Your charity for Scotland s environment. Beautiful Scotland

Transcription

1 Your charity for Scotland s environment Beautiful Scotland Guidance for Entrants 2018

2 Welcome to Beautiful Scotland Beautiful Scotland Beautiful Scotland aims to encourage community participation through horticulture and environmental quality improvement work. Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), the charity that is committed to making Scotland clean, green and more sustainable, is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society s (RHS) Bloom Federation, delivering the Beautiful Scotland campaign in Scotland. The network of communities working with KSB is strong, and it is particularly heartening to welcome entrants from areas of the country that have been traditionally under-represented in the campaign. With our continued emphasis on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility, and community participation, together we are a major force in promoting sustainable development and biodiversity in communities across Scotland. Whilst there is a competitive element to the Beautiful Scotland campaign, winning prizes isn t the main objective of taking part; by doing your bit in your own community, wherever you are, you are contributing to making Scotland clean and green. In 2018, we continue to encourage groups to make contact with one another, share their experiences and pass on the benefits, particularly to less experienced entrants. Please make full use of the Beautiful Scotland ( and the RHS Britain in Bloom ( websites, to find out more about the work of groups across Scotland and to share your experiences with us so we can share them with other groups. This manual provides a valuable reference for your group s entry in the 2018 campaign. Please ensure that all of those involved in planning your entry are familiar with its contents. The manual has been designed to be distributed electronically. If you require a printed version, please contact us on or beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org to request a copy. Year of Young People the 2018 theme For 2018, KSB has chosen the theme of Year of Young People as a focus for groups taking part in Beautiful Scotland. Every group will be sent a packet of sunflower seeds to get them started and a document full of ideas, but we would love to hear your plans and share your projects and stories of everything you do to celebrate this theme. Please beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org throughout the year, and share through our social media channels - you never know who you might inspire. Please see Section 2.3 of this manual for more inspiring ideas on how to celebrate in your community. Social media: Please use #BeautifulScotland and #ourbloom in social media posts to help spread the word. Keep Scotland Beautiful, First Floor, Glendevon House, Castle Business Park, Stirling FK9 4TZ Tel: info@keepscotlandbeautiful.org Registered Scottish charity: Number SC

3 Contents 1. About Keep Scotland Beautiful and Beautiful Scotland Keep Scotland Beautiful The RHS Bloom Federation Beautiful Scotland Aim and objectives It s Your Neighbourhood Useful contacts Important information for Entrant fees Calendar of key campaign dates and events The 2018 theme Year of Young People Support for your entry Information, resources and funding a Monthly newsletter b Community Projects resource c Clean Up Scotland resources d Logos e Media and social media support Events a One to one guidance and advice visits in May b Beautiful Scotland Awards Ceremony and judges surgeries c Annual Seminar Online resources Support available from the RHS a Discounted insurance b Horticultural advice c Online resources The three pillars Horticultural Achievement - 50% of overall marks Environmental Responsibility - 25% of overall marks Community Participation - 25% of overall marks The portfolio, presentation and tour The Portfolio a Layout b Content The Presentation The Tour a Categories and tour times...16

4 5.3b Planning your tour c Judging fairness Beautiful Scotland Awards Trophies and Awards a Premier Award b Category Awards c Discretionary Awards Medal descriptions Images and media support Images a Media images b Images required by KSB Media support...22 APPENDICES... i Appendix 1 Discretionary Award descriptions... i Appendix 2 Discretionary Award nomination form... vi Appendix 3 Photograph contributor consent form... vii Appendix 4 Judging checklist... ix Appendix 5 Example of tour itinerary...x Appendix 6 - Judges marking sheet... xi Appendix 7 Example media releases/photocall... xiv 7a. Media Release taking part in Beautiful Scotland xiv 7b. Media release - judging... xvi 7c. Media photocall... xviii

5 1. About Keep Scotland Beautiful and Beautiful Scotland 1.1 Keep Scotland Beautiful KSB is the charity that campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local, national and global environmental issues to change behaviour and improve the quality of people s lives and the places they care for. We are committed to making Scotland clean, green and more sustainable. KSB is a multi-faceted charity operating across the spectrum of environmental issues from littering to climate change. Our initiatives are estimated to reach at least one in five people across Scotland. We operate in three main areas: sustainable development education, local environmental quality and sustainability, and climate change. We work in partnership with all of Scotland's local authorities, 98% of schools, community groups and organisations, and a variety of Scotland's leading businesses. 1.2 The RHS Bloom Federation KSB is a member of the RHS Bloom Federation established with the RHS and the Britain in Bloom Regions and Nations (R&Ns). This allows KSB to contribute to the development of the campaigns across the UK. Federation Members Anglia in Bloom, Cumbria in Bloom, East Midlands in Bloom, Floral Guernsey, Heart of England in Bloom, Jersey in Bloom, Keep Scotland Beautiful, London in Bloom, Northumbria in Bloom, North West in Bloom, South & South East in Bloom, South West in Bloom, Thames and Chilterns in Bloom, Translink Ulster in Bloom, Wales in Bloom, Yorkshire in Bloom, and the RHS. Through the Federation, KSB, RHS and Bloom R&Ns have agreed a shared vision for, and commitment to, Bloom and to actively work together to support the on-going development of the campaigns across the UK. 1.3 Beautiful Scotland The In Bloom campaign started in Scotland in 1967 and was administered by the Scottish Tourist Board and supported by the Scottish Women s Rural Institute. In 1983, KSB was approached to take on the administration of the campaign and the name was changed to Beautiful Scotland in Bloom (BSiB). The themes of cleanliness, sustainability and biodiversity were added to the horticulture elements over time, and BSiB became a major environmental campaign, with entries from all over Scotland. The name of the campaign was changed again in April 2007, to Beautiful Scotland, to reflect more accurately the breadth of current themes. The Beautiful Scotland campaign, judged, and with awards presented each summer, gives focus to community efforts in relation to the three pillars of horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation. Entrants are also expected to show that their efforts are sustained throughout the year. As a member of the RHS Bloom Federation, a number of category winners from Beautiful Scotland are nominated to represent our country at the UK level the following year. 1

6 1.4 Aim and objectives The aim of Beautiful Scotland is to assist communities of all sizes across Scotland to improve their local environment and to celebrate their achievements. The particular objectives of the Beautiful Scotland campaign are: To reflect and support the Scottish Government s policy on a range of issues: sustainable development, social inclusion, regeneration, and quality of life; To encourage participation by communities in Scotland; and To provide support to communities: by means of regular s, website, social media, awards ceremony and annual seminar. 1.5 It s Your Neighbourhood It s Your Neighbourhood (formerly The Neighbourhood Awards) was first piloted in 2003 in conjunction with the RHS, and has run in Scotland since It s Your Neighbourhood is designed to encourage new and/or small resident-led community groups interested in greening up their local areas to join the wider Britain in Bloom campaign. It is non-competitive, however participating entries are visited by assessors who serve as mentors and give realistic and helpful advice on how to incorporate the three pillars of Community Participation, Environmental Responsibility and Gardening Achievement, and how to make genuine improvements and progress projects. Participants are presented with a certificate of achievement of Establishing, Improving, Advancing, Thriving or Outstanding. Many of the It s Your Neighbourhood groups work with Beautiful Scotland groups, adding value to projects in local areas. 1.6 Useful contacts Throughout the year, members of the KSB Community Projects team will be in touch with you, providing useful information; informing you of the registration and judging processes; and arranging the awards ceremony and annual seminar. We are all happy to try and help with your queries but, so you can direct them to the most appropriate person in the team first, we thought we would let you know who we are and what we do: Juliette Camburn Community Projects Officer juliette.camburn@keepscotlandbeautiful.org Tel: Qualified to MSc level in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, and with fourteen years experience working in the charity sector, Juliette has worked with KSB for over nine years. Juliette is the first point of contact for entrant groups and is responsible for the day to day delivery of the campaign. She provides regular face to face, telephone and support to the entrant groups, volunteer judges and assessors, and local authorities, organises guidance sessions, judging tours, training and debriefing events, and supports the team as necessary. She is also responsible for evaluating the Beautiful Scotland and It s Your Neighbourhood campaigns, organising the seminars and the awards ceremony, and for dealing with enquiries from volunteers and members of the public. Carole Noble Operations Director Carole is an Environmental Health Officer with 24 years experience in environmental health, cleansing and waste management within local authorities. She has experience in the development 2

7 and implementation of quality management systems and is a qualified Lead Auditor for ISO9001:2000. Within KSB, Carole is responsible for development of contracts, partnerships, campaigns and programmes. Carole is a Member of The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland and an Associate Member of the Institute of Wastes Management. Keith Jackson Principal Ambassador of Keep Scotland Beautiful Keith is a Principal Ambassador of KSB, and, amongst other activities, assists with the judging processes for Beautiful Scotland. Keith founded Falkland in Bloom over 25 years ago and steered the community to success in national and international campaigns. Falkland competed at the highest level, winning Gold in Entente Florale and securing the Champion of Champion category in Britain in Bloom for two years in succession in 2009 and He has always encouraged other communities to become involved in floral and environmental enhancements and, in 2008, this work resulted in him being appointed to Fife Councils Parks department. Beautiful Fife was created and is now the vehicle which aids the development of Fife communities. About 60 communities participate to an extremely high level, with the best entering the Beautiful Scotland campaign. 2.1 Entrant fees 2. Important information for 2018 The entry fees for 2018 remain as they were and are as follows: Category Electoral Roll* Cost per entry (including VAT) Wee Village Up to Small Village 301-1, Large Village 1,001-2, Coastal (Village) Up to 2, Coastal (Town) 2,501-35, Urban Community** 1,001-12, Small Town 2,501-6, Medium Town 6,001-12, Large Town 12,001-35, Small City 35, , City 100,001 and over 500 Residential Community*** Up to 2, Business Improvement District (BID) N/A 150 In order to determine which category you should enter, please contact your local joint valuation board and ask for the electoral roll size. If in doubt please contact a member of the KSB Community Projects team for assistance. 3

8 An invoice for the relevant amount will be sent in May to the first contact for your group. If you have any queries with regard to this, please contact us at or *Selected winners of Beautiful Scotland are nominated to compete in the following year s UK wide RHS Britain in Bloom finals. Electoral roll is used rather than population to define a category as this is the only way that the RHS can check that the communities are nominated into the correct category. A community could state their population, but this cannot be verified in any way, particularly from a satellite and distant organisation like the RHS. **An urban community must be an identifiable community within a larger conurbation (sometimes described as an urban village or town ). It must have its own sense of identity and have its own Bloom group (a group dedicated to leading the in Bloom initiative locally). An urban community may not have its own Council, or be able to stand alone, but it will have its own sense of place. There may be examples where a whole town/city is an entrant, and there are also areas of the larger conurbation entered as an urban community. Where this is the case, judges will only factor the urban community into their assessment of the whole town/city entrant if the two groups have been working together. This will be checked by KSB in advance of the judging. ***A residential community is where residents have come together to improve their area. A 'Residential Community' could be, for example, a block(s) of flats, a Housing Association complex, sheltered housing, or a care or nursing home. 2.2 Calendar of key campaign dates and events Key dates for your diary are: January 30 April: online registration open for Beautiful Scotland 30 April 6 May: National Gardening Week May/June: One to one guidance and advice visit from a Beautiful Scotland judge (optional) 2 July: Deadline for Beautiful Scotland portfolio submission; deadline for Discretionary Award submissions and five supporting images per submission 5 July: Judges training day, Linlithgow 27 July: Deadline for photo submission (for use at Award Ceremony, website and Results Brochure) 30 July 12 August: Beautiful Scotland judging takes place 15 August: Judges debriefing day 6 September: Beautiful Scotland Awards Ceremony, Haddington, East Lothian (TBC) 7 September: Beautiful Scotland judges' surgeries, Haddington, East Lothian (TBC) 19 October: RHS Britain in Bloom Awards, Belfast October (dates TBC): RHS Wild about Gardens Week 31 October: Beautiful Scotland and It's Your Neighbourhood Annual Seminar and presentation of It's Your Neighbourhood certificates, Albert Halls, Stirling 4

9 2.3 The 2018 theme Year of Young People For 2018, KSB has chosen the theme of Year of Young People as a focus for groups taking part in Beautiful Scotland and It s Your Neighbourhood. This links well with this year s RHS theme of Greening Grey Britain Community Action which also has a focus on young people. We are pulling together some great ideas, and these will be sent to you shortly. Every group will be sent a packet of sunflower seeds, to get them started, but we would love to hear your plans and share your projects and stories of everything you do to celebrate this theme. Please beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org throughout the year, and share through our social media channels - you never know who you might inspire. 3. Support for your entry As well as being at the end of the phone or for any queries your group may have, KSB provides a range of support to entrant groups throughout the year: 3.1 Information, resources and funding 3.1a Monthly newsletter Every entrant group will receive a monthly e-newsletter, packed full of useful information and funding advice. Typically the will contain a reminder of deadlines (such as portfolio submissions); KSB campaigns your group can get involved in to increase community participation; KSB funding and funding available from external sources; your stories; updates from the RHS and The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (The Caley); and interesting events and information that will hopefully benefit your group. We would love to hear from your group so, if you have any stories you would like to share with others, or there are subjects you would like to see covered in the monthly e-newsletters, please let us know. The monthly e-newsletter will be sent to both contacts for your group, but please let us know if others wish to receive it. 3.1b Community Projects resource KSB s Community Projects resource includes activities ranging from projects encouraging biodiversity, to Young Reporters Scotland and gardening for wildlife. The aim of the resource is to help communities re-engage with Scotland s environment and to improve local environmental quality. Check out the free advice and resources available here. 3.1c Clean Up Scotland resources The Beautiful Scotland campaign is the celebration of KSB s Clean Up Scotland campaign, proving what can be done when you involve the community. Many Beautiful Scotland groups already register Clean Up events with KSB and have organised Clean Up events during Spring for years. We would like all Beautiful Scotland groups to register at least one Clean Up event a year with KSB s Clean Up Scotland campaign your group can hold your event(s) at any time during the year, and KSB will provide you with a free Clean Up kit and support materials. To register, please visit Organising a Clean Up event in your community is a great way to promote the work your group does, and may also lead to new volunteers. It also helps your group meet sections B4, C3 and C4 of the judging criteria (see Appendix 6). To ensure your Clean Up event is successful and you maximise its impact, download our Litter pick Plus toolkit here. 5

10 There are lots of other ways you can also get involved with the campaign, including organising a dog fouling campaign and promoting responsible dog ownership (visit our Get Involved page, or Make a Dog Share Station page for some fun ideas). 3.1d Logos Each group registered for Beautiful Scotland is entitled to use the Beautiful Scotland logo for any of its publicity materials and signage. Please beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org for the logo. We can also provide Clean Up x logos (for example, Clean Up Coupar Angus) for your use please contact beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org for more information. 3.1e Media and social media support KSB offers a variety of media and social media support throughout the year for Beautiful Scotland groups please see Section 7 for detailed information. We love to hear and share what your group is getting up to so if you have a Facebook or Twitter page for your group, then do let us know, and make sure to like and post things on the KSB Facebook and Twitter pages too. 3.2 Events 3.2a One to one guidance and advice visits in May Last year a number of Beautiful Scotland groups took advantage of a visit from one of our Beautiful Scotland judges. We would like to offer this again to groups who feel they need some guidance and advice. The visit can include a walk around for tour route ideas and guidance, a chat about the three pillars and subsections to focus your group s activities and advice on your portfolio and presentation. Please beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org by Monday 2 April if you would like one of our judges to visit your group in May. 3.2b Beautiful Scotland Awards Ceremony and judges surgeries Details are still to be confirmed, but this year s Award Ceremony will be hosted by East Lothian Council in Haddington on the afternoon/evening of Thursday 6 September. Final plans are still being drawn up and we will be in touch to let you know more. Also still to be confirmed, judges surgeries will be held the next morning a chance to meet your judges and chat through your groups mark sheet. 3.2c Annual Seminar The annual Beautiful Scotland and It s Your Neighbourhood Seminar will take place on Wednesday 31 October at the Albert Halls in Stirling. Two delegates from each group can attend (subject to availability). The seminar is a great chance to pick up hints and tips for taking back to your group, networking with groups from across Scotland, and to view exhibition stands from a wide range of environmental organisations. 3.3 Online resources KSB has a dedicated web section for Beautiful Scotland Included are the judges profiles and individual pages for each entrant group. The individual group pages are a great chance for you to promote the work your group is doing and for sharing achievements and good practice. You can find the 6

11 group pages for 2017 by clicking here. These will be updated with the 2018 entrants once registration has closed. If you would like to contribute text, web links etc. to your web page please let us know. In the Enter Beautiful Scotland section you will find useful websites, previous annual seminar presentations and a resources page which includes promotional material, reports, case studies and guidance documents such as an environmental sustainability guide to help you with your projects and advice on how to get extra support for your group. To find out if there are any It s Your Neighbourhood groups in your area, which you could get in touch with to support or to work with to join-up activities in your community, click here. 3.4 Support available from the RHS Through KSB s membership of the Federation (see section 1.2), groups registered in Beautiful Scotland will receive the RHS quarterly Grass Roots magazine, and are able to access the following RHS support: 3.4a Discounted insurance All groups registered with Beautiful Scotland are eligible for discounted insurance provided through the RHS please click here for further information. 3.4b Horticultural advice Beautiful Scotland groups have free access to the RHS advice team who can answer a wide range of horticultural questions relating to your group s activities. Simply advice@rhs.org.uk, quoting BiBNA in the subject line, or call (Mon Fri 10am - 4pm). Alternatively, you can post enquiries and samples to: Advisory Services, RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. Please note that advisors can only help with queries relating to your group s activities. 3.4c Online resources Find appropriate plants for any area/conditions Find out where you can purchase a plant locally Browse the list of plants for pollinators Grow Your Own Wildlife gardening Find out how wildlife friendly a garden is Advice by topic of choice Sustainable gardening Gardening events The three pillars The Beautiful Scotland campaign is based around three pillars. These are: horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility; and community participation. To take part in Beautiful Scotland, it is essential that your entry reflects these pillars. The judges marking sheet, used to record their assessments of your group s work, is based on the three pillars. 7

12 It is essential to provide year-round evidence for all of the sub sections in each of the three pillars, and these are outlined below and in the judges marking sheet in Appendix 6. The sections and sub sections can be evidenced through your group s portfolio, presentation and tour. It is also important that you consider your entire community and not just the high street or the village square and that, where you have problem areas (e.g. vacant premises/plots, eyesores etc.), you have plans in place to address these. 4.1 Horticultural Achievement - 50% of overall marks Floral displays are an important element of the campaign, but must be proportionate to the areas of sustainable planting and permanent landscaping within the entry. Floral displays may be present in a number of locations, but typically displays will be located in: - Publicly owned areas, including parks, publicly owned buildings, roadside areas and roundabouts; - Housing and residential areas, residential homes, schools, allotments; and - Shopping areas, business areas and premises, commercial premises, public houses, hotels, garages, and transport terminals such as bus and train stations. Beautiful Scotland has environmental responsibility at its core and judges will also be looking for examples of permanent/sustainable planting initiatives. Landscaped areas with permanent plantings could include any of the areas outlined above, as well as: - Woodlands, copses, shelterbelts, verges, parks, public open spaces; - Business parks, industrial estates; - Screen planting, near factories/industrial areas, eyesores, vacant premises/plots; and/or - Amenity planting near residential areas, car parks, shopping areas. Please note that free to enter gardens can be included on the judging tour, even if entry is via a building or gate. Please note that free to enter gardens can be included on the judging tour, even if entry is via a building or gate. Pay to enter gardens, heritage or environmental centres or museums can also be judged but if they offer some free activities or services these can count in other sections. This is in-line with the guidance provided by Britain in Bloom. ***In this pillar the judges will be looking for your year-round achievements in horticulture (including conservation and natural areas) focusing on five key sub sections as indicated below. Each of these sub sections will make up 10% of your overall score. (NB. In entries where there are no business premises or public buildings, marks for this section will be adjusted accordingly). The following tables break down each of the five sub-sections (A1 A5) and provide information on what the judges will be looking for under each: A1. Impact 20 points; 10% Colours and design Appropriate choice of plants - Is there a scheme or theme overall and/or in key locations? - Are the colours/design suitable for the location? - Are there too many/too few plants to enhance the area? - Are the plants appropriate in terms of flowering period and habitat? - Is there sufficient variation, appropriate herbaceous plants? - Are there appropriate varieties of both newly planted and recently (up to 5 years) planted areas (including mixes of trees, shrubs and herbaceous planting). Planting could be for foliage effect, bark effect or for a specific purpose such as conservation or to provide flowering or other effects for a defined period. 8

13 Special features Presentation Innovation - Sometimes provided as a focal point, such features may include structures or an intensive area of bedding. - Are areas well-presented and maintained? - Are new and creative ideas evident in the design, colours, themes, plant selection? A2. Horticultural practice 20 points; 10% Cultivation and maintenance - Watering, dead-heading and weeding is important. - Appropriate feeding may be necessary. - May include irrigation considerations and thinning, trimming or pruning as appropriate. Quality of plants - Good quality plants, obviously flourishing. - No obvious signs of pests, diseases or deficiencies. - Appropriate size for planting situation, appropriate soil type etc. Sustainability - Sustainability is about ensuring ecological functions, processes, biodiversity and productivity can be maintained and that resources are only used at a rate at which they can be replenished naturally. You should therefore take into consideration the balance of permanent/sustainable planting vs. seasonal/bedding plants and the timing of displays. New planting - How much new planting has been undertaken on an annual basis? - Is there a longer-term plan for the whole area or district? A3. Residential and community gardening 20 points; 10% Areas that may be included - Residential - primarily front gardens/gardens in public view. - Communal areas - shared residential & communal spaces. - Allotments. - Public buildings (grounds of) - includes schools, town halls, libraries, community centres, churches. - Car parks. What is assessed - This section relates to only the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2. - Are these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? - Do they show support for the campaign s goals of improvement/enhancement? - Has your group engaged other community groups in improving their own areas and/or included these areas in your own initiatives? A4. Business areas and premises 20 points; 10% Areas that may be included - Retail and shopping areas, leisure sites, transport terminals (for example bus stop, railway station), fee-paying car parks, farms, rural businesses, pubs, post offices, tourist areas/attractions and other business premises such as estate agents, law offices. What is assessed - This section relates to only the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2. - Are these areas actively involved in the Beautiful Scotland initiatives of your group? - Are your groups efforts in these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? 9

14 A5. Green spaces 20 points; 10% Areas that may be included - Do they show support for the campaign s goals of improvement/enhancement? - Support can include: sponsoring displays/planters, actively engaging in horticultural efforts on their own premises, funding initiatives, volunteering/participating in local group activities. - Verges, parks and open public spaces including woodlands, arboretums, bulb and tree planting initiatives, copse, shelterbelts. What is assessed - This section relates only to the areas as described above but they will also be evaluated with consideration for the criteria outlined in sections A1 and A2. - Are these areas actively involved in the initiatives of the entrant group? - Are your groups efforts in these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? - Do they show support for the campaign s goals of improvement/enhancement? 4.2 Environmental Responsibility - 25% of overall marks Beautiful Scotland encourages environmentally responsible activities/projects which are designed to improve the areas where we live, work and spend our leisure time. Looking after our environment has become a very important community concern and we are all being encouraged to recycle and use environmentally responsible products and practices wherever and whenever possible. It is the expectation that participants in Beautiful Scotland will strive to provide a co-ordinated approach so that all environmental issues are resolved in harmony with each other. The judges will be looking for entrant groups to either initiate or actively engage with programmes/activities, as appropriate, which are working towards providing environmental enhancements and which might include: - Establishing nature conservation and wildlife areas; - Cleaning up polluted sites and appropriate treatment/screening of derelict property or other eyesores; - Efforts to promote responsible dog ownership and reduce dog fouling; - Efforts to reduce littering, graffiti, flyposting and flytipping, and efforts to clean up areas spoiled by such activities. This can be done by supporting KSB s Clean Up Scotland campaign at - Producing active policies to reduce the demand placed on natural resources - e.g. source of water used for plants, use of peat, use of hardwood timber; - Maintaining and preserving natural habitat; - Minimal use of pesticides and nitrate fertilisers and reducing or eliminating harmful effects on the environment; and - Interventions, management and development of local heritage (including natural heritage). **In this pillar the judges will be looking for year-round achievements in environmental responsibility focusing on five key sub sections as indicated below. Each of these sub-sections will make up 5% of the overall score and be worth a maximum of 10 points. Please bear in mind that judges will be considering environmental responsibility across all areas so, for example, if your group has a fabulous floral display the judges will also want to know if you achieved this effect with consideration for the environment. The following tables break down each of the five sub-sections (B1 B5) and provide information on what the judges will be looking for under each: 10

15 B1. Conservation and biodiversity 10 points; 5% Areas that may be - Wildlife areas and natural habitats. included What is assessed - Is your group involved in: Preserving and maintaining these areas? Activities to educate the community and encourage them to visit these areas? Activities or plans to re-introduce or restore these areas where they have disappeared or been damaged? B2. Resource management 10 points; 5% Areas that may be - Recycling; minimising demand placed on natural resources; included minimising or where possible eliminating any harmful impact on the environment. What is assessed - What activities has your group been involved with or initiated to make strides in these areas? - Has your group shown due consideration to resource management in their own activities? - For example, has your group used peat-free compost or set up a community composting facility? B3. Local heritage 10 points; 5% Areas that may be - Managed local heritage and/or community landmarks/icons, or included other identified heritage or landmark sites. What is assessed - What activities has your group been involved with or initiated to ensure these areas are appropriately managed and developed? - Has the group taken these areas into account in your own activities/initiatives? B4. Local environmental quality 10 points; 5% Areas or activities that - Vacant premises and plots, water features (burns/rivers/lochs). may be included - Litter, graffiti, flyposting, dog fouling clean ups or campaigns. What is assessed - Has your group considered these areas/activities and actively included them in its initiatives? - Are the efforts in these areas/activities in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? - Do they show support for the campaign s goals of improvement/enhancement? B5. Pride of place 10 points; 5% Areas that may be - Management of street furniture, signage, art in the landscape, included fences, way-marking, interpretation, hard landscaping. What is assessed - Have these been considered in the initiatives of your group? - Are the initiatives in these areas in keeping with the overall efforts of the campaign? - Do they show support for the campaign s goals of improvement/enhancement? 4.3 Community Participation - 25% of overall marks Beautiful Scotland is a proactive campaign of communities creating long-term improvements to their local environment. As such it is expected that a diverse range of community members will be 11

16 involved in the campaign and that there will be broad based public awareness and support. Local authority and public bodies involved in driving local initiatives may need to take on the role of enabler or advisor to generate the level of community participation that is required, particularly in larger categories. Beautiful Scotland s positioning as a community improvement and environmentally responsible campaign means that you will need to show the judges how your group intends to continue to develop its programme. It is important that young people and schools have been involved with the group and that care has been taken to make effective use of the educational opportunities which exist. Beautiful Scotland is not just about spring and summer floral displays; it is about a year-round programme of activity to improve, enhance and maintain the environment around us and keep the community actively engaged in keeping things at their best. Your group should be able to provide evidence of: - how it plans and maintains the improvements the group makes and how it plans to develop in the future; - whether the group has an effective communication and education programme. This could be evidenced by the level of awareness and understanding in the community as well as by physical things such as informative signs and displays, press clippings, publicity materials; - a broad base of community involvement across all ages, ethnic and/or religious backgrounds, and socio-economic groups with a particular effort to engage young people/schools/colleges as appropriate to the groups community; - a year-round programme of activity to keep the groups community engaged and at its best throughout the year; and - secured funding/sponsorship and/or support for activities along with the support of government, commercial, corporate, business sectors. Groups are encouraged to support and engage with local It s Your Neighbourhood projects, BIDs and Urban Community entrants where possible. Please note though if judges are taken to see work carried out by an It s Your Neighbourhood group/bid/urban Community, your group MUST make it clear to the judges how it has worked with that particular group as part of demonstrating the community participation section of the criteria. **In this pillar the judges will be looking for year-round achievements in community participation focusing on five key sub sections as indicated below. Each of these sub sections will make up 5% of the overall score and be worth a maximum of 10 points. The following tables break down each of the five sub-sections (C1 C5) and provide information on what the judges will be looking for under each while on their judging tour. C1. Development and continuity 10 points; 5% Areas/activities which - Development and sustainability of the local initiative and may be included evidence of on-going projects. What is assessed - Has your group considered how to maintain and/or improve upon current achievements in the future? - Are the initiatives/works sustainable for the longer term? - Have any plans been developed to ensure on-going benefits to the wider community? - Are there plans in place for on-going projects? - Has your group established a structure and support network to ensure its own existence and/or development in the future? C2. Communication and education 10 points; 5% 12

17 Areas/activities may be included What is assessed which - Publicity materials; press coverage; signage/interpretation; displays; website and social media; engaging with schools, young people and/or other community groups; community awareness and understanding; educational and awareness campaigns on key issues. - Is there evidence of public awareness campaigns and educational programmes generated and/or actively supported by your group? - Are there, or were there during the year, activities and initiatives to inform, educate and engage children and young people? - Has your group engaged with the local media (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV) as applicable? - Does your group have an updated website and/or social media sites to promote its work? C3. Community involvement 10 points; 5% Areas/activities which - Is there any evidence that your group has made efforts to may be included include and secure community involvement which is representative of the community s size and diversity? What is assessed - Has your group engaged the community across all ages, ethnicities, races, cultures, religions, abilities (i.e. special needs and the disabled) and incorporated community reparation volunteers? - Is your group supporting and encouraging new/existing It s Your Neighbourhood projects in the area and engaging them with the wider Beautiful Scotland activities? If so, make sure to include a visit on the judges tour route. C4. Year-round involvement 10 points; 5% Areas which may be - Your group will be expected to show evidence of a year-round included programme of activity through its portfolio and presentation, which can include photographs, sample promotional materials, press clippings, calendar of events etc. - Some examples of out of season activities would be litter picks, leaf clearing and mulching, fundraising events, repairing/preparing of landscape areas and street furniture, or educational activities. What is assessed - Whether your group has been active and has engaged the community throughout the year. - NB your group may have to present this primarily through the portfolio and presentation given to the judges on their visit; however you can provide/display other supporting evidence on the day. C5. Funding and support 10 points; 5% Areas which may be - Efforts made to secure support and the amount of support included actually secured for the group. ( Support can mean not just funds but also the active engagement of the local government, commercial and corporate sectors, local businesses/offices and the general public, and include maintenance support from council services, businesses cleaning up and greening up their own storefront, local business sending staff out to volunteer on a group project etc.). What is assessed - Has your group made efforts to engage and secure support from local government, the commercial/corporate sector and local businesses? 13

18 - Have there been activities to raise support and/or funds from the general public? - Has sufficient support been secured to ensure the group is able to deliver its objectives? - Is there a plan of action to secure sufficient continuing support for the development of on-going projects? 5. The portfolio, presentation and tour The Beautiful Scotland process provides your group with three opportunities to impress the judges, to show off your achievements (these must all be relevant to the three pillars of Beautiful Scotland), and to maximise your communication of the endeavours of the group over the past 12 months. These are: - the portfolio; - the presentation; and - the tour. This section provides some guidance on how you can maximise the impact of each of these three opportunities. If in doubt at any time, please contact the Community Projects team at beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org 5.1 The Portfolio Although no marks are given for the portfolio itself, it does form a vital part of the judging process. Indeed, the judges find it such a useful reference to the individual entries that we require the portfolio to be submitted by 2 July before the judging date so that it can be read in advance of their visit. The portfolio assists the judges to prepare for their visit and write up their reports, so it is vital that you provide an accurate account of the work of your group. The portfolio is also a great piece of literature for your group to use at fundraising events to show people the breadth of the work you are doing throughout the year. 5.1a Layout The portfolio should use a minimum font size of 11, dates need to be with each photo used, and text can be put into bullet points if wished. The preferred layout is as follows (if not required, please feel free to use fewer pages for each section): Page 1 Introduction Page 2, 3 & 4 Horticultural achievement (divide into the seasons) Page 5 & 6 Environmental responsibility (divide into the seasons) Page 7 & 8 Community engagement (divide into the seasons) Page 9 Finance Page 10 Plans for the future Appendices Newspaper cuttings etc. To assist the judges, it is preferred that the portfolio be no longer than 10 pages including photographs (five double-sided A4 sheets). For examples of last year s portfolios, please visit the individual group pages on the Beautiful Scotland website where you will find a pdf document of their 2017 portfolio. Please note that the portfolio does not have to be a glossy, highly produced document it is the content of the portfolio that matters. 14

19 5.1b Content The portfolio is your opportunity to set the scene and show the judges everything that they can t see on the judging tour, but it is not your only opportunity to do so. As the portfolio is due with KSB by the 2 July, we are aware that it will not be possible to include information from end June and July. However, the presentation is the ideal opportunity to highlight this work. With only limited space available, it is very important that the portfolio focuses on illustrating the ways in which you have addressed the three pillars of the campaign. In particular, it should: Highlight and explain the main features of your group s entry, where possible linking to the three main campaign pillars and five sub sections; Document areas of work that will perhaps not be viewed during the judges visit; Provide evidence of the work your group has done to ensure that your community looks good throughout the year. Think about work done in the autumn, winter and spring especially; Inform the judges about the support you have received from your community, businesses and other partners; and Set out your group s plans for future developments. It is also worth considering the following top tips: 1. Photographs are an important way of getting your message across. Please ensure that these are dated and were taken within the last 12 months. If you use photographs that include people, their permission must be obtained as the portfolio will be used on the Beautiful Scotland website. A permission form that can be photocopied is included in Appendix Ask a senior school, college, or youth group to assist with the design of your portfolio as part of a project. 3. With sustainability in mind, the portfolio should be ed to beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org (if the file size of your portfolio is over 10MB, you can reduce the size using the free service on this website: or it to same address by using the free file transfer service available at We will no longer make hard copies of the portfolio available at the Awards Ceremony nor will they be returned to entrants. If you have any questions about putting together your portfolio, please contact beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org 5.2 The Presentation Every entrant group has the opportunity to give a 15-minute presentation about their local campaign on judging day. This is an important part of the day and it is strongly recommended that you deliver your presentation before your assessed tour. The presentation should not be included in your tour time; it is a separate 15 minute section. The presentation is not marked, but again gives your group the opportunity to highlight things that the judges won t see on the tour. It will help stimulate discussions with the judges and help them to understand your group and vision. The presentation should focus primarily on giving an overview of year-round working and could even be set up in chronological order, taking the judges through the year and showing them the variety of activities in which you have been involved, from bulb planting days to community meetings, to school projects. It can include images of recent work that couldn t be included in the portfolio, and it is also an opportunity to highlight fundraising events, future plans and work with other groups in your area. Please consider the following guidance for your presentation: Maximum length of 15 minutes. 15

20 You decide on the format of the presentation e.g. PowerPoint presentation, scrap book, display boards or printed hand-outs - what is important is the content of your presentation rather than the style and technology used. Although the presentation is not judged in itself, the judges will be looking for supporting evidence of your year-round working. If your group submitted a self-nomination for a discretionary award, ensure your presentation (and tour) includes evidence of your eligibility for the award. The judges who visit could be influential in supporting your nomination. And lastly, remember to only present on things relevant to the three pillars of the Beautiful Scotland campaign. 5.3 The Tour 5.3a Categories and tour times The tour is when the judges will start marking your achievements. Each Beautiful Scotland category is allocated a specific amount of time for the judging tour and these are outlined in the table below. The times given are the maximum tour times - small villages, coastal villages and BIDs especially may feel that less time is required. This is fine, and we would encourage groups to consider shorter, more relevant tours rather than feel that the time must be filled. All our judges are volunteers and often have to visit more than one group in a day, so the timing is important and we would urge you to let KSB and your judges know in advance if you are going to need less time. Category Electoral Roll TOUR Press Presentation Total Wee Village Up to hour 15 mins 15 mins 1 hour 30 mins Small Village 301-1,000 Large Village 1,001-2,500 Coastal Village 0 2,500 Coastal Town 2,501-35,000 Urban Community 1,001-12,000 1 hour 15 mins 1 hour 30 mins 1 hour 30 mins 2 hours 30 mins 2 hours 30 mins 15 mins 15 mins 1 hour 45 mins 15 mins 15 mins 2 hours 15 mins 15 mins 2 hours 15 mins 15 mins 3 hours 15 mins 15 mins 3 hours Small Town 2,501-6,000 2 hours 15 mins 15 mins 2 hours 30 mins Medium Town 6,001-12,000 2 hours 30 mins 15 mins 15 mins 3 hours Large Town 12,001-35,000 3 hours 15 mins 15 mins 3 hours 30 mins Small City 35, ,000 3 hours 30 mins 15 mins 15 mins **4 hours plus 30 min break City 100,001 and over 4 hours 15 mins 15 mins Residential Community Business Improvement District (BID) **4 hours 30 mins plus 30 min break Up to 2,500 1 hour 15 mins 15 mins 1 hour 30 mins N/A 2 hours 30 mins 15 mins 15 mins 3 hours 16