Colors: Blue Color

The new Birmingham Conservatoire has been announced as the leading venue for the prestigious BBC Young Musician competition in 2018, as the contest prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Following the regional auditions later this year, Birmingham Conservatoire will host the Category Finals between Friday 16 and Tuesday 20 March 2018, alongside the Semi Final on Friday 23 March. All performances in Birmingham will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Four.

BBC Young Musician is a part of the BBC’s ongoing commitment to supporting and providing a platform for new and emerging talent. Musicians are judged in five categories ahead of the Semi Final; strings, keyboard, woodwind, percussion and brass.

Birmingham Conservatoire’s new £57 million home, opening in the Eastside region of the city in September this year, will also welcome the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award Final in 2018.

Launched three years ago, the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award runs alongside the established classical music format and aims to showcase another group of exceptional young musicians to audiences across the UK. Current Birmingham Conservatoire student Elliott Sansom reached the finals in 2016.

Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Principal, Birmingham Conservatoire, said:

“We are delighted to be hosting the Category Finals, Semi Final and the Jazz Final of BBC Young Musician 2018 in our state-of-the-art new building!

“Birmingham Conservatoire will be the first fully-digital music college and it is a tribute to our wonderful new facilities that the BBC has chosen us to host its iconic competition which has launched the careers of so many of the UK’s top soloists.”

Part of Birmingham City University, the new Birmingham Conservatoire will be a unique contemporary building, incorporating five public performance spaces including a new 500 seat concert hall for orchestral training and performance, private rehearsal and practice rooms, and teaching spaces for musicians from a variety of disciplines.

Furthermore, as the first purpose built conservatoire in the UK since 1987, it will be the only one of its kind in the country designed for the demands of the digital age. The venue will also be home to a purpose-designed jazz club – Birmingham’s only permanent jazz venue. Earlier this year, Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Department launched its Ellington Orchestra, who will be a regular fixture in the new club.

 

Daredevil Debbie is flying high after realising a lifelong ambition while also raising cash for her chosen charity.

Debbie Pallett, 36, took to the skies in a sponsored wing walk raising hundreds of pounds for John Taylor Hospice.

First aid trainer Debbie wanted to show her support for John Taylor after they provided care for her stepmum, Deb Pallett, in 2016.

“The hospice and all of the staff there were fantastic in looking after Deb and also made us feel welcome when we visited,” said Birmingham-born Debbie.

“Deb and my dad got together when I was about seven years old and from then she became like another mum, big sister and best friend all rolled into one. She was a real family person, would do anything for anyone and had a heart of gold.

“After losing Deb to cancer last year I decided that life was too short to put off fulfilling your dreams. I’d always wanted to do a wing walk and there’s no better reason to do it than in memory of my amazing stepmum.”

To experience the thrill of a wing walk, Debbie travelled over 100 miles from her home in Bournemouth to RFC Rendcomb Airfield in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Strapped onto the top of the aircraft, adventurous Debbie was in the air for 12 minutes as the pilot performed a series of dives and steep climbs.

“I thoroughly enjoyed doing the wing walk, it was an amazing experience and I was very lucky with the weather being so beautiful,” said Debbie.

“I would like to thank everyone who has sponsored me. Thanks to all of my friends and family who always support me in my crazy adventures but particularly my mum and boyfriend Andy who came to support me on the day too.”

John Taylor’s Head of Fundraising Katie Mitchell said: “We’re very proud of Debbie for achieving something that she’d always dreamed of achieving. She has taken on an incredibly ambitious challenge to raise money for us - even covering the costs of the wing walk herself - ensuring all donations go directly to the hospice and to local families who need our care and support.”

Since its launch back in August last year, The Platinum Group Service Sector within the Black Country Chamber of Commerce has gone from strength to strength. There are now 12 members of The Group all committed to working together to learn and develop, through sharing best practice and deeper business relationships.

The latest companies to join The Group are Nuffield Health Wolverhampton Hospital, Coinadrink and why.

Rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission, Nuffield Health hospital has been named as a top performer in the NHS Partners Network Report of independent sector providers caring for NHS patients. The private hospital, based in Tettenhall, is one of a group of 31 hospitals nationwide, who collectively are the largest not-for-profit organisation in the UK.  This means that any surplus funds are invested back into the hospital for the benefit of patients.

Commenting on their decision to join The Platinum Group, Karen Pattison, Hospital Director at Nuffield Health Wolverhampton, said: “Leadership and development are key to running a top private healthcare service. The opportunities that The Platinum Group provides for leaders across our business to expand their knowledge and learn from others outside of our industry is unrivalled in the region.”

Coinadrink is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of vending machines to businesses, offering a comprehensive vending service, including hire, installation and maintenance.  A forward-thinking company who are committed to the impact that they have not just on the exemplary service that they offer to their customers, but also in the environmental and community impact that they have.  To this end they have several CSR initiatives in place, supporting good causes in both the UK and around the world.

Roger Williams, Managing Director of Coinadrink said: “We are very excited at taking the step to upgrade to The Platinum Group Service Sector.  We will now enjoy many additional benefits such as meeting with other members to share ideas and developments. We see the ability to reach out to other CEO’s and MD’s for support and guidance and to share best practice, as a powerful tool in our continued development.”

whg are one of the West Midlands' leading and most successful providers of high quality homes. Owning and managing around 20,000 properties across Walsall and the wider West Midlands, they provide affordable, good quality homes and community-based services.  Since they were formed in 2003, they have invested over £400 million in their portfolio of homes and developed a range of services that go beyond the traditional role of a landlord.

Gary Fulford, CEO of whg, said: “At whg we believe that everyone deserves the chance to lead a happy and fulfilled life.  We are privileged to be able to provide one of the fundamentals to that – a home.  But we know that bricks and mortar alone cannot automatically create the conditions to help people enjoy better lives.  Maintaining a one-to-one relationship with each of our customers and constantly seeking the very best for them, is what differentiates us. People are at the heart of our business, which is why we are proud of our reputation for being ‘much more than a landlord’.

Joining The Platinum Group Service Sector and being able to interact with like-minded businesses in an open and confidential setting, to learn from their experiences and work together on ways to improve the service we provide, is an exciting prospect for us and I look forward to the opportunities it will bring.”

Commenting on The Group’s expansion, Gail Arnold, Head of Premium Membership at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are pleased to welcome our latest members to The Platinum Group Service Sector.  Since its launch we have been delighted by the reaction that we have received and by the diverse range of businesses that it has attracted.  This diversity is an important part of the success of The Group, where the non-competitive nature of the members ensures an openness and confidentiality, that provide excellent outcomes for developing leaders and their businesses.”

Families looking for half-term fun next week are being reminded about the hit LEGO exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

Since the show opened at Easter hundreds of visitors have been blown away by Warren Elsmore’s amazing Brick Wonders exhibition.

Using thousands and thousands of pieces of the much-loved plastic bricks the master LEGO artist and author has created more than 70 awe-inspiring models.

Under the theme of natural, ancient and modern, Elsmore has recreated everything from the Great Wall of China, Niagra Falls, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and Old London Bridge, to a modern surgical operating theatre, incredible container ships and a hi-tech airport - all in LEGO.

The Lichfield Street gallery is hosting the exhibition until Wednesday, July 5 and, as well as viewing the creations, visitors can enjoy building their own LEGO models in the gallery spaces.

Marguerite Nugent, Manager of Arts and Culture at the gallery, said: “It doesn’t matter how old or young you are LEGO has an enduring appeal and this exhibition shows what amazing structures you can make with these little plastic bricks.

“While the exhibition does run until July we hope families will take advantage of the half-term break to visit us and enjoy this child and family-friendly show.”

The Birmingham Cross City CCG Dementia Support Team topped the People Awards Pushing Boundaries category.

The category awards those that demonstrate an innovative and adaptable approach which is centred on results for the Society; taking an interest in motivating others and respectfully challenging the status quo.

In the last year the Birmingham Cross City CCG Dementia Support Team have brought about a unique shift in how GPs view dementia, championing the idea that more can be done for people with dementia in their own communities.

The team’s success has led to another year’s funding for the project from the Cross City Clinical Commissioning Group.

The team also advised and supported a neighbouring Clinical Commissioning Group that is aiming to adopt a similar approach in their GPs’ practices.

The Birmingham Cross City CCG Dementia Support Team are: Mary Keddy, Carol Bowsher, Amarjit Sagoo, Joanne Farrell, Shaheda Zaman, Esme Dawson and Mike Ayres.

Carol Bowsher, Dementia Support Worker, said: “The team were really delighted and proud to be shortlisted and it was fantastic to receive a Peoples Award. It is not that often that these sorts of things happen in life. The whole team has worked really hard in making connections with GP practices and building stronger community awareness. The work itself is rewarding in terms of reaching out to individuals who may otherwise fall through gaps. Though this is my third year with the Society I have only been providing direct dementia support for 10 months and have learnt an enormous lot from the wider team and my Line Manager, Mary, who is always there with a listening ear.”

Mary Keddy, the Birmingham Cross City CCG Dementia Support Team Line Manager said; “I am incredibly proud of my team for all that we have achieved over the last year and it is wonderful that our work has been recognised with this award. Our success so far in building connections with GP practices is a great motivation to continue to work hard and support other CCGs to do the same.”

Speaking about the event, Alzheimer's Society Chief Executive Jeremy Hughes said: “Every day Alzheimer’s Society volunteers and employees demonstrate our core values in their roles and interactions with each other and the people affected by dementia we support. This makes me particularly proud to work for this organisation. I’m humbled to celebrate the amazing work of our people and the selfless and relentless way in which they go about it.”

The awards preceded the charity’s annual Dementia Awareness Week (14 – 20 May) in which Alzheimer’s Society urged everyone to come together and unite against dementia.  

Alzheimer’s Society events took place across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Residents across the West Midlands wanting to get healthier this summer now have extra support to achieve their goals thanks to a new, free online tool.

The ‘Let’s Do This Eight Week Challenge’ has been developed by the National Charity Partnership, a partnership between Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Tesco, and allows users to set and track their health-related goals over an eight week period.

Goals focus on everyday changes - such as consuming healthier drinks and eating smaller portion sizes - and becoming more physically active. The online eight week challenge, which can be accessed from any computer, tablet or mobile phone, also contains a bank of healthy recipes endorsed by Diabetes UK and the BHF, achievable fitness tips and health-related inspiration to keep people motivated.

Alex Davis, Head of Prevention for the National Charity Partnership, said: “The idea behind our eight week challenge is to support people to make small, positive changes to their lifestyle which will ultimately help to make a big difference to their long-term health.

“The Let’s Do This Eight Week Challenge is designed to help get people started on their personal journey towards developing lifelong healthier behaviours such as eating more fruit and vegetables and getting more active.  We’re encouraging people in the West Midlands to use our online tool, make a lifestyle change for eight weeks and discover the benefits these changes can make.”

Lindsey Crompton, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “At Tesco we’re committed to helping our customers, colleagues and communities live healthier lives and the new Let’s Do This Eight Week Challenge is a great way to support people to make small, positive changes to their daily lifestyle”

The aim of the Let’s Do This Eight Week Challenge is to get people moving more and eating healthily by kick-starting small healthier habits. Being active and eating a healthy diet are both known to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease – serious conditions that are largely preventable.

International Day for Biological Diversity was celebrated at Virtual University of Pakistan on May 22, 2017 for creating awareness among masses especially students on importance of biodiversity and its threats.

World Biological Diversity Day is celebrated all over the world to highlight the significance of Biodiversity conservation and importance of biodiversity in ecosystem. It provides an opportunity for all to join hands and talk about the existing and emerging problems caused by biodiversity loss and prospects of biodiversity conservation. VU Environmental Protection Society in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan organized a seminar on World Biological Diversity Day at Lawrence Road Office Lahore.

Dr. Masroor Elahi Babar, Dean Faculty of Science and Technology was the chief guest, whereas senior WWF official, Ms. Warda Javed and Dr. Fahad Rafiq were the guest speaker. Ms. Warda Javed briefed the participants about the required cooperation to halt and reverse the accelerating loss of biological and genetic resources of the planet earth. Dr. Fahad Rafiq highlighted the role of biodiversity and sustainable tourism in Pakistan. A large number of students and faculty members of Virtual University of Pakistan attended the seminar.

A nine-day festival encompassing the entire output of Thelonious Monk will take place in Birmingham between 12-20 June to celebrate the centenary of the master jazz musician.

Organised by Birmingham Conservatoire’s Jazz Department, Monkathon will see all 70 of Monk’s compositions performed at venues across the city by groups, soloists and internationally-renowned guest artists.  

Born in North Carolina in 1917, Thelonious Monk has made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire including ‘Blue Monk’, ‘Round Midnight’ and ‘Well, You Needn’t’. Despite writing a relatively small amount of pieces, Monk is the second most-recorded jazz composer of all time and is one of only five jazz musicians to have appeared on the cover of ‘Time’ magazine.

Dr Hans Koller, Senior Lecturer at Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, said:

“Thelonious Monk is one of the 20th century giants of music, not just of jazz. His art transcends boundaries of time, style and aesthetics. Monk at 100 is a wonderful excuse to celebrate his status as an iconic figure of inspiration to us all. 

The Birmingham Monkathon features students, alumni and staff at Birmingham City University, with leading international Monk-inspired performers including Steve Cardenas from New York, Liam Noble from the UK, and Professor François Théberge from Paris Conservatoire, as well as the eminent Monk biographer Professor Robin Kelley, for this grand celebration. In addition, we have international students, outreach programmes, and many gigs across the city.” 

Highlights include performances by Steve Cardenas with Martin Speake, Hans Koller, Calum Gourlay and James Maddren, ‘Jump Monk’ with the Arnie Somogyi Small Band, and the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra in original and re-worked compositions of Monk, plus brand new arrangements by special guest Trish Clowes. 

There’s also the chance to hear exciting arrangements of Monk’s early Blue Note recordings from senior students, adjudicated by Steve Cardenas, and a keynote speech by Monk biographer Professor Robin Kelley, Chair of the Department of African American Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. 

Liam Noble’s small group’s gig also forms part of the Conservatoire’s two-day CODA marathon of new music, marking the very last events to be held in its Paradise Place buildings.

Italian conservatoire students from Verona, Milan, Bologna and Palermo will be visiting Birmingham to participate in Monkathon and four schools in Birmingham and the local area will be treated to outreach concerts featuring some of the small bands.

Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, is currently preparing to move to a new state-of-the-art £57 million home in September, which will include the city’s only permanent jazz space – Eastside Jazz Club. Earlier this year, Birmingham Conservatoire launched its big band Ellington Orchestra, who will be a regular fixture in the new club.

Tottenham will play a starring role in this year’s Chelsea Fringe, the alternative garden festival which runs until 4 June.

Running at the same time as the Chelsea Flower show, the Chelsea Fringe includes a host of horticultural events around London celebrating the excitement of gardens and gardening.  This year’s festival includes  ‘Discover Green Tottenham, Yes Tottenham!’, a free walking tour of some of Tottenham’s treasured gardens, parks and allotments with a chance to enjoy some tasty locally grown treats along the way.

Although not traditionally recognised for its green credentials, Tottenham is actually home to Lee Valley Park, London’s largest green and open space, as well as a number of award winning parks and open spaces. The tour will include visits to an urban tropical garden and a thriving community allotment, a stop-off at the Tottenham Green Market, as well as a tour of the award winning Lee Valley Estates urban garden  in Hale Village.

The tour starts at Seven Sisters Tube station (exit 1) at 11am on Sunday 28 May

With 1 in 3 of dogs suffering from skin complaints across the UK, YuMEGA, the UK’s No.1 veterinary skin supplement by Lintbells have launched a campaign to encourage dog owners to “Quit That Itch”. The month long campaign will raise awareness of the importance of healthy skin for dogs, whilst highlighting how dog owners can help support healthy skin and coat for their four legged friends.

To help dog owners throughout the month of June YuMEGA have put together a healthy skin guide detailing the tell-tale signs of skin complaints and top tips on how to treat them. They will also be running a number of competitions giving people the chance to win the YuMEGA Itchy Dog supplement, as well as sharing lots of tips and advice on their social media channels. Lintbells can be found on Facebook (@Lintbells.Pet.Health) and Twitter (@LintbellsPet).

John Davies, co-founder of Lintbells the creators of YuMEGA, said: “We are thrilled to be launching our first ‘Quit That Itch’ Itchy Skin Awareness campaign. The importance of a dog’s skin health is not highlighted enough nowadays and we are aiming to change this, by raising awareness among dog owners and beyond. The health and wellbeing of dogs is at the heart of everything we do and we believe that ‘Quit That Itch’ campaign proves that”

For Arsene Wenger, it’s a chance to soften the blow and saving something from what has been the worst season in his 21-year tenure. Chelsea are Premier League champions with a record 30 victories from a 38-game season and a win will complete a remarkable first season for the amiable Antonio Conte, with a League and Cup double an impressive highlight on his Premier League debut season.

A record seventh FA Cup win for the Frenchman would hold no little appeal to his remaining acolytes, the type of romantic folk who consider millennials obsessing over UEFA Champions League qualification as being as uncouth as presenting a loved one with flowers plucked from a garage forecourt.

Conte's men go into this afternoon’s FA Cup final showdown having won eight of their past 11 competitive games against Arsenal. A record of six wins from their past seven games against teams in the top half is similarly impressive.

If Gooners chief, Wenger, can engineer a victor at Wembley he will become the standalone most successful manager in FA Cup history, with seven wins to his name. Victory for the boys from the King’s Road will be an almost immaculate debut season in English football for the infectiously likable Italian.

With football being nothing if not bittersweet - so it would turn out for one part of the nation’s capital, though probably more so in the north than west.

Dads can indulge their hunter gatherer instincts in the Yorkshire Dales by enjoying a special Father's Day (Sunday 18 June) 'Catch and Cook' fishing trip.

It's hard to beat the taste of freshly-caught fish and Kilnsey Park near Skipton is ideally placed to offer a lake-to-plate experience for dads and their families.

After landing a rainbow trout from one of the scenic fishing ponds, the chef at Kilnsey's Café by the Lake will prepare and cook it before serving the park's twist on fish and chips with homemade mushy peas to the proud fishermen.

The Father's Day Catch & Cook day costs £22.50 per person which includes the fishing experience, rod, and the landing of one fish that is then served as a lunchtime meal with a drink in the café.

Kilnsey Park, in the heart of the spectacularly scenic Upper Wharfedale, runs a fly fishery which includes fishing ponds specifically for those new to fly fishing.

Jamie Roberts, managing partner of Kilnsey Park explains: “Whether it's the thrill of catching that first fish or enjoying friendly competition between other members of the family, the Catch & Cook day will be a great opportunity for dads to relax and spend time doing something a bit different from the norm.”

The NEC Group has been announced as Large Company Management Team of the Year (Midlands) at the 2017 British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Management Team Awards in Birmingham.

The awards, now in their ninth year, are an annual celebration of UK companies, recognising and rewarding brilliant businesses that have been backed by UK private equity and venture capital investors.

NEC Group CEO Paul Thandi said: “Our driver for external investment was to realise our business plan and beyond.  Deliverability and pace are essential for us in responding to market opportunities, and bringing on board an external investor with the experience and breadth of LDC has brought a renewed energy and confidence to our teams and business, which has been essential in our progress.

“We have a clear strategy focused on data, customer experience and optimisation. Our key initiatives are helping us to push out the right messages, at the right time, to the right audience. We’re transforming our regional and national offer through a focused business and leisure destination strategy to give our visitors more compelling reasons to visit, and we’re extending our footprint through consultancy, management and operational expertise internationally.

“LDC have backed our management team since day one. Together we have changed the way we work and operate, and that speed of focus and speed of decision making has been fantastic for us; it’s injected huge energy into our company. We know we can grow our business exponentially over the next few years and LDC have been the catalyst for that, giving us a real singularity of focus.”

The Judges said: “Backed by LDC in 2015, Paul Thandi and his team impressed the judges by the way in which they are developing the commercial potential of this venue, notably the launch of Resorts World. Their management of the day-to-day business was also impressive, including their investment in people and in data capture technology.”

As regional winners, the NEC Group will now represent the Midlands in the national final at the BVCA Gala Dinner in London on 30 November.

Work will start early this summer to demolish an eyesore building as part of City of Wolverhampton Interchange’s development plans.

The former Mill Street Garage sits on land next to the old Sack Works off Corn Hill in the city centre – beside the railway line and facing the canal.

Once the derelict garage is razed it will enable the removal of the dilapidated roof structure on the Sack Works and the stabilising of its walls and gables for its future development.

Ion Development is leading on the works on behalf of the Interchange Partnership.

They are expected to take around a month and will pave the way for the whole Sack Works site to be marketed for commercial use.

City of Wolverhampton Council Head of City Development, Paul Lakin, said: “This is another important step forward for the wider Interchange project.

“The old Sack Works site sits in a prominent location within the Interchange area and this is the start of bringing it back to life after decades of lying empty.

“It presents an excellent commercial opportunity and we will ensure any development is also sensitive to the history of the building and the surrounding area.”

Steve Parry, Managing Director, Ion Development said: “The demolition of the former Mill Street Garage is the pre-curser to a development which will become mixed use leisure and office.

“The old Sack Works site is in a perfect setting, next to the canal, to offer an excellent environment for both leisure and business use.”

The works form part of the Interchange masterplan and follows the announcement in March of the i9 development – designed by Glenn Howells Architects.

This eye-catching modern office development is to be built on Railway Drive, and emerged as a scheme following the success of the award-winning i10 building opposite.

It is hoped i9, which will provide 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and will become a national or regional headquarters for a major business.

Other land earmarked for development beside the railway and canal as part of the Interchange project includes the Banana Yard and Boat Yard at Broad Street Wharf.

The charity Remembering Srebrenica is looking to sign up young players for their biggest ever memorial football tournament in July.

The 8-3-7-2 tournament is named in honour of the 8,372 men and boys who were killed due to their Muslim faith in the genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995. Thousands of boys and girls across the UK have taken part in this tournament in memory of the victims over the past two years and this year the charity wants to reach even more people.

Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, Chairman of Remembering Srebrenica, says:

“What more powerful way is there than football to unite our young people and inspire them to help kick racism, hatred and intolerance out of our society?

“The schools who sign up to play in this tournament on July 12 stand united with us in remembering Srebrenica through football and learning the lessons from the past to create a better, safer future.”

The tournament is supported by the FA, English schools FA and Kick it Out, as well as a number of high-profile footballers, including Chelsea and Bosnia goalkeeper, Asmir Begović and former England Women’s football captain Casey Stoney MBE, who explains why she supports the tournament:

“We don’t just play football, we are ambassadors and we have the power to make change. I think we should celebrate difference. We should celebrate the fact that we’re all very individual and that should never be something to be held against you. Srebrenica teaches us that it is really important that those issues are raised, we are aware of them and don’t ever forget them.”

Asmir Begović was forced to leave Bosnia as a child and adds:

“I'm proud to support Remembering Srebrenica's 8-3-7-2 Tournament which brings young people together through football to remember the victims and survivors. It's a really powerful way to help the next generation to learn about the importance of tackling hatred and intolerance and help us to build a stronger society."

One of Britain’s best loved value home and garden retailers, Wilko is looking for green fingered locals to enter the 2017 ‘Wilko Amateur Gardener Of The Year’ competition.

Research suggests the UK is a secret haven of garden enthusiasts – with 88%* of UK residents rating having a nice garden as important, according to a national survey.

Six lucky entrants from across the UK will be picked as category winners, shortlisted by an experienced garden judging panel, including Dominic Cole, President of The Gardens Trust and award-winning garden designer, Andrew Fisher Tomlin, before being selected by a public vote on the Wilko social media channels.

The categories to enter are:

Best Allotment

Best Garden Design

Best Hanging Basket/ Container

Best Junior Gardener

Best Wildlife Garden

Best Upcycled Garden

The competition is open until  30 June 2017 and the winners of each category will receive a £100 Wilko gift card and trophy. One of the six finalists will be crowned overall Wilko Amateur Gardener Of The Year 2017 and receive an additional £250 Wilko gift card.

To be considered, simply email an image of your garden to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. including name, email address, telephone number and the category you wish to be considered for.

Full competition details and terms and conditions can be found at: www.wilko.com/show-by-departmet/garden/icat/wilkogarden

Finalists will be informed on 21 July 2017 if they have been shortlisted for the categories.

Lloyd Taylor, Head of Garden Category, from Wilko said:

“We know that UK residents are garden lovers and we want to celebrate those skilled amateur gardeners who might not otherwise be recognised for their talents. We’re spreading the word to encourage entries and look forward to seeing the work of garden enthusiasts from up and down the country.”

So if you think you have the expertise to be the next Wilko Amateur Gardener Of The Year 2017 - enter now.