Bishop Auckland celebrated the people and partnerships behind its environmental success at the first Greener Together Celebration Awards, organised by the Town Council to recognise the volunteers, community groups, schools and organisations helping to make the town greener, cleaner and more sustainable.
The celebration brought together those whose dedication and hard work contributed to Bishop Auckland achieving Gold and being named the “best in class” in the Larger Towns category at the recent Northumbria in Bloom awards: a significant achievement for the town and a testament to the strength of its community partnerships.
Celebrating Community Effort
The awards evening recognised the collective efforts of people working across Bishop Auckland to enhance public spaces, support biodiversity, encourage recycling, develop community gardens and promote environmental sustainability. It also celebrated the contribution of allotment tenants, whose work helps create valuable green spaces and supports wellbeing, wildlife and community spirit.
Mayor of Bishop Auckland, Councillor Michael Siddle, who also chairs the Greener Together Group and serves as Secretary of Bishop Auckland In Bloom, said:
Winning Gold and being named best in class in the Larger Towns category was an incredible moment for Bishop Auckland. This achievement reflects the people, partnerships, and community spirit behind our success. I want to thank everyone who has given their time, energy and enthusiasm to making our town a place we can all be proud of.
Projects Across the Town
The introduction of the Greener Together Working Group this year has helped bring people together around a shared commitment to environmental improvement, turning ideas into practical projects and creating new opportunities for community involvement.
Among the projects celebrated were improvements to the town centre planters and flower beds, the development of the Kingsway garden and the ongoing transformation of the Railway Garden. These initiatives have been supported by volunteers and partners from across the community, including local schools, Bishop Auckland College and environmental organisations.
The Town Council has also taken responsibility for funding and maintaining several town centre planting schemes, introducing perennial planting to selected beds to support longer-term sustainability.
Town Clerk Sarah Harris said:
The Greener Together Celebration Awards are an opportunity to thank everyone whose time, ideas and enthusiasm have helped transform our town. Our Northumbria in Bloom success is a shared achievement, and we hope it inspires even more people to get involved as we continue to build on this momentum.
Allotments and Individual Awards
The evening also recognised the work of allotment associations and tenants across the town, with awards for the best allotment on each participating site and new awards for best newcomers. Certificates of appreciation were presented to volunteers, community groups, schools, and partner organisations in recognition of their support for environmental projects and planting schemes.
Individual contributions to sustainability were also celebrated, including the work of local can collector David Johnson, known as the “Can Man”, whose efforts to collect and recycle cans for the benefit of local charities inspired the Council to introduce a mobile can-crushing station for use at events.
The Council hopes the success of Greener Together will encourage more residents, organisations and businesses to get involved, helping to create healthier neighbourhoods, protect local green spaces, and leave a legacy for future generations.
The Greener Together Celebration Awards marked an important milestone in Bishop Auckland’s environmental journey, recognising that the town’s success is not down to one individual or organisation, but to a community working together.
