Now Rustington strikes gold in the European floral stakes, too

Months of tireless hard work deadheading and pruning by an army of green-fingered volunteers resulted in Rustington picking up the top accolade at the Entente Florale international final, held in the Netherlands.

The ceremony, hosted in Venlo, saw the village praised by judges for its efforts and remarkable community spirit. And there was more to celebrate when the Oak Community Project picked up a special commendation for the most “outstanding community project” for disabled people in Europe.

The European success came the day after the village was crowned overall category champion in this year’s South and South East in Bloom competition, receiving a plethora of other titles, too.

Rustington in Bloom Committee chairman Valerie Narayanaswami was at the Entente Florale presentation with committee members Kathleen Tidbury and Michael Harwood.

She said: “It’s such an incredible achievement for us. I mean, this is Rustington, a village in West Sussex.

“To be whittled down from 22,000 entries to just 20 and then to win gold, on a European scale, is a monumental achievement and one that is going to be difficult to top.

“There were so many wonderful towns and villages, with picturesque mountains and rivers running through them. I never thought we could compete with that.

“But we couldn’t have done it without Ferring Nurseries’ above-and-beyond dedication and hard work.”

Rustington picked up one of only six golds to be awarded during the ceremony, alongside fellow British entry, Bristol.

The village was celebrating a strong performance in the South and South East in Bloom competition, earning the judges’ special floral display title and the Sussex Life award for the entry with the highest marks in the county.

Rustington’s primary schools fared well in the competition, with Georgian Gardens earning a gold award in the school grounds’ category, while Rustington Community Primary scooped a silver gilt. Summerlea received a silver award.

Community groups excelled, too, with Rustington Hall receiving a “developing” award, the Cudlow Garden Residents’ Association, Oakhurst Gardens and Rustington Methodist Church won “thriving” titles, and Herne Gardens and Orchard Gardens’ garage compound and The Chaucery Memorial were rated “outstanding”.

Certificates of excellence were presented to 1st Rustington Scouts, Arun U3A Art Group, The Chaucery Memorial, Rustington Methodist Church, Princess Marina House, Rustington District Guides, Rustington Horticultural Association, West Sussex Beach Wardens and the Youth Offending Team.