Henley Town Council is delighted to announce that the town has been awarded a Gold at the Thames & Chilterns in Bloom Awards, marking a triumphant return to the competition after a six year hiatus. Henley’s last participation in the Thames & Chilterns in Bloom competition was in 2019, when the town secured its sixth consecutive Gold award. Since then, Henley has focused on enhancing its community engagement and environmental initiatives.

“We are incredibly proud of what the Henley community has achieved,” said Councillor Kellie Hinton, Chair of the Bloom Committee. “Our volunteers, local businesses, sponsors and council teams have worked tirelessly to make our town bloom. Achieving Gold is a testament to their dedication and passion.”

A score of over 85% overall is needed to achieve Gold and Henley achieved it in all three judging categories – horticulture, environment and community.

The judges praised Henley for:

• Strong community involvement, with excellent participation from volunteers, schools, and local groups.
• High-quality horticultural displays, particularly the floral installations at the Town Hall, Sensory Garden, and Henley Bridge planters.
• Commitment to sustainability and biodiversity, including pollinator-friendly planting, “No Mow May” verges, and projects led by Greener Henley.
• Impressive environmental projects, such as the Bathing Water Status initiative and the integration of wildlife-friendly spaces at Holy Trinity Churchyard.
• Heritage and cultural connections, reflected in the Leichlingen Apple restoration and Henley College street art project.

“It’s a huge achievement for the town and to come back from a break with a resounding success is really something. The Parks department work really really hard and it’s a shining example of the quality job they do around the town.” said Mayor Tom Buckley

Karl Bishop, Parks Manager said “This Gold award is a fantastic recognition of the hard work put in by our parks team throughout the year. It’s been inspiring to see the community get behind the Bloom projects, and we’re proud that Henley is being recognised for both its horticultural quality and its commitment to biodiversity.”

Thanks must go to the incredible sponsors who helped this award happen: Active Security, Wilkins, Blanchards Law, Catlin Ltd, Fidelity Group, Henley Cycles, Henley Royal Regatta, Manning UK, Tank2 and The Chiltern Centre