Cross-Agency Working to support victims in Stevenage
- October 2025
Rochdale In Bloom is part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘Britain In Bloom’ competition. Whilst there is a competitive element, it provides a powerful tool for building communities and tackling local issues together.
Rochdale’s In Bloom offer is, unusually, not managed by the local authority. Citizens are equal partners in designing the programme, which is overseen by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. It has flourished from a small team to a large collaborative network of community groups, private businesses, schools, individuals and the local authority.
Whilst it is not a formal co-operative, it remains true to Rochdale’s co-operative heritage and is rooted in the values of self-help, self-responsibility, equity, equality and solidarity. There is a strong sense of mutual ownership and support, which is key to the continued growth and development of the project. As the chair of Rochdale In Bloom observed, “Co-operation ~ It’s in our DNA”
Transforming spaces
Helen Walton
Policy Adviser
Rochdale Borough Council