Formed in the year 2000 to improve the public green spaces in the town, OIB’s objectives have evolved over the years to involve us in the wider aspects of the town environment. From planting flower beds to creating drystone wall gateways to the town, and from producing a Town Enhancement Study to taking over the management of Wharfemeadow park flower beds, our aim is to “Grow Civic Pride in Otley”.
A short radio interview on Branch FM
Main activities:
- The Taskforce – get down and dirty with “hands-on” action in spaces that need upgrading
- Sustaining existing green spaces where it just needs doing
- Advice – on greening and enhancing the townscape.
- Bespoke projects – support, advice, planning and project management.
The projects we undertake are often done in conjunction with local groups, organisations and schools. These can range from simply giving advice and support to sourcing funding, planning and project management.
How you can help
Otley in Bloom is an entirely volunteer organisation. There are no charges for membership. We can provide some tools, but if you are working on a project you might like to bring your own gloves. We welcome people who want to improve the green environment of the town to work with us. Our volunteers are a mixture of ages and professions. Some are retired but others are busy professionals and home-workers. We need a range of skills: people who like gardening and the outdoors but also people with IT and communication skills. We feel we are doing a worthwhile job, meeting a wide range of people and enjoying social events.
You can help Otley in Bloom in many ways from keeping an eye on your local area and keeping it tidy, or suggesting an area that you feel may need attention. Or if you have some time to spare you could become a volunteer with the group. Whatever you’re good at is likely to be useful – perhaps you’d like to join our Taskforce and get to grips with the actual planting and managing of plant displays, or maybe you want to work on the project management of some of the larger ideas we have.
We welcome anyone who shares our objectives to help with the work of OIB. If you are interested please let us have your contact details (email, facebook or WhatsApp). Everyone on the contact list is notified of the times and places we will be working (Taskforce events). If you wish to be more involved you are welcome to join the steering group meetings on the first Tuesday of each month (except August and December) at 7pm on Zoom during coronavirus or in the Black Horse. Come along and see what we’re about or contact us directly.
Come and join us! You can make a difference and make Otley an even better place to live.
Otley in Bloom Taskforce
We take great pride in our town and look for ways to improve it, with a particular focus on its green spaces. Some of the time we take on the task ourselves, either to clear up overgrown or untidy corners, or we work with Leeds City Council Parks and Countryside team to tackle the larger jobs.
The Taskforce was set up by Otley in Bloom members who wanted to be more “hands on” and deal with the more manageable projects. After discussions at our monthly meetings as to which projects need attention, the team then assembles every couple of months to get out and about on the streets of Otley. It’s a simple matter of civic pride and improving the appearance of the town we live in.
The Otley in Bloom Taskforce does jobs such as planting, digging & weeding and also clear-up jobs throughout the town. It could be one part of a larger project or a mini project in itself. We hope you’ve noticed some of our recent Taskforce achievements.
If there’s a public area of town that you think needs attention or you’d like to join the Taskforce and lend a hand, please get in touch. Even if you can only lend us a couple of hours for a single project, that would be worthwhile.
Thanks to our sponsor
If you are interested in sponsoring Otley in Bloom, please contact us.
Otley in Bloom 