RHS It's Your Neighbourhood (IYN)
The 2024 South West IYN Results can be found here!
The 2023 South West IYN Results can be found here!
Background Information on It's Your Neighbourhood
RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood (IYN) is a unique scheme for volunteer led community gardening projects/groups who are focused on improving their local environment through community gardening. They can be for example, working in their local street, estate where they live, a back alley they share with their neighbours, or the local community centre’s outdoor space. Almost any outdoor site being looked after by the local community qualifies for this scheme. RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood is an inclusive, non-competitive scheme, and groups can be made up of any number of community volunteers (from 2 to infinity!) .
Currently our IYN entry numbers in the South West are around 400, having had in the past over 500 plus entries take part in the South West's RHS It's Your Neighbourhood initiative. We are passionate to keep IYN entry numbers high, as they help to spread awareness far and wide in the South West on the number of volunteer led community gardening groups and projects we have in our region, and the array and amazing benefits community gardening can bring to all.
If you are new to the RHS It's Your Neighbourhood scheme, and are considering registering, we would recommend you read through the Participants Guidance and Assessor Notes below. These will provide you with further information on how the scheme works, the potential benefits registering as an IYN can bring to your group, plus too, help you understand what the IYN Assessor will be looking for when they come and assesses your project.
IYN Entry Forms for 2025 will be available on this website to download around late Autumn time.
Any queries or for further information on the It's Your Neighbourhood Scheme, please contact the Regional Coordinator at South West In Bloom, who will be more than happy to help assist and guide you further on the IYN iniative.
Contact details: Email: southwestinbloom@aol.com Telephone: 07875 849809
RHS Introductory leaflet
IYN Assessment form.
Participants' Guidance Notes
IYN Assessor Notes
How Do I Get Started?
Getting involved is very easy, in fact, you only need 2 things:
1. A group
2. An idea for a project
Once you have these things, you are ready to get started!
Click here for the Its Your Neighbourhood RHS Support Pack
Gordon Ford Trophy - The Gordon Ford Trophy is a Discretionary Special Award which South West In Bloom present each year to the best RHS It's Your Neighbourhood entry in our region. It can be assessed as part of a main judging tour or as a individual assessment. The IYN should encompass all three core pillars, Horticultural, Community and Environmental responsibility, as well as reaching a mark Level 5 'Outstanding'.
Winner of the Gordon Ford Trophy in 2021 was "Jo's Upcycled Garden" in Melksham.
