Council cuts are posing a serious threat to attempts by a Moray town to retain its nationwide reputation as a leader in floral presentations.
Forres in Bloom have been behind a number of national awards in the town for many years, however, the group say that recent budget reductions by Moray Council are seriously threatening their attempts to enhance parkland in Forres.
The local authority reduced its lands and parks budget by £500,000 – and one result of that is that the only flower beds planted in future will be at the war memorial.
That leaves Forres in Bloom depending on volunteers to care for the town’s famous floral sculptures, window boxes and tubs.
While grass cutting will still be carried out by Moray Council in Grant Park the frequency of this is also set to be reduced.
Now Forres in Bloom is appealing to local people with an interest in gardening to step forward by either ‘adopting’ specific areas in the town or taking on specific roles.
Vice-chair at Forres in Bloom, Sandra Maclennan, said: “It is not just gardening support that is required – we need help with administration, social media, fundraising, volunteer coordinating and building maintenance.”
A public meeting is to be held in the town’s Tolbooth on Friday at 7pm.