RHS It's Your Neighbourhood (IYN)

Entry Form for 2024 can be downloaded from here!

Closing date for receipt of entry is Friday 5th April 2024.

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.   

Each year our entry  numbers in the South West vary, and  we have had in the past over 500 entries take part in the South West's RHS It's Your Neighbourhood initiative. This year we are aiming to again reach a target of 500 entries, which will help to spread awareness far and wide in the South West region on the number of  volunteer led  community gardening groups and projects we have in our region and the benefits this brings 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 benefits registering as an IYN can bring, plus too, help you understand what the IYN Assessor will be looking for when they come and assesses your project. 

This year all our IYN entries we will aim to assess during the assessment period of Monday 1st July to Friday 26th July 2024.

Any queries or for further information on the It's Your Neighbourhood Scheme, please contact Melissa 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.