of the larger conurbation entered as an urban community. Where this is the case, judges will only factor the urban community into their assessment of the whole town/city entrant if the two groups have been working together. This will be checked by KSB in advance of the judging. ***A residential community is where residents have come together to improve their area. A 'Residential Community' could be, for example, a block(s) of flats, a Housing Association complex, sheltered housing, or a care or nursing home.

2.2 Calendar of key campaign dates and events Key dates for your diary are:

• January – 30 April: online registration open for Beautiful Scotland

• 30 April – 6 May: National Gardening Week

• May/June: One to one guidance and advice visit from a Beautiful Scotland judge (optional)

• 2 July: Deadline for Beautiful Scotland portfolio submission; deadline for Discretionary Award submissions and five supporting images per submission

• 5 July: Judges training day, Linlithgow

• 27 July: Deadline for photo submission (for use at Award Ceremony, website and Results Brochure)

• 30 July – 12 August: Beautiful Scotland judging takes place

• 15 August: Judges debriefing day

• 6 September: Beautiful Scotland Awards Ceremony, Haddington, East Lothian (TBC)

• 7 September: Beautiful Scotland judges' surgeries, Haddington, East Lothian (TBC)

• 19 October: RHS Britain in Bloom Awards, Belfast

• October (dates TBC): RHS Wild about Gardens Week

• 31 October: Beautiful Scotland and It's Your Neighbourhood Annual Seminar and presentation of It's Your Neighbourhood certificates, Albert Halls, Stirling

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2.3 The 2018 theme – Year of Young People For 2018, KSB has chosen the theme of ‘Year of Young People’ as a focus for groups taking part in Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood. This links well with this year’s RHS theme of ‘Greening Grey Britain – Community Action’ which also has a focus on young people. We are pulling together some great ideas, and these will be sent to you shortly. Every group will be sent a packet of sunflower seeds, to get them started, but we would love to hear your plans and share your projects and stories of everything you do to celebrate this theme. Please email beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org throughout the year, and share through our social media channels - you never know who you might inspire.

3. Support for your entry

As well as being at the end of the phone or email for any queries your group may have, KSB provides a range of support to entrant groups throughout the year:

3.1 Information, resources and funding 3.1a Monthly newsletter Every entrant group will receive a monthly e-newsletter, packed full of useful information and funding advice. Typically the email will contain a reminder of deadlines (such as portfolio submissions); KSB campaigns your group can get involved in to increase community participation; KSB funding and funding available from external sources; your stories; updates from the RHS and The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (The Caley); and interesting events and information that will hopefully benefit your group. We would love to hear from your group so, if you have any stories you would like to share with others, or there are subjects you would like to see covered in the monthly e-newsletters, please let us know. The monthly e-newsletter will be sent to both contacts for your group, but please let us know if others wish to receive it. 3.1b Community Projects resource KSB’s Community Projects resource includes activities ranging from projects encouraging biodiversity, to ‘Young Reporters Scotland’ and gardening for wildlife. The aim of the resource is to help communities re-engage with Scotland’s environment and to improve local environmental quality. Check out the free advice and resources available here. 3.1c Clean Up Scotland resources The Beautiful Scotland campaign is the celebration of KSB’s Clean Up Scotland campaign, proving what can be done when you involve the community. Many Beautiful Scotland groups already register Clean Up events with KSB and have organised Clean Up events during Spring for years. We would like all Beautiful Scotland groups to register at least one Clean Up event a year with KSB’s Clean Up Scotland campaign – your group can hold your event(s) at any time during the year, and KSB will provide you with a free Clean Up kit and support materials. To register, please visit www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/CUS. Organising a Clean Up event in your community is a great way to promote the work your group does, and may also lead to new volunteers. It also helps your group meet sections B4, C3 and C4 of the judging criteria (see Appendix 6). To ensure your Clean Up event is successful and you maximise its impact, download our Litter pick Plus toolkit here.

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There are lots of other ways you can also get involved with the campaign, including organising a dog fouling campaign and promoting responsible dog ownership (visit our ‘Get Involved’ page, or ‘Make a Dog Share Station’ page for some fun ideas). 3.1d Logos Each group registered for Beautiful Scotland is entitled to use the Beautiful Scotland logo for any of its publicity materials and signage. Please email beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org for the logo. We can also provide ‘Clean Up ‘x’’ logos (for example, Clean Up Coupar Angus) for your use – please contact beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org for more information. 3.1e Media and social media support KSB offers a variety of media and social media support throughout the year for Beautiful Scotland groups – please see Section 7 for detailed information. We love to hear and share what your group is getting up to – so if you have a Facebook or Twitter page for your group, then do let us know, and make sure to like and post things on the KSB Facebook and Twitter pages too.

3.2 Events 3.2a One to one guidance and advice visits in May Last year a number of Beautiful Scotland groups took advantage of a visit from one of our Beautiful Scotland judges. We would like to offer this again to groups who feel they need some guidance and advice. The visit can include a walk around for tour route ideas and guidance, a chat about the three pillars and subsections to focus your group’s activities and advice on your portfolio and presentation. Please email beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org by Monday 2 April if you would like one of our judges to visit your group in May. 3.2b Beautiful Scotland Awards Ceremony and judges’ surgeries Details are still to be confirmed, but this year’s Award Ceremony will be hosted by East Lothian Council in Haddington on the afternoon/evening of Thursday 6 September. Final plans are still being drawn up and we will be in touch to let you know more. Also still to be confirmed, judges’ surgeries will be held the next morning – a chance to meet your judges and chat through your groups’ mark sheet. 3.2c Annual Seminar The annual Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood Seminar will take place on Wednesday 31 October at the Albert Halls in Stirling. Two delegates from each group can attend (subject to availability). The seminar is a great chance to pick up hints and tips for taking back to your group, networking with groups from across Scotland, and to view exhibition stands from a wide range of environmental organisations.

3.3 Online resources KSB has a dedicated web section for Beautiful Scotland – www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/beautifulscotland. Included are the judges profiles and individual pages for each entrant group. The individual group pages are a great chance for you to promote the work your group is doing and for sharing achievements and good practice. You can find the

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group pages for 2017 by clicking here. These will be updated with the 2018 entrants once registration has closed. If you would like to contribute text, web links etc. to your web page please let us know. In the ‘Enter Beautiful Scotland’ section you will find useful websites, previous annual seminar presentations and a resources page which includes promotional material, reports, case studies and guidance documents such as an environmental sustainability guide to help you with your projects and advice on how to get extra support for your group. To find out if there are any It’s Your Neighbourhood groups in your area, which you could get in touch with to support or to work with to ‘join-up’ activities in your community, click here.

3.4 Support available from the RHS Through KSB’s membership of the Federation (see section 1.2), groups registered in Beautiful Scotland will receive the RHS quarterly Grass Roots magazine, and are able to access the following RHS support: 3.4a Discounted insurance All groups registered with Beautiful Scotland are eligible for discounted insurance provided through the RHS – please click here for further information. 3.4b Horticultural advice Beautiful Scotland groups have free access to the RHS advice team who can answer a wide range of horticultural questions relating to your group’s activities. Simply email: advice@rhs.org.uk, quoting BiBNA in the subject line, or call 0845 260 8000 (Mon – Fri 10am - 4pm). Alternatively, you can post enquiries and samples to: Advisory Services, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. Please note that advisors can only help with queries relating to your group’s activities. 3.4c Online resources Find appropriate plants for any area/conditions www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector Find out where you can purchase a plant locally www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder Browse the list of plants for pollinators www.rhs.org.uk/plants-for-pollinators Grow Your Own www.rhs.org.uk/growyourown Wildlife gardening www.rhs.org.uk/science/conservation-

biodiversity/wildlife Find out how wildlife friendly a garden is www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk Advice by topic of choice www.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch Sustainable gardening www.rhs.org.uk/science/gardening-in-a-

changing-world Gardening events www.rhs.org.uk/rhseventfinder

4. The three pillars

The Beautiful Scotland campaign is based around three pillars. These are:

• horticultural achievement,

• environmental responsibility; and

• community participation.

To take part in Beautiful Scotland, it is essential that your entry reflects these pillars. The judges marking sheet, used to record their assessments of your group’s work, is based on the three pillars.

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It is essential to provide year-round evidence for all of the sub sections in each of the three pillars, and these are outlined below and in the judges marking sheet in Appendix 6. The sections and sub sections can be evidenced through your group’s portfolio, presentation and tour. It is also important that you consider your entire community and not just the high street or the village square and that, where you have “problem” areas (e.g. vacant premises/plots, eyesores etc.), you have plans in place to address these.

4.1 Horticultural Achievement - 50% of overall marks Floral displays are an important element of the campaign, but must be proportionate to the areas of sustainable planting and permanent landscaping within the entry. Floral displays may be present in a number of locations, but typically displays will be located in: - Publicly owned areas, including parks, publicly owned buildings, roadside areas and

roundabouts; - Housing and residential areas, residential homes, schools, allotments; and - Shopping areas, business areas and premises, commercial premises, public houses, hotels,

garages, and transport terminals such as bus and train stations. Beautiful Scotland has environmental responsibility at its core and judges will also be looking for examples of permanent/sustainable planting initiatives. Landscaped areas with permanent plantings could include any of the areas outlined above, as well as: - Woodlands, copses, shelterbelts, verges, parks, public open spaces; - Business parks, industrial estates; - Screen planting, near factories/industrial areas, eyesores, vacant premises/plots; and/or - Amenity planting near residential areas, car parks, shopping areas. Please note that free to enter gardens can be included on the judging tour, even if entry is via a building or gate. Please note that free to enter gardens can be included on the judging tour, even if entry is via a building or gate. Pay to enter gardens, heritage or environmental centres or museums can also be judged but if they offer some free activities or services these can count in other sections. This is in-line with the guidance provided by Britain in Bloom. ***In this pillar the judges will be looking for your year-round achievements in horticulture (including conservation and natural areas) focusing on five key sub sections as indicated below. Each of these sub sections will make up 10% of your overall score. (NB. In entries where there are no business premises or public buildings, marks for this section will be adjusted accordingly). The following tables break down each of the five sub-sections (A1 – A5) and provide information on what the judges will be looking for under each: A1. Impact – 20 points; 10%

Colours and design - Is there a scheme or theme overall and/or in key locations? - Are the colours/design suitable for the location?

Appropriate choice of plants

- Are there too many/too few plants to enhance the area? - Are the plants appropriate in terms of flowering period and

habitat? - Is there sufficient variation, appropriate herbaceous plants? - Are there appropriate varieties of both newly planted and

recently (up to 5 years) planted areas (including mixes of trees, shrubs and herbaceous planting). Planting could be for foliage effect, bark effect or for a specific purpose such as conservation or to provide flowering or other effects for a defined period.

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Special features - Sometimes provided as a focal point, such features may include structures or an intensive area of bedding.

Presentation - Are areas well-presented and maintained?

Innovation - Are new and creative ideas evident in the design, colours, themes, plant selection?

A2. Horticultural practice – 20 points; 10%

Cultivation and maintenance

- Watering, dead-heading and weeding is important. - Appropriate feeding may be necessary. - May include irrigation considerations and thinning, trimming or

pruning as appropriate.

Quality of plants - Good quality plants, obviously flourishing. - No obvious signs of pests, diseases or deficiencies. - Appropriate size for planting situation, appropriate soil type etc.

Sustainability - Sustainability is about ensuring ecological functions, processes, biodiversity and productivity can be maintained and that resources are only used at a rate at which they can be replenished naturally. You should therefore take into consideration the balance of permanent/sustainable planting vs. seasonal/bedding plants and the timing of displays.

New planting - How much new planting has been undertaken on an annual basis?

- Is there a longer-term plan for the whole area or district?

A3. Residential and community gardening – 20 points; 10%

Areas that may be included

- Residential - primarily front gardens/gardens in public view. - Communal areas - shared residential & communal spaces. - Allotments. - Public buildings (grounds of) - includes schools, town halls,

libraries, community centres, churches. - Car parks.

What is assessed - This section relates to only the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2.

- Are these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign?

- Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement?

- Has your group engaged other community groups in improving their own areas and/or included these areas in your own initiatives?

A4. Business areas and premises – 20 points; 10%

Areas that may be included

- Retail and shopping areas, leisure sites, transport terminals (for example bus stop, railway station), fee-paying car parks, farms, rural businesses, pubs, post offices, tourist areas/attractions and other business premises such as estate agents, law offices.

What is assessed

- This section relates to only the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2.

- Are these areas actively involved in the Beautiful Scotland initiatives of your group?

- Are your groups’ efforts in these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign?

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- Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement?

- Support can include: sponsoring displays/planters, actively engaging in horticultural efforts on their own premises, funding initiatives, volunteering/participating in local group activities.

A5. Green spaces – 20 points; 10%

Areas that may be included

- Verges, parks and open public spaces including woodlands, arboretums, bulb and tree planting initiatives, copse, shelterbelts.

What is assessed - This section relates only to the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2.

- Are these areas actively involved in the initiatives of the entrant group?

- Are your groups’ efforts in these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign?

- Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement?

4.2 Environmental Responsibility - 25% of overall marks Beautiful Scotland encourages environmentally responsible activities/projects which are designed to improve the areas where we live, work and spend our leisure time. Looking after our environment has become a very important community concern and we are all being encouraged to recycle and use environmentally responsible products and practices wherever and whenever possible. It is the expectation that participants in Beautiful Scotland will strive to provide a co-ordinated approach so that all environmental issues are resolved in harmony with each other. The judges will be looking for entrant groups to either initiate or actively engage with programmes/activities, as appropriate, which are working towards providing environmental enhancements and which might include: - Establishing nature conservation and wildlife areas; - Cleaning up polluted sites and appropriate treatment/screening of derelict property or other

eyesores; - Efforts to promote responsible dog ownership and reduce dog fouling; - Efforts to reduce littering, graffiti, flyposting and flytipping, and efforts to clean up areas spoiled

by such activities. This can be done by supporting KSB’s Clean Up Scotland campaign at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/CUS

- Producing active policies to reduce the demand placed on natural resources - e.g. source of water used for plants, use of peat, use of hardwood timber;

- Maintaining and preserving natural habitat; - Minimal use of pesticides and nitrate fertilisers and reducing or eliminating harmful effects on the

environment; and - Interventions, management and development of local heritage (including natural heritage). **In this pillar the judges will be looking for year-round achievements in environmental responsibility focusing on five key sub sections as indicated below. Each of these sub-sections will make up 5% of the overall score and be worth a maximum of 10 points. Please bear in mind that judges will be considering environmental responsibility across all areas so, for example, if your group has a fabulous floral display the judges will also want to know if you achieved this effect with consideration for the environment. The following tables break down each of the five sub-sections (B1 – B5) and provide information on what the judges will be looking for under each:

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B1. Conservation and biodiversity – 10 points; 5%

Areas that may be included

- Wildlife areas and natural habitats.

What is assessed - Is your group involved in:

• Preserving and maintaining these areas?

• Activities to educate the community and encourage them to visit these areas?

• Activities or plans to re-introduce or restore these areas where they have disappeared or been damaged?

B2. Resource management – 10 points; 5%

Areas that may be included

- Recycling; minimising demand placed on natural resources; minimising or where possible eliminating any harmful impact on the environment.

What is assessed - What activities has your group been involved with or initiated to make strides in these areas?

- Has your group shown due consideration to resource management in their own activities?

- For example, has your group used peat-free compost or set up a community composting facility?

B3. Local heritage – 10 points; 5%

Areas that may be included

- Managed local heritage and/or community landmarks/icons, or other identified heritage or landmark sites.

What is assessed - What activities has your group been involved with or initiated to ensure these areas are appropriately managed and developed?

- Has the group taken these areas into account in your own activities/initiatives?

B4. Local environmental quality – 10 points; 5%

Areas or activities that may be included

- Vacant premises and plots, water features (burns/rivers/lochs). - Litter, graffiti, flyposting, dog fouling clean ups or campaigns.

What is assessed - Has your group considered these areas/activities and actively included them in its initiatives?

- Are the efforts in these areas/activities in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign?

- Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of improvement/enhancement?

B5. Pride of place – 10 points; 5%

Areas that may be included

- Management of street furniture, signage, art in the landscape, fences, way-marking, interpretation, hard landscaping.

What is assessed - Have these been considered in the initiatives of your group? - Are the initiatives in these areas in keeping with the overall

efforts of the campaign? - Do they show support for the campaign’s goals of

improvement/enhancement?

4.3 Community Participation - 25% of overall marks Beautiful Scotland is a proactive campaign of communities creating long-term improvements to their local environment. As such it is expected that a diverse range of community members will be

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involved in the campaign and that there will be broad based public awareness and support. Local authority and public bodies involved in driving local initiatives may need to take on the role of enabler or advisor to generate the level of community participation that is required, particularly in larger categories. Beautiful Scotland’s positioning as a community improvement and environmentally responsible campaign means that you will need to show the judges how your group intends to continue to develop its programme. It is important that young people and schools have been involved with the group and that care has been taken to make effective use of the educational opportunities which exist. Beautiful Scotland is not just about spring and summer floral displays; it is about a year-round programme of activity to improve, enhance and maintain the environment around us and keep the community actively engaged in keeping things at their best. Your group should be able to provide evidence of:

- how it plans and maintains the improvements the group makes and how it plans to develop in the future;

- whether the group has an effective communication and education programme. This could be evidenced by the level of awareness and understanding in the community as well as by physical things such as informative signs and displays, press clippings, publicity materials;

- a broad base of community involvement across all ages, ethnic and/or religious backgrounds, and socio-economic groups with a particular effort to engage young people/schools/colleges as appropriate to the groups’ community;

- a year-round programme of activity to keep the groups’ community engaged and at its best throughout the year; and

- secured funding/sponsorship and/or support for activities along with the support of government, commercial, corporate, business sectors.

Groups are encouraged to support and engage with local It’s Your Neighbourhood projects, BIDs and Urban Community entrants where possible. Please note though – if judges are taken to see work carried out by an It’s Your Neighbourhood group/BID/Urban Community, your group MUST make it clear to the judges how it has worked with that particular group as part of demonstrating the community participation section of the criteria. **In this pillar the judges will be looking for year-round achievements in community participation focusing on five key sub sections as indicated below. Each of these sub sections will make up 5% of the overall score and be worth a maximum of 10 points. The following tables break down each of the five sub-sections (C1 – C5) and provide information on what the judges will be looking for under each while on their judging tour. C1. Development and continuity – 10 points; 5%

Areas/activities which may be included

- Development and sustainability of the local initiative and evidence of on-going projects.

What is assessed - Has your group considered how to maintain and/or improve upon current achievements in the future?

- Are the initiatives/works sustainable for the longer term? - Have any plans been developed to ensure on-going benefits to

the wider community? - Are there plans in place for on-going projects? - Has your group established a structure and support network to

ensure its own existence and/or development in the future?

C2. Communication and education – 10 points; 5%

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Areas/activities which may be included

- Publicity materials; press coverage; signage/interpretation; displays; website and social media; engaging with schools, young people and/or other community groups; community awareness and understanding; educational and awareness campaigns on key issues.

What is assessed - Is there evidence of public awareness campaigns and educational programmes generated and/or actively supported by your group?

- Are there, or were there during the year, activities and initiatives to inform, educate and engage children and young people?

- Has your group engaged with the local media (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV) as applicable?

- Does your group have an updated website and/or social media sites to promote its work?

C3. Community involvement – 10 points; 5%

Areas/activities which may be included

- Is there any evidence that your group has made efforts to include and secure community involvement which is representative of the community’s size and diversity?

What is assessed - Has your group engaged the community across all ages, ethnicities, races, cultures, religions, abilities (i.e. special needs and the disabled) and incorporated community reparation volunteers?

- Is your group supporting and encouraging new/existing It’s Your Neighbourhood projects in the area and engaging them with the wider Beautiful Scotland activities? If so, make sure to include a visit on the judges’ tour route.

C4. Year-round involvement – 10 points; 5%

Areas which may be included

- Your group will be expected to show evidence of a year-round programme of activity through its portfolio and presentation, which can include photographs, sample promotional materials, press clippings, calendar of events etc.

- Some examples of “out of season” activities would be litter picks, leaf clearing and mulching, fundraising events, repairing/preparing of landscape areas and street furniture, or educational activities.

What is assessed - Whether your group has been active and has engaged the community throughout the year.

- NB – your group may have to present this primarily through the portfolio and presentation given to the judges on their visit; however you can provide/display other supporting evidence on the day.

C5. Funding and support – 10 points; 5%

Areas which may be included

- Efforts made to secure support and the amount of support actually secured for the group. (“Support” can mean not just funds but also the active engagement of the local government, commercial and corporate sectors, local businesses/offices and the general public, and include maintenance support from council services, businesses cleaning up and greening up their own storefront, local business sending staff out to volunteer on a group project etc.).

What is assessed - Has your group made efforts to engage and secure support from local government, the commercial/corporate sector and local businesses?

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- Have there been activities to raise support and/or funds from the general public?

- Has sufficient support been secured to ensure the group is able to deliver its objectives?

- Is there a plan of action to secure sufficient continuing support for the development of on-going projects?

5. The portfolio, presentation and tour

The Beautiful Scotland process provides your group with three opportunities to impress the judges, to show off your achievements (these must all be relevant to the three pillars of Beautiful Scotland), and to maximise your communication of the endeavours of the group over the past 12 months. These are: - the portfolio; - the presentation; and - the tour. This section provides some guidance on how you can maximise the impact of each of these three opportunities. If in doubt at any time, please contact the Community Projects team at beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

5.1 The Portfolio Although no marks are given for the portfolio itself, it does form a vital part of the judging process. Indeed, the judges find it such a useful reference to the individual entries that we require the portfolio to be submitted by 2 July 2017 - before the judging date so that it can be read in advance of their visit. The portfolio assists the judges to prepare for their visit and write up their reports, so it is vital that you provide an accurate account of the work of your group. The portfolio is also a great piece of literature for your group to use at fundraising events to show people the breadth of the work you are doing throughout the year. 5.1a Layout The portfolio should use a minimum font size of 11, dates need to be with each photo used, and text can be put into bullet points if wished. The preferred layout is as follows (if not required, please feel free to use fewer pages for each section): Page 1 – Introduction Page 2, 3 & 4 – Horticultural achievement (divide into the seasons) Page 5 & 6 – Environmental responsibility (divide into the seasons) Page 7 & 8 – Community engagement (divide into the seasons) Page 9 – Finance Page 10 – Plans for the future Appendices – Newspaper cuttings etc. To assist the judges, it is preferred that the portfolio be no longer than 10 pages including photographs (five double-sided A4 sheets). For examples of last year’s portfolios, please visit the individual group pages on the Beautiful Scotland website where you will find a pdf document of their 2017 portfolio. Please note that the portfolio does not have to be a glossy, highly produced document – it is the content of the portfolio that matters.

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5.1b Content The portfolio is your opportunity to set the scene and show the judges everything that they can’t see on the judging tour, but it is not your only opportunity to do so. As the portfolio is due with KSB by the 2 July, we are aware that it will not be possible to include information from end June and July. However, the presentation is the ideal opportunity to highlight this work. With only limited space available, it is very important that the portfolio focuses on illustrating the ways in which you have addressed the three pillars of the campaign. In particular, it should:

• Highlight and explain the main features of your group’s entry, where possible linking to the three main campaign pillars and five sub sections;

• Document areas of work that will perhaps not be viewed during the judges’ visit;

• Provide evidence of the work your group has done to ensure that your community looks good throughout the year. Think about work done in the autumn, winter and spring especially;

• Inform the judges about the support you have received from your community, businesses and other partners; and

• Set out your group’s plans for future developments. It is also worth considering the following top tips: 1. Photographs are an important way of getting your message across. Please ensure that these are dated and were taken within the last 12 months. If you use photographs that include people, their permission must be obtained as the portfolio will be used on the Beautiful Scotland website. A permission form that can be photocopied is included in Appendix 3. 2. Ask a senior school, college, or youth group to assist with the design of your portfolio as part of a project. 3. With sustainability in mind, the portfolio should be e-mailed to beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org (if the file size of your portfolio is over 10MB, you can reduce the size using the free service on this website: https://smallpdf.com/compress-pdf or email it to same address by using the free file transfer service available at www.wetransfer.com). We will no longer make hard copies of the portfolio available at the Awards Ceremony – nor will they be returned to entrants. If you have any questions about putting together your portfolio, please contact beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

5.2 The Presentation Every entrant group has the opportunity to give a 15-minute presentation about their local campaign on judging day. This is an important part of the day and it is strongly recommended that you deliver your presentation before your assessed tour. The presentation should not be included in your tour time; it is a separate 15 minute section. The presentation is not marked, but again gives your group the opportunity to highlight things that the judges won’t see on the tour. It will help stimulate discussions with the judges and help them to understand your group and vision. The presentation should focus primarily on giving an overview of year-round working and could even be set up in chronological order, taking the judges through the year and showing them the variety of activities in which you have been involved, from bulb planting days to community meetings, to school projects. It can include images of recent work that couldn’t be included in the portfolio, and it is also an opportunity to highlight fundraising events, future plans and work with other groups in your area. Please consider the following guidance for your presentation:

• Maximum length of 15 minutes.

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• You decide on the format of the presentation e.g. PowerPoint presentation, scrap book, display boards or printed hand-outs - what is important is the content of your presentation rather than the style and technology used.

• Although the presentation is not judged in itself, the judges will be looking for supporting evidence of your year-round working.

• If your group submitted a self-nomination for a discretionary award, ensure your presentation (and tour) includes evidence of your eligibility for the award. The judges who visit could be influential in supporting your nomination.

• And lastly, remember to only present on things relevant to the three pillars of the Beautiful Scotland campaign.

5.3 The Tour 5.3a Categories and tour times The tour is when the judges will start marking your achievements. Each Beautiful Scotland category is allocated a specific amount of time for the judging tour and these are outlined in the table below.

The times given are the maximum tour times - small villages, coastal villages and BIDs especially may feel that less time is required. This is fine, and we would encourage groups to consider shorter, more relevant tours rather than feel that the time must be filled. All our judges are volunteers and often have to visit more than one group in a day, so the timing is important and we would urge you to let KSB and your judges know in advance if you are going to need less time.

Category Electoral Roll TOUR Press Presentation Total

Wee Village Up to 300 1 hour 15 mins 15 mins 1 hour 30 mins

Small Village 301 - 1,000 1 hour 15 mins

15 mins 15 mins 1 hour 45 mins

Large Village 1,001 - 2,500 1 hour 30 mins

15 mins 15 mins 2 hours

Coastal Village 0 – 2,500 1 hour 30 mins

15 mins 15 mins 2 hours

Coastal Town 2,501 - 35,000 2 hours 30 mins

15 mins 15 mins 3 hours

Urban Community

1,001 - 12,000 2 hours 30 mins

15 mins 15 mins 3 hours

Small Town 2,501 - 6,000 2 hours 15 mins 15 mins 2 hours 30 mins

Medium Town 6,001 - 12,000 2 hours 30 mins

15 mins 15 mins 3 hours

Large Town 12,001 - 35,000 3 hours 15 mins 15 mins 3 hours 30 mins

Small City 35,001 - 100,000 3 hours 30 mins

15 mins 15 mins **4 hours plus 30 min break

City 100,001 and over 4 hours 15 mins 15 mins **4 hours 30 mins plus 30 min break

Residential Community

Up to 2,500 1 hour 15 mins 15 mins 1 hour 30 mins

Business Improvement District (BID)

N/A 2 hours 30 mins

15 mins 15 mins 3 hours

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Tours may be shorter if you don’t feel you require the full time – please let your judges know in advance if you have decided to do this. Overall, the time should not exceed the time specified in the ‘Total’ column but the judges will be flexible e.g. if heavy traffic delays the tour vehicle etc. **For the City and Small City categories, you may add in a ½ hour break in the middle of your tour (please discuss this with your judges when they contact you to arrange their visit). This is to allow the judges to have a refreshment/comfort stop, and the ‘tour clock’ must be stopped during this time. This ½ hour must not be used to extend the time of your tour. The judges are trained to take into account the fact that some entrants cannot be assessed on certain criteria: for example, smaller communities may not contain any shops, car parks etc. Where this is the case, the marks for that section will be adjusted to ensure that all entrants are treated fairly. It is also worth noting that if judges are shown anything at all on the tour that the entrant being assessed has not somehow been involved with, they are instructed not to include it in their report. It is up to you, the entrant, to make sure that you explain clearly how you have worked with other groups and/or It’s Your Neighbourhood projects which are included in your tour. And lastly, please remember to only show the judges things that are relevant to the three pillars of the Beautiful Scotland campaign. 5.3b Planning your tour With such a wide range of communities taking part in the national campaign, it is difficult to demonstrate an itinerary that suits all occasions. Instead, we would recommend that you keep the following points in mind when designing the route that the judges will take during their visit (please email beautifulscotland@ksbscotland.org.uk if you would like examples of good tour itineraries emailed to you): Early planning

• Read the Entrants Manual and marking sheet carefully to ensure you cover as many points as you can while on your tour.

• Think carefully about what you should include in your tour to evidence year round activity during the tour.

• Identify a meeting point and who will be accompanying the judges on their tour. This must be forwarded to your judges in advance of the judging date.

• Draw up a list of sites you should visit and potential people you could meet on the route (the judges really enjoy meeting people and hearing what their role is/what they do) – where possible, use the judging sheet, the three pillars and their five sub sections to help you identify key locations.

• Identify a place to carry out the presentation – e.g. a town hall, a local café, a school.

• Discuss and confirm a suitable location for the 15-minute press/photo shoot if you have one. It can take place at any location of your choice, however, it is advisable that it is kept to one location if possible. It is also a good idea to make sure someone from the group can take photos in case the local press is not able to attend. Please remember that this time can’t be used to extend the tour.

Route development

• Remember, everything is judged on the route – take a ‘critical friend’ around the route before the day and take on board their suggestions.

• Concentrate on showing the judges things that have been a result of your activities, or that you have been involved in/with.

• Link the itinerary to the campaign’s three main pillars and their five sub sections. Think about how many points each section is worth.

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• A good tour should have inputs from other members of the community at various stopping points throughout.

• If transport is required, make the necessary arrangements well in advance – the group must provide a vehicle if required (you must not ask the judges to drive). Vehicles should have good visibility and should not have tinted windows. Make sure you know who will travel with whom and whether more than one vehicle will be needed. Ensure that you have a driver and a guide, rather than one person doing both tasks. Ensure valid vehicle insurance is in place and that vehicle is fit for purpose. It is important to keep the tour efficient so please do not spend too long in a vehicle.

• Do not just take judges to private gardens, but display a variety of locations where possible. Two or three private gardens are acceptable.

• If your group submitted a self-nomination for a discretionary award, ensure your tour (and presentation) includes evidence of your eligibility for the award. The judges who visit could be influential in supporting your nomination.

• Be realistic with your timings - judges may ask questions, take photos, there may be traffic jams, all of which could take you over your planned times. Don’t try and squeeze too much in.

Practice timing

• Make sure that all arrangements are confirmed and the judging route has been timed to perfection.

• Carry out a full rehearsal if possible.

• Ensure that your supporting members of the community realise that their time may be cut short and not to be offended if this happens.

Tour preparation

• It is recommended that you start the tour with your presentation, but if it fits better later on that is fine.

• Remember, you don’t have to use all of the allocated 15 minutes for your presentation but you cannot add any time saved on to your tour time.

• The venue for the presentation can also be used to provide refreshments/comfort break facilities for judges – they may have come a long way and will always appreciate any hospitality you give them.

• It is vital that you have the judges’ mobile numbers and they have yours in case of any issues in the run up to or on the day.

• A map and an itinerary that clearly highlight the judging route must be given to the judges on arrival, but preferably in advance so they know what to expect. It is also a useful document for judges to make notes against. An example of a judging tour itinerary can be found in Appendix 5.

Meet people on route

• Judges will expect to be accompanied throughout the tour by a maximum of four people, each of whom should be competent to answer questions.

• Remember you can alternate people in order to include particular experts at certain points.

• Be sure to highlight the involvement of the community at all times. Don’t just show the judges your wildflower meadow – invite some of the people who helped sow or plant it to talk about it (make sure they introduce themselves to the judges, letting them know what their role is).

• Judges are very happy to meet with members of the community, particularly young people, who have been involved in working on the projects they see. However, please make sure that everyone knows that the time is strictly limited and they should not delay the judges beyond their allocated time.

• If you work with It’s Your Neighbourhood groups, or other Beautiful Scotland groups, consider including them too – but always check that the groups are happy with this.

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Use every opportunity

• Don’t waste a minute. If you have planned a comfort break or cup of tea half way through, then have displays available and perhaps even manned by local groups who help you out.

• Make sure community notice boards are up to date and include information about your work, where relevant.

• Try to make use of the 15 minutes that has been allocated over and above the judging time for press and photo opportunities. Articles and photographs in the local press help towards building your profile. The judges are happy to answer questions and be photographed, however try to keep this to one location.

• Use the judging checklist which can be found in Appendix 4. On the day

• Organise for a few people to check there is no litter on the judging route before the tour begins.

• Remember to offer your judges a comfort break and refreshments before the tour starts (if not offering during or at the end of your tour) – they may have been travelling all day or come straight from judging another entry. Please do check with your judges in advance of the day if they have time for this.

• Make it absolutely clear when the judging tour commences, so that the judges are aware.

• Please remember that the judges who visit your community are volunteers and are giving their time and expertise to support you and your community. The visit should be an enjoyable experience for all involved.

• Don’t start off the tour with a negative – if you have experienced local authority cuts in your area, tell the judges what steps your group has made to work with the council or what your group is doing to help with this. For example, outline any partnership working or how you’ve turned a grass area that used to be cut by the council into a wild flower area.

• Please make allowance for the weather on the day of the judges’ visit. Be prepared to provide umbrellas or bottles of water as appropriate.

And please remember, what you show to your judges on the day should not be for one day only. Standards should be kept throughout the year. 5.3c Judging fairness In order to protect the integrity of the campaign it is important that all entrant groups are aware that the judges will take a negative view if any of the following occur, and marks will be adjusted accordingly:

• There is evidence that material has been brought in solely for the judging day and is not provided for the whole season.

• The judges are offered gifts or other inducements aimed at affecting the judging process.

• The arranged judging tour continues longer than the allocated length of time given. Extra time will only be allowed if there are unforeseen circumstances and then only at the judges’ discretion.

• More than four people at any one time accompany the judges during the tour.

6. Beautiful Scotland Awards

6.1 Trophies and Awards 6.1a Premier Award The Rosebowl Trophy will be awarded to the entry receiving the highest overall marks in the campaign. In 2013 there were four groups awarded the Rosebowl as they all achieved the same overall top marks. Going forward, if this happens again, the judges will collectively look at year round achievement as evidenced by the portfolios to decide on one overall winner.

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6.1b Category Awards Wee Village Trophy Small Village Trophy Large Village Trophy Coastal Village Trophy Coastal Town Trophy - The David Kerr Coastal Resort Trophy Urban Community Trophy Small Town Trophy Medium Town Trophy Large Town Trophy Small City Trophy City Trophy Residential Community Trophy (previously called ‘Flatted Community Trophy’) Business Improvement District Trophy 6.1c Discretionary Awards Previously, these were awarded at the discretion of the judges. As well as the judges putting forward nominations, we would now like to offer all entrant groups the chance to nominate themselves for up to two of the Discretionary Awards if they have something they are proud of and would like to seek recognition for. Please see Appendix 1 for descriptions of each Discretionary Award and some examples of past winners for guidance. If your group wishes to be considered for one or two of the awards, please fill in the nomination form in Appendix 2 (one for each award your group wishes to be considered for). The form(s) must be filled in and emailed to beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org or posted to Juliette Camburn, Keep Scotland Beautiful, 1st Floor, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TZ along with five supporting images per nomination no later than Friday 2 July – this will enable the judges to have enough time to read any nominations before their judging tour. Award winners will be decided at the judges de-briefing day in August, with winners announced at the annual Awards Ceremony in September. Please note that the Discretionary Awards are awarded at the discretion of the judges and that all, or some, may be awarded in any year.

6.2 Medal descriptions Every entrant group is awarded with a medal certificate. A description of each award and level of points required is as follows:

Award Description

GOLD

Outstanding

(85% and above) (Overall 170 – 200 points)

An exceptionally high standard demonstrated throughout. A consistent approach that demonstrates both best practice and sustainable effort. Meets all of the judging criteria and objectives of Beautiful Scotland and scores very highly in every section of the judging criteria.

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SILVER GILT

Very Good (75-84%)

(Overall 150-169 points)

A high standard entry which meets the judging criteria and objectives of Beautiful Scotland, including sections of exceptionally high standards. Generally meets sustainable and quality thresholds, but these may not be entirely consistent throughout the area. Offers potential to receive a Gold award in the future.

SILVER

Good

(60-74%) (Overall 120-149 points)

Considered to be an above-average entry that meets most of the judging criteria and objectives of Beautiful Scotland. The entry will include more than one section that demonstrates exceptionally high standards. In particular, the entry will demonstrate good sustainable standards and the potential to progress to Silver Gilt standard.

BRONZE

Average (50-59%)

(Overall 100-119 points)

An average entry that meets most but not necessarily all of the judging criteria and objectives of Beautiful Scotland. The entry will include at least one section that demonstrates an exceptional standard. In general, the entry will meet acceptable sustainable standards and have the potential to progress to Silver standard.

NO AWARD

Fair

(0-49%) (Overall 0-99 points)

The entry may have a number of merits and could well be the best area in its population size from the region. However, the entry has not met a sufficiently developed standard required to achieve any of the Beautiful Scotland medals.

7. Images and media support

7.1 Images 7.1a Media images Unfortunately, the number of employees at local newspapers and magazines has been reduced in recent years due to financial constraints, so they do not always have the manpower to cover every event themselves. As such you may have to become the reporter and also the photographer for your event.

• When taking a photograph please consider what makes an interesting image. Shots of people lined up are on the whole dull to look at. The best images are those with some action in them. People doing something while also looking at the camera make excellent images, and even more so if the photographer has angled themselves, so they are either looking up or down at the subject. And remember a photograph can be staged, so take your time, arrange your subject and take lots of photographs.

• Images need to be of a high resolution – typically 300dpi minimum. Please set your camera to the highest resolution possible, because if the images are too small they just can’t be printed.

• When taking a picture always make sure you’ve got permission from the people in the photograph and a full list of names and job titles to put in the caption of any picture taken. You’ll also need the photographer’s permission for the picture to be used for publicity. It doesn’t have to be the copyright, just permission. Without all of these a paper is very unlikely to print the photograph.

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Where children under 18 are featured in photographs a photo permission form will need to be signed by the parent or guardian giving their permission for the photo to be used.

• The media often ask for before and after shots, as a way of illustrating a story, so please do keep a record of your activities from the very beginning.

• And finally, when emailing images to the media, only attach a couple of photographs (jpegs or tiffs) to each email, complete with the media release and information about the people in the shot. Don’t let your email exceed 10MB; otherwise it may not get through the newspaper’s email system.

7.1b Images required by KSB KSB will request two digital images from Beautiful Scotland entrants to be used in a variety of ways including: - during the presentations at the annual awards ceremony presentation; - on the KSB, Beautiful Scotland, and RHS websites; - in the local press, on request from journalists; and - for KSB, Beautiful Scotland and RHS publications, including newsletters, leaflets and banners. Images are due in by Friday 27 July and should be emailed to beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org (if the file size of your photos comes to over 10MB, please email them to same address by using the free file transfer service available at www.wetransfer.com). Please ensure that photos are sent in jpeg file format and are approximately 1-3MB in size. Important: Any images sent to KSB containing people must have approval for their use. Please photocopy the form in Appendix 3 and send with the images to beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

7.2 Media support The Community Projects team works throughout the year to raise awareness of the efforts that Beautiful Scotland entrants commit to improving their communities, using communication channels such as the print and broadcast media, the Beautiful Scotland website, and social networking sites. KSB currently provides media support by: - issuing a national and regional media releases to promote registration; - issuing a national media release about the Rosebowl and category winners; - issuing regional media releases detailing the success of each entrant and highlighting the medal

achieved and any category or discretionary awards; - providing quotes, on request, to support your own media work throughout the year; - providing information to entrants and reporters throughout the year to assist with media enquiries; - providing a template media releases for entrants to modify and issue, highlighting participation in

the competition and the judges tour (Appendix 7 and available to download from the resources section here); and

- promoting the work of groups through social media channels.

As participants, you have the opportunity to maximise media coverage in your area, and to promote the work of your group throughout the year. This will help attract new volunteers, motivate those already involved and could lead to potential funding. Local newspapers and radio stations are often on the lookout for local stories to cover, and Beautiful Scotland events (for example bulb planting, fundraising coffee mornings, and installation of artwork), can make good news pieces.

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There are two key times to approach the media about your event: - before the event, as a way of drumming up support and calling for volunteers to assist; and - after the event to summarise how many people took part and what was achieved.

Before approaching the media, think about what you want to achieve. Consider the timing of your event: if you want to arrange a photocall with the local media, the morning is often preferable so that deadlines can be met. If you want an article to appear, provide an interesting angle and don’t waffle - be accurate and informative. The best way to put forward your information is in a media release, which can be emailed or faxed to the media. It is also a good idea to write down all your key points if you want to call the news desk so that you don’t forget anything. Make sure that in your briefing or media release you provide details of: - Who is taking part; - What is interesting, unusual or unique about your event; - Where you are meeting and what you hope to achieve; and - When your activity is taking place (day, date and time). **And please make sure to mention that your group is ‘taking part in Beautiful Scotland, which is run by Keep Scotland Beautiful – your charity for Scotland’s environment.**

If you want to arrange for a reporter or photographer to attend the event, make sure that you let them know at least one week beforehand so that the date can be put in their diary. It is often worth calling again the day before to remind them and find out if they are likely to attend. For weekly newspapers it is also important that you check when the print deadline is to ensure you get information to the reporter in good time. Please do consider sending information to KSB too. We can use it on our website, social networking sites, or even include it in the monthly update emails to share with other groups. KSB has produced two sample media releases and photo call template which you are welcome to fill in and use to publicise taking part in 2017, and the judging visit in August. These can be found in Appendix 7. Social media KSB is active on Twitter and Facebook and, where possible, we follow our groups and share their information with our wider audiences. Please consider ‘liking’ our pages, and do provide us with your Facebook/Twitter page names and we will reciprocate. If mentioning KSB/Beautiful Scotland in any posts, please use #KSBScotland/#BeautifulScotland/@KSBScotland We would also recommend that you follow the RHS Britain in Bloom Facebook page, like its Twitter page and use #ourbloom @RHSbloom. You can find KSB on:

Twitter here: twitter.com/ksbscotland; and Facebook here: facebook.com/KSBScotland

And you can find the RHS Britain in Bloom on: Twitter here: twitter.com/rhsbloom, and

Facebook here: facebook.com/rhscommunitygardening

Keep Scotland Beautiful, First Floor, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling FK9 4TZ

Tel: 01786 471333 Email: info@keepscotlandbeautiful.org Registered Scottish charity: Number SC030332.

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APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Discretionary Award descriptions Please find descriptions of each award below, and some examples for guidance: a. Community Horticultural Award Presented to the community entrant that demonstrates the highest quality of horticultural displays.

2016 winner – Coupar Angus Pride of Place: Coupar Angus has three town entrances and the group has worked hard to create an attractive welcoming feature at each: a pollinator friendly bed using permanent herbaceous planting; a banking with shrubs for biodiversity; a wild flower bed with a diverse species of wild flower plugs planted to attract a wider range of insects as the group moves towards increased sustainability; and daffodils, snowdrops and wild flower seed planted around a Standing Stone. Other initiatives include snowdrops planted on roadsides as part of the town's annual Snowdrop Festival, with spring daffodils appearing later on; trees planted in the park and entrance beds developed; boxes along the town’s roadsides planted with Winter shrubs and bulbs, with Spring bedding added in February; and mangers with Spring bedding, which are planted up in Summer along with the hanging baskets to make a glorious blaze of colour throughout the town. 2017 winner – Cupar in Bloom: Cupar in Bloom worked with SRUC Elmwood campus, with support from Fife Council, to design and plant up a floral educational bed. Previously planted by the council, and dedicated to a local organisation, the students recycled plants and dedicated the 2017 bed to ’60 years of the Cupar Floral Art Club’.

b. Jim Murdie Trophy for Sustainability Presented to the community entrant that demonstrates the highest commitment to sustainable landscaping or sustainable development.

2016 winner - Powis Residents Group: The group is innovative in its approaches to community gardening. The members take 'pride of place' in their gardens, and the love and attention they give by making their community more attractive is commendable. Features that enhance the group’s green space include: reclaimed wooden pallets turned into chairs, benches and tables which have been colourfully painted; and tree stumps have had their bark removed to make bug hotels, while the actual stumps have been painted with child friendly logos. It is the joy that this group gives to others, by thinking outside the usual box, that needs recognition. 2017 winner - Brighten up Kirkconnel: In January 2017, the group was successful in being awarded £2,750 from Foundation Scotland to enhance the village War Memorial with permanent, sustainable planting. Over 150 shrubs were planted, finished with bark mulch to keep the beds weed free. The sustainable planting replaces annual bedding, and will now provide year-round appeal.

c. Garden for Life Biodiversity Award Presented to the entrant that demonstrates the greatest commitment to supporting and increasing biodiversity in their local area.

2016 winner - East Haven Together: During the last two years, East Haven Together has taken conservation and biodiversity to new levels. Working with experts and participating in a variety of training experiences, members have become true Citizen Scientists learning more about the needs of different species and managing the environment to optimise conditions in which they can thrive. Kidney Vetch, which is the sole food of the UK's smallest butterfly, has been planted in various locations to help prevent the decline of the rare Small Blue. Plants have been carefully chosen to attract pollinators, and research carried out to ensure wildflowers are planted safely in accordance with best scientific evidence. Bat, bee, bird, insect and hedgehog boxes are strategically placed throughout the village. Monthly bee walks have been undertaken to record the type and number of bees along four transects in the village. All data collected is shared with relevant organisations such as the Bumble Bee Conservation Society and Tayside Biodiversity Partnership. East Haven is the only place in Scotland where the Greater Yellow Rattle grows naturally, and residents work in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage to conserve this

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rare plant on the SSSI. Special cuts of the 500 metre stretch of dunes are undertaken annually and the plant carefully monitored. In August, East Haven held a large Community BioBlitz which brought together scientists, experts and other interested bodies to work alongside members of the public to identify as many species of animals, insects, plants and marine life as possible over two days. Local school children worked alongside the Marine Conservation Society, and ordinary members of the public were able to engage with nature increasing their knowledge about local wildlife habitats. An up-to-date species list was produced and all biological records submitted to national databases. Learning will inform future conservation practice and land management. 2017 winner - Cumbernauld’s Bloomin’ Wild: An exemplary approach to biodiversity was demonstrated by this group in all three core pillars of Beautiful Scotland’s campaign. Activities include: the new, fully accessible Badger Trail at Palacerigg Country Park; work to eradicate New Zealand Flatworm at Ravenswood LNR; the attempt to build the world’s longest bug hotel and survey it to find out the species using it; working with a local developer to create and enhance woodland buffer strips; and the engagement, consultation and inclusion of local people in biodiversity projects throughout the city.

d. VisitScotland Award for Tourism Presented to the entrant that demonstrates the greatest effort in the promotion of tourism. This may be either Scotland as a whole or local tourism and may include promotion of the results of their efforts in the campaign on the entrant website. Local heritage projects are particularly relevant for this award.

2016 winner - Melrose in Bloom: Nestling under the Eildon Hills, historic Melrose attracts a huge number of visitors all year round. Apart from the salmon fishing, the “Four Abbeys” cycle route, the beautiful countryside for walkers, its position on the “Southern Upland Way”, the history attracts visitors to the 12th Century Abbey, burial place of Robert the Bruce`s heart, and Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott. Melrose in Bloom ensures that the town is kept clean and tidy and full of floral displays all year round. Local traders sponsor the group’s planters and baskets. Townspeople send donations to ensure the group continues to plant every corner, large or small, with clubs helping with the heavy work. Schoolchildren and horticultural students are just as keen to show Melrose at its best. Many visitors come to the Melrose Rugby Sevens, and the Borders Book Festival attracts crowds, famous authors and politicians, firmly putting Melrose on the map. The group ensures that all the summer planting is ready then! The group is also fortunate to have two beautiful National Trust for Scotland gardens in the town, and it has a good relationship with them. 2017 winner - Aberdeen Inspired: Pioneered by Aberdeen Inspired, funded jointly with Aberdeen City Council, the world famous Nuart Street Art Festival took part in its first ever full scale collaboration and first foray as a complete festival outside Norway, to become “Nuart Aberdeen”. Thanks to the long persistence of staff at the BID, this collaboration arrived in the city for Easter 2017 to change the face of local culture and, with a three-year deal signed, guarantees many more large and small scale pieces of art, from major artists, to come.

e. Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Trophy Presented to the entrant or local authority that demonstrates the highest quality of horticultural standards in public open spaces.

2016 winner - East Lothian Council: East Lothian Council works hard to improve the quality of the environment for visitors and residents alike. Taking great pride in the management of its open space, the council ensures very high horticultural standards in key areas, where seasonal bedding is complemented by sustainable and permanent planting. A notable example of effective sustainable planting is in the new herbaceous border, now in its second year, at the old station site in Haddington. It has been designed as a low-maintenance planting scheme, with each plant selected for both visual and pollinator appeal, and managed to retain seed heads through the winter to provide seasonal structure and food sources. This is a great example of how municipal planting can be at once low maintenance, biodiversity friendly and also have year round interest. The Council has provided fantastic support for North Berwick in Bloom, Dunbar in Bloom, and Blooming Haddington and is a key partner in the groups overall successes.

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2017 winner - Aberdeen City Council: Aberdeen has the proud record of having taken part in every one of the 51 years of Beautiful Scotland. Traditional displays of first class horticulture still catch the eye and attract very high number of visitors into the parks. Children are encouraged in many imaginative ways, for example ‘design a flower bed’ competitions and the Groovy Growits club at Duthie Park. Some of the glasshouses provide facilities for therapeutic horticulture for groups tackling issues such as drug and alcohol addiction or mental health problems. The city now has an excellent balance between seasonal colour and permanent planting, while good quality green space can be seen city wide.

f. Wright Sustainability Award Presented to the entrant that demonstrates the greatest commitment to sustainable landscaping or development.

2016 winner - St Andrews – for The Links: St Andrews in Bloom is committed to the protection of its natural heritage, ecologically important sites, biodiversity and the introduction of vegetation in more difficult environments. To this extent the group liaise with a number of organisations, including St Andrews Links Trust. The Trust’s objective is to sustainably manage its seven golf courses, important wildlife and habitat, and the natural landscape. The Links are managed in a way that enhances and preserves the delicate ecological balance, with minimum input of any pesticides and fertilisers; a gorse management system is in operation, designed to keep this invasive species under control to ensure it flourishes where appropriate and to restore the dune topography; there are sustainable and annual planting displays around the Golf courses; heather seeds were collected from the courses and reseeded elsewhere to help the bees as part of ‘Operation Pollinator’; the Trust gives free compost to the public; hanging baskets were installed in town with the help of the Trust; an old tipping ground – the roof of the Links water holding tanks – has been developed into a valuable and interesting habitat which includes a wildflower area and an invertebrate hotel; and a pond located by the 14th and 15th holes of the Eden Course, which could potentially ruin the scorecard of many a golfer, serves a great purpose as an environmental habitat for the wildlife of the Links. 2017 winner - East Lothian Council: There are exceptional examples of bold, creative and colourful perennial, sustainable planting around East Lothian. A good example of this can be seen in Lauderdale Park in Dunbar, which includes beautiful, prairie style planting. This sustainable approach is planted with low maintenance in mind, planting densely to avoid weeding and choosing plants which don’t require staking, as well as many varieties which are appealing to pollinators. The relationship between East Lothian Council staff and the ‘In Bloom’ groups is very positive, with a strong approach of mutual support.

g. Community Involvement Award Presented to the entrant that demonstrates the greatest community involvement throughout the year in the Beautiful Scotland campaign themes*. All sectors of the community should be shown to be involved in the local activities.

2016 winner - Bonnie Dundee: Dundee’s entry into Beautiful Scotland is based on a partnership between the council and a very wide range of community groups and organisations. These include Friends groups in many of the parks, entries into It’s Your Neighbourhood, campaigns such as Take Pride in your City, the garden at Ninewells hospital which links to SAMH, Dundee Urban Orchard, and Whorterbank Tattie Patch. The annual Dundee Flower and Food Festival held in early September, is a major event in the Scottish Horticultural calendar which relies on input from local groups and specialist societies to help run it. The participation by children is very successful, with a whole marquee needed to show their entries! 2017 winner - Lanark in Bloom: In partnership with the Lanark Development Trust, the Castlebank Park Horticultural Unit has developed over the past two years. The work carried out at the unit benefits not only Lanark but the wider area around Lanark and further afield. Training is carried out by the Clydeside Training Initiative at the unit, which helps special needs groups. Local schools benefit from classes held at the unit, and the general public are also helped with a number of workshops held on specific gardening subjects. The unit is run by a group of dedicated volunteers who are also benefitting by acquiring new skills. The ongoing development of the unit is also being considered, with plans for a bigger meeting and classroom space converted from an old steading.

h. David Welch Memorial Award Presented to the entrant that demonstrates particular commitment to the Beautiful Scotland campaign themes* with an interesting, unusual or creative project.

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2016 winner – Growing Smarter, Granite City Aberdeen - for David Welch Winter Gardens: The David Welch Winter Gardens in Duthie Park are exceptional, with one of the most attractive collections of indoor plants in Britain. The glasshouses were renovated in 2013, while recently the heating system has been converted to biomass reducing costs in a sustainable way. This allows the gardeners to continue to grow even tropical plants successfully. Visitors first enter into a wide area with pools and beds, which combines specimen plants with seasonal planting using tender subjects. They then move into an atmospheric rainforest. A contrast then comes with a house dedicated to cacti and some enormous succulents - notably Euphorbias which have to be pruned to prevent them growing though the glass roof! There are two national collections here: one of Aloes, the other of Gasterias. Nearby the Groovy Growits, the young gardeners' club, maintain the insectivorous plant display. The Victorian corridor, best described as a very long conservatory, provides 12 months of colour and also hosts flower shows for the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen, the Aberdeen branch of the Scottish Rock Garden Club, and the Scottish Branch of the National Vegetable Society. There is a temperate house and an area for public events, with some people choosing to be married here, and the complex also hosts activities led by the ranger service for schools and other young people. 2017 winner - Dundee City Council: The Dundee Flower Show goes back in various forms to the 1820s.The modern three day Flower and Food Festival is one of the largest shows in Scotland, and certainly is now the largest of the traditional late summer/autumn shows which predominantly cater for competitive individual growers, most of them amateurs. It regularly attracts over 20,000 people and has 400 competitive classes. Organisation is shared between the council and a range of local clubs including local allotment associations, chrysanthemum, dahlia and cactus societies, floral art clubs, beekeepers, winemakers and others. The show is very family friendly, with a marquee devoted to children’s exhibits, many mounted in conjunction with the Dundee City Council ranger service on environmental themes.

i. New Entrant Trophy Presented to a first time entrant or entrant returning after a break of five or more years, that best demonstrates endorsement and development of the Beautiful Scotland campaign themes*.

2016 winner - Freuchie in Flower: Started in 1989 as a sub-committee of Freuchie Community Council, the group gives a focus to villagers’ energies to take pride in their local environment. Since entering the regional Beautiful Fife competition, Freuchie has increased its points total from year to year. Last year Freuchie achieved the accolade of Best Large Village in Fife. In 2014, the group financed and built a polytunnel and now grows plants of exceptional quality. In 2015, a major fund raising achievement meant the group could purchase 22 additional Amberol planters. An innovative water recycling system is environmentally sound - rainwater is gathered from roofs into holding tanks and a recycled car battery-operated submersible pump provides power for hoses. Vegetable growing is the focus of the weekly school gardening club, as well as an annual sunflower competition - pupils sow their seeds and, when germinated, nurture them at home. Soon sunflower seed heads appear over fences, walls, even garages! Youth activities include planting over 1,000 autumn bulbs, laying native hedging around a playpark, litter-picking and Spring Cleaning the boat planter. To celebrate the Centenary of the Freuchie Cubs this autumn, villagers will plant 100 native trees in a wildlife area. Freuchie Garden Awards have been re-instated and are open to all. With 100 floral displays that green the village streets, the group has expanded to sustainable community environmental projects, and is a conduit for community engagement. 2017 winner - Lauder in Bloom: The group began just over three years ago, partly as a response to a comment that not much could be done to brighten up the town. A small core group of 11 ‘have-a-go’ gardeners feel well supported and appreciated by the community, and works with various groups of all ages from playgroups to the sheltered housing residents. The group began by adopting a handful of Council beds and six unloved planters. It is continually expanding, and now gardens 32 baskets, 52 planters and 24 beds (including six previously unloved eyesore patches). It has also created a Pollinators Patch at the park, a stumpery and a community herb garden, and has a Wimbledon-inspired planter at the tennis club. In the last year the group ran five community workdays including litter picks, tree planting, gorse clearing and willow harvest.

j. RHS Scotland Award for Overcoming Adversity A new award in 2016: presented to the entrant that has overcome challenging circumstances (e.g. flooding; tackling giant hogweed etc.) and shown impressive commitment to improving their local environment through joined-up community action.

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2016 winner – Growing Smarter, Granite City Aberdeen (or Seaton Park): Over the Christmas

2015/new year 2016 period, Aberdeen was buffeted by a series of storms which culminated in Storm

Frank. Seaton Park in Aberdeen, adjacent to the River Don, was one of the worst affected areas, with

most of the park under two metres or more of water at the peak of the flooding. Much of the park remained

under water for several weeks after the majority of the flooding had subsided, with flooding impacting

sports pitches, informal recreation areas and the formal gardens.

As is often the way in times of adversity, the Friends of Seaton Park and the local community rallied with

the council staff to clean up the park and get it back to its former glory. Hundreds of volunteers turned out

to clear the debris left by the floods - many from groups who use the park on a regular basis for sports or

other recreational purposes, but also people from the local community who just wanted to do their bit. A

large number of volunteers from the local mosque joined in too. Many new friendships were made, new

partnerships developed, and best of all the park was soon back to its former glory. 2017 winner - Burgh Beautiful Linlithgow: In 2016, West Lothian Council stopped providing or maintaining summer bedding, having withdrawn winter displays two years previously. All flower beds would be grassed over and tubs/planters would be removed unless local groups took over the responsibility. After unsuccessful attempts to persuade the Council to reverse its decision, Burgh Beautiful Linlithgow ran a ‘Bye Bye’ campaign which involved placing signs in Council flower beds and planters, saying that, without community support, these floral features would disappear. The campaign was well publicised in the local newspaper and community magazine, as well as through Facebook and the groups’ website. Much to its delight and relief, the response from individuals, groups and businesses in the town was excellent – it doubled the number of volunteers to over 90, and financial sponsorship has increased to a level likely to sustain the floral operations for the foreseeable future. Nearly all town centre flower beds, planters and hanging baskets, and many others elsewhere, are now planted all year round.

*Campaign Themes: Horticultural Achievement, Environmental Responsibility, Community Participation

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Appendix 2 – Discretionary Award nomination form Please complete the form below (one for each Discretionary Award you wish to be nominated for – each group can submit a maximum of two award nominations, so please focus on your groups’ strengths) and email back with five supporting images per nomination to beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org or post back to Juliette Camburn, Keep Scotland Beautiful, 1st Floor, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TZ. Deadline for submissions – 2 July 2018

Name of Discretionary Award (please refer to Appendix 1 for names and descriptions)

Name of entrant group OR the name of the local authority you wish to nominate for the award

Your contact email address

Your contact telephone number

In no more than 300 words, please tell us about the project / entrant / local authority you wish to nominate, ensuring that you outline how it fits with the individual discretionary award criteria (see Appendix 1 for descriptions):

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Appendix 3 – Photograph contributor consent form

To be completed by anyone contributing a photograph to Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB)

I hereby confirm I am the owner of the following photograph(s) and grant Keep Scotland Beautiful the right to use the photograph(s) and any reproductions or adaptations of the photograph(s) for all general purposes in relation to the work of Keep Scotland Beautiful including, without limitation, the right to use them in any publicity materials, books, newspapers, magazine articles and online whenever Keep Scotland Beautiful chooses to do so.

Where images clearly show an identifiable person, photography consent forms, have been completed and individuals within the photograph(s) have been made aware that the photograph(s) may be used for the above purposes.

Name (please print) …………………………………………………………………………………………

Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………….………………...………………………………………

Signature…………………………………………………………………………… Date ……/……/.......

PHOTO IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

Date Photo name Locations Name(s) of individuals within photo

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Please return completed form to: Keep Scotland Beautiful, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TZ or email it to info@keepscotlandbeautiful.org clearly marked with the KSB contact name.

This consent will apply for an indefinite period/expire on (insert date) ……/……/…...... [delete as appropriate]

Images are used for approximately five years and then stored in our image archive for possible future use.

We cannot withdraw images/recordings already published.

Image consent can be changed or withdrawn at any time by notifying Keep Scotland Beautiful in writing. Please write to Keep Scotland Beautiful, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TZ or email info@keepscotlandbeautiful.org, referencing this form.

Data Protection

This information will be entered on to a Keep Scotland Beautiful database, which is maintained by Keep Scotland Beautiful, and may be used to keep you informed of related activities and events. Details will not be passed to any third party without your consent.

Keep Scotland Beautiful is a registered Scottish charity. Number SC030332. Registered Company Number: SC206984. VAT Registration Number: 856 2678 85. Keep Scotland Beautiful, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TZ.

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Appendix 4 – Judging checklist

General points Have all members of your group or committee had the opportunity to read this manual?

Have you made use of social media to promote your endeavours?

Have you evidenced year round involvement in your community?

Have you recognised any sponsorship you may have received?

If your group has aligned itself to National initiatives (for example the 2018 theme, RHS Greening Grey Britain – Community Action, Clean Up Scotland or Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels) have you documented your involvement?

The tour and presentation Have you decided on a meeting point and do the judges know where to go?

Have you provided the judges with a mobile phone number in case they need to reach you on the day of the tour?

Have you decided what format and who will be doing the presentation? Try doing a run through before the judges arrive.

Bearing in mind the strict timetable, have you carefully timed your route and had practice runs to ensure that you stay within the time allocation on the day of judging? Remember to allow enough time for judges to meet and talk with members of your community and to take photographs.

Have you involved young people in the campaign – if so, will the judges meet them if possible?

Have you included examples of what the local community and businesses have achieved and have you organised any representatives from business and community to be present during the tour?

Have you included your heritage in the tour/presentation?

Have the representatives that the judges will meet been briefed so that they know how much time is available to talk to the judges?

Have you considered what will happen if the judging is on a very rainy day, for example type of vehicle, where to meet the community representatives, provision of umbrellas and other backup contingencies; or if a very hot day, for example provision of sun cream or bottles of water?

Have you allowed for refreshments and comfort breaks, particularly on long tours?

Have you carefully studied the judging sheet (see Section 4 and Appendix 6), ensuring that as many aspects as possible are covered in your route and the time spent in each area corresponds to how the marks are allocated on the judging sheet?

Have you ensured your area is clean – having regard for the fact that judges may wish to slightly deviate from the route? Have you taken into consideration the areas that the judges will travel through in order to reach the key points on your itinerary?

Have you informed your local press and organised a photo call?

We ask that you provide the judges with a copy of the judging route and itinerary (with room for them to take notes – see Appendix 5 for an example), if possible in advance of their visit. However, try not to bog the judges down with hefty documents.

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Appendix 5 – Example of tour itinerary (please email beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org if you would like good examples of actual tour itineraries emailed to you)

Time How long Location To meet Criteria

section Comment space

10.00am

15mins

Presentation in town hall

10.15am

15mins

Photo opportunity at town hall edible border

Local Cllrs

10.30am

20mins to walk through street and meet local reps

Main street hanging baskets

Rep from local traders association

A1, A4, C5

10.50am

10mins travel time

11.00am

20mins

Sensory garden

Primary school pupils who helped with litter pick and planting.

A1, C2

11.20am

5 mins travel time

11.25

10mins

Roundabout sculpture made with recycled materials and new planting to celebrate Jubilee

Artist

B5, C2, C4

etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

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Appendix 6 - Judges marking sheet [NB: A different mark sheet is used for BID and Residential Community entrant groups - please contact us on 01786 477 171 / beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org to request a copy]

BEAUTIFUL SCOTLAND MARKING SHEET

Name of entry: Judging Date:

Category: Judges:

Introduction (introductory remarks from the judges – may be read out at Awards Ceremony/used for Results Newsletter):

SECTION A – Horticultural Achievement

Assessing year-round horticultural achievement including conservation and natural areas.

MAX ACT.

A1. Impact – design, colours, appropriate choice of plants, special features, presentation, innovation

20

A2. Horticultural practice – cultivation and maintenance, quality of plants, sustainability, new planting

20

A3. Residential and Community Gardening – residential, communal areas, allotments, public buildings (grounds of churches, schools etc.), car parks

20

A4. Business Areas and Premises – retail and shopping areas, leisure sites, transport terminals, car parks, farms, rural businesses, pubs, post offices, tourist areas/attractions, offices, estate agents etc.

20

A5. Green Spaces – verges, parks and open public spaces 20

TOTAL POINTS AWARDED FOR SECTION A 50% of maximum points

100

Areas of Achievement:

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Recommendations/suggestions from your judges:

SECTION B – Environmental Responsibility

Assessing year-round activities improving environmental responsibility.

MAX ACT.

B1. Conservation and biodiversity – wildlife areas, natural habitat

10

B2. Resource management – recycling, minimising demand placed on natural resources and any harmful impact on the environment

10

B3. Local heritage – management and development of local heritage and/or identity, inclusive of natural heritage

10

B4. Local environmental quality – management of vacant premises and plots, litter, graffiti, fly-posting, dog fouling etc.

10

B5. Pride of place – management of street furniture, signage, art in the landscape and hard landscaping

10

TOTAL POINTS AWARDED FOR SECTION B 25% of maximum points

50

Areas of Achievement:

Recommendations/suggestions from your judges:

SECTION C – Community Participation

Assessing year-round community participation

MAX ACT.

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C1. Development and continuity - Development and sustainability of the local bloom initiative and evidence of on-going projects

10

C2. Communication and education – community awareness and understanding, engagement with schools and young people and/or other community groups, press coverage, publicity materials

10

C3. Community participation – community involvement is representative of the community’s size and diversity

10

C4. Year-round involvement – schedules of events and supporting evidence of year-round activity (primary evidence to be presented in 15 minute presentation)

10

C5. Funding and Support – initiatives to secure on-going support for the local bloom campaign including local business support

10

TOTAL POINTS AWARDED FOR SECTION C 25% of maximum points

50

Areas of Achievement:

Recommendations/suggestions from your judges:

GRAND TOTAL POINTS AWARDED

200 (max.)

MEDAL AWARDED

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Appendix 7 – Example media releases/photocall [these are available to download separately from the Resources section of the Beautiful Scotland web pages]

7a. Media Release – taking part in Beautiful Scotland 2018

For immediate use - <date>

Celebrating pride in <<insert location>>

<<insert group >> registers to keep Scotland beautiful

<<insert group name>> has signed up to take part in the Beautiful Scotland campaign

this year.

Administered by your charity for Scotland’s environment Keep Scotland Beautiful, a member

of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Bloom Federation, Beautiful Scotland recognises the

efforts of local authorities, communities and businesses which work tirelessly to improve

their local cities, towns and villages.

Evidence shows communities benefit by coming together to improve their local

environments. And << insert group name>> is seeking to do just that by joining hundreds

of others to celebrate the 2018 theme – Year of Young People. By planting seeds, provided

free to all registered groups, organising awareness raising environmental campaigns, and

engaging with the wider community, volunteers from << insert group name>> will work

hard to improve the places they care for.

Carole Noble, Operations Director at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We’re delighted

that << insert group name>> is taking part in Beautiful Scotland this year, and look forward

to hearing the great things our team of volunteer judges will have to say after they visit.

“For more than half a century, local authorities, communities and businesses have been

working together making a huge impact to ensure we can enjoy a clean and green

environment benefiting us all. A good local environment can deliver a broad range of

associated benefits in terms of physical and mental health and wellbeing, community

cohesion and civic pride, and the creation of economic opportunities”.

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<<Insert quote from group>>

Ends

Note to Editors

1. Keep Scotland Beautiful is the charity that campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local, national and global environmental issues to change behaviour and improve the quality of people’s lives and the places they care for. We are committed to making Scotland clean, green and more sustainable.

2. Keep Scotland Beautiful is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Bloom Federation, and administers the long-established community environmental improvement Beautiful Scotland campaign in Scotland. Further details at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/beautifulscotland

4. <<Insert name of group and background information about the group e.g. how long it has been in existence, major achievements etc >>

5. Media enquiries to <<insert contact details for the group>>

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7b. Media release - judging

For immediate use - <date>

Beautiful Scotland judging begins

<<insert location>> aims to shine for community green award

<<insert name of group>> entered Beautiful Scotland in 2018, joining many others from

across the country to celebrate over 50 years of community environmental improvement.

Administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful, a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s

Bloom Federation, Beautiful Scotland recognises the efforts of local authorities,

communities and businesses which work tirelessly to improve their local cities, towns and

villages. The entrants have together planted an astonishing number of bulbs, organised

local environmental awareness campaigns and encouraged mass volunteer participation –

all to improve the places they live and work in.

Now the planters are blooming, the streets are clean and the community is ready to

showcase its hard work to the Beautiful Scotland judges.

Over a 14-day period, starting on Monday 30 July, pairs of highly experienced volunteer

judges will visit entrants, including <<insert name of place / group>>, as part of a tour

which takes in small villages, large towns and our major cities.

During the judging tour, three themes are examined - horticultural achievement, community

participation and environmental responsibility - to discover which communities have been

most successful in improving the attractiveness, cleanliness and sustainability of the places

they care for.

Winning communities will be presented with awards at a ceremony in East Lothian in

September 2018. The overall winner will be presented with the prestigious Rosebowl

Trophy, while a number of discretionary awards will be presented for outstanding

performance in areas such as biodiversity, tourism, and community involvement.

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Some of the winners from Beautiful Scotland 2018 will go on to represent Scotland in the

RHS Britain in Bloom Final in 2019.

Carole Noble, Operations Director at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “For more than half

a century local authorities, communities and businesses have come together to take

responsibility for enhancing their local places with spectacular floral displays and innovative

anti-littering campaigns. These activities would not happen without the many hundreds of

people committing thousands of hours to looking after their communities on a voluntary

basis.

“We sometimes forget the massive impact that a clean and green environment has on

people. Beautiful Scotland groups have made, and continue to make, a massive difference

to our country. I’d like to wish all the entrants the best of luck this year.”

<<Insert local quotes>>

Ends

Note to Editors

1. Keep Scotland Beautiful is the charity that campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local,

national and global environmental issues to change behaviour and improve the quality of people’s

lives and the places they care for. We are committed to making Scotland clean, green and more

sustainable.

2. Keep Scotland Beautiful is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Bloom Federation,

and administers the long-established community environmental improvement Beautiful Scotland

campaign in Scotland. Further details at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/beautifulscotland

3. <<Insert name of group and background information about the group e.g. how long it has been in

existence, major achievements etc >>

4. Media enquiries to <<insert contact details for the group>>

xviii

7c. Media photocall

<<Insert date>>

<< Insert Title >>

Insert intro text (Identify the unique selling points of your picture opportunity / story. Is there a human

interest angle, a hooking fact or figure that people can relate to or a celebrity involved?)

Date: (insert day and date)

Time: (insert time – use 24hour clock to reduce confusion)

Where: (clearly highlight a meeting place, and where the photo will be taken. (For example, meet

at the gate of a park if a photo is to be taken at a location in the park which is difficult to find).

What: (explain what the photo will be of, for example: a local celebrity will help children from the

primary school plant out their bedding plants using the design drawn in a competition. The

winning entrant will receive a certificate from the celebrity.)

Why: (stress why the photo highlighting the event/work carried out is important to the entrant and

to the community).

For photo call enquiries on the day please contact <<insert main group contact and mobile

number>>

Ends

Note to Editors

2. Keep Scotland Beautiful is the charity that campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local,

national and global environmental issues to change behaviour and improve the quality of people’s

lives and the places they care for. We are committed to making Scotland clean, green and more

sustainable.

2. Keep Scotland Beautiful is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Bloom Federation,

and administers the long-established community environmental improvement Beautiful Scotland

campaign in Scotland. Further details at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/beautifulscotland

3. <<Insert name of group and background information about the group e.g. how long it has been in

existence, major achievements etc. >>

4. Media enquiries to <<insert contact details for the group>>

Keep Scotland Beautiful is the charity that provides advice and support to help create and maintain cleaner, safer and healthier local environments where people and communities can thrive. It’s part of our work to make Scotland clean, green and more sustainable.

T: 01786 471333 E: info@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

In partnership with

facebook.com/KSBScotland @KSBScotland

www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org

CHARITY

ISO 14001:2015 Certification No.208826

8289

Keep Scotland Beautiful is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO): Number SC030332. Copyright © Keep Scotland Beautiful 2018. All rights reserved.