Children from Linwood School’s Woodford Campus have won a gardening competition that celebrated The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

A total of 24 schools entered the competition organised by Bournemouth In Bloom. Each school was provided with a planter and a bag of compost and tasked with creating a display that represented The Queen’s seventy-year reign. The displays were judged by chairman of Bournemouth In Bloom Chris Colledge and his deputy Jane Kelly at the end of May.

On Friday 17 June there was much excitement at the Council Chamber of the BCP Civic Centre in Bournemouth, when a special presentation event was held and all the schools that entered the competition were invited to send representatives. Bournemouth’s Mayor Cllr Bob Lawton, wearing his full mayoral regalia, presented the prizes. Every school that entered received a special Bournemouth In Bloom Blue Plaque and a certificate of excellence.

Chris Colledge said: “The standard of the entries was so good that we felt every school deserved a prize. It was incredibly difficult to choose the top three winners. The entry from Linwood Woodford Campus stood out as absolutely superb. Choosing the second and third places was extremely hard. Congratulations to everybody who entered.”

Linwood Woodford Campus was presented with The Deric Scott Shield to display at the school for a year. St Martin’s School was runner-up and Winton Primary School came third. These three schools were also presented with gardening vouchers.

Chris Colledge said: “We hope that all the schools who entered will continue their gardening activities and that, next year, even more schools will enter our schools’ competition.”

The competition was organised by Bournemouth In Bloom’s School co-ordinator Anne Fisher.