Boston achieved gold for the fourth year running, in this year’s East Midlands in Bloom large town category and came top in its category thanks to the support from the Community Payback team at HLNY CRC.

Along with four additional awards - Best Permanent Landscape for the Art Deco Garden in Central Park; Best First World War Display Award for the floral piano and soldier at the Stump Grounds; Willoughby Road Allotments Association received the It’s Your Neighbourhood Award and the Judges’ Award went to the volunteer gardeners at Fydell House.

Maddy Eyre, local communities development officer and secretary to the Boston in Bloom Partnership, said: “The members of the Boston in Bloom Partnership would like to take this opportunity to thank you and everyone involved from the Community Payback team for your continued support, sponsorship and partnership this year and going forward into 2019.

“Without our supporters, sponsors and partners we would find it difficult to sustain the level of success which we have achieved since joining the East Midlands in Bloom campaign six years ago. Every year the bar is set higher by our team and all of the volunteers, community groups, organisations and businesses which have invested time and funds into helping us to develop all year round projects in Boston.

“Without this level of commitment we would not have been able to achieve this standard of entry and we very much look forward to sharing our continued progress with you in the up and coming year.

Community Payback in Lincolnshire is managed by HLNY CRC and aims to rehabilitate offenders through working on projects, nominated by members of the public, that benefit the community.

*The Community Payback Team in Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire would like to hear about other projects which residents think will make a real difference to their community. Nominate a project here.