Could businesses help town bloom?

Businesses and volunteers are being urged to help get Spalding back blooming.

Funding for the 120 hanging baskets in the town was secured for this year, chair Coun Rob Gibson told a meeting of Spalding Town Forum, but there’s no guarantee of anything going forward.
It follows the Spalding In Bloom board lacking in volunteers.
And those on the forum pondered whether businesses would contribute the £85 a year it costs to put up and maintain the baskets in the town.
“There’s no council officer looking after this task,” said Coun Gibson. “I’m not quite sure what will happen next year.”
He’d brought it up at the most recent meeting of South Holland District Council highlighting councillors had used ward budgets for the baskets.
Council leader Nick Worth responded: “If you look at all the other towns in the district, to my knowledge they all pay for their own hanging baskets.
“They find their own sponsors and private people to do it. If they want to put members budgets in, they can do that as well.
“I don’t think it’s fair to other towns in the district for the council to be funding hanging baskets when others find their own funding for it.”
The possibility of town businesses footing the bill was raised at the Forum with councillors saying many businesses already paid for the baskets outside their businesses.
Coun Jan Whitbourn said: “Coun Angela Newton worked really hard and got people to fund their own baskets.
“It’s still an issue as people don’t have spare money and the watering is where most of the money goes.
“Would businesses be prepared to look after their own baskets?
“It would be a massive change.
“People ought to do their own, we do so at home, and it would be great.
“The Crescent used to do that for years and unfortunately all that sort of goodwill has gone.
“We need to go back and see if they’ll look after themselves.
“We’re looking for someone to go around and do all that work and it’s a big job.
“It just needs someone to be the coordinator and pass bits out.”
Meanwhile Coun Whitbourn said she was also looking for volunteers to help with the garden she helps maintain at Spalding Station.
A particular bone of contention is a mesh rabbit which had previously been used in Flower Parades, but after being decorated with flowers was now looking more worse for wear.
“I’d love for more people to come forward,” she said.