RHS encourages greenfingered skills

Residents in Thurrock are being urged by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to get green-fingered and make the area a nicer place to live, according to reports.

Five neighbouring boroughs will take part in the RHSs Neighbourhood Awards scheme that will promote small groups of local residents to improve the green areas of their communities through gardening.

The competition will be judged by experts from the Britain in Bloom competition who will decide which Borough deserves the first place prize.

David Shaddock, Thurrocks Anglia in Bloom representative, said: "Applicants for the scheme do not need any gardening expertise, just enthusiasm," according to the Basildon Echo.

Thurrock has won the silver award on a number of occasions, with neighbouring village Orsett winning the gold and Best Large Village award for the last three years. It also won a silver in the 2006 Britain in Bloom contest and was overall winner of the Anglia in Bloom contest last year.