60 BALI members have now been informed they have won a BALI National Landscape Award, with some members successful in more than one category
This year’s BALI National Landscape Awards, is supported by headline sponsor Green-tech, and sees 80 National Awards bestowed upon BALI members by the adjudication panel, which is chaired by landscape consultant and former senior lecturer in landscape studies at Writtle College, Greg Allen.
Following a summer of visiting every entry, Greg and his team of six judges – John Melmoe, Richard Barnard, Jason Lock, Robin Templar Williams, Steve Roberts and Andrew Legg – met at BALI Landscape House in late August for the adjudication process that selects the award-winning schemes. Deliberations over the 115 entries took three days, at the end of which the list of winners was confirmed.
The BALI National Landscape Awards are designed to showcase the high levels of professionalism attained by BALI members each year. The event is now in its 41st year and is the largest landscaping awards scheme in Europe. A member of the independent judging panel of leading landscaping experts visits each award entry and the judges convene for final panel adjudication in late August. There are a number of categories covering domestic, commercial, grounds maintenance and interior projects.
Reflecting on this year’s process, Greg said:
“As BALI Awards judges we all see this task as a privilege, even when the heavens open and we are faced with challenging weather, as we experienced quite frequently this year. We are rarely disappointed by the standard of workmanship, horticultural knowledge and design expertise we are asked to judge – the hardest task is in sticking to our stringent criteria, which demands we only reward real excellence across the board, with no quarter given when an error, however insignificant, compromises the overall scheme. We are not here to reward achievement of the standards we expect of a BALI member, rather to recognise when members have really excelled and their work represents outstanding delivery.
We have been delighted to judge this year’s entries and I congratulate every winner, who can be enormously proud of their achievements.”
BALI’s Chief Executive Wayne Grills is an observer during the final adjudication and knows only too well the work and time each of the judges puts in to ensure the entries are given their full commitment and consideration:
“I would like to express my very sincere thanks and the thanks of the entire BALI membership for the dedication the adjudication panel shows to this important task. The esteem that the wider industry has for the reputation and expertise of each judge ensures that the BALI National Landscape Awards remain the most sought after and respected awards in the landscape industry. I am privileged to witness the panel at work during the adjudication process and I can assure every award winner that they have every right to be extremely proud of their achievements. Congratulations to them all and I wish them well at the Awards Ceremony on 1st December when they will find out whether they have won a Principal, Special or the Grand Award.”
This year’s BALI National Landscape Awards Ceremony, to be held at the Grosvenor House on 1 December, will be hosted by BBC journalist and Breakfast business presenter Steph McGovern.
Full details of the winning entries can be found on the Awards website at www.baliawards.co.uk along with details of how to book tickets for the Awards Ceremony on Friday 1 December when the Principal, Special and Grand awards will be announced.
