COMMUNITY gardeners have won a silver award in a London-wide competition.

The Walthamstow Village Residents Association collected a Silver Gilt and an Urban Community Category Winner Award in the London in Bloom competition.

Walthamstow Village in Bloom committee members, Helen Lerner and Teresa Deacon, attended the London in Bloom awards ceremony at Twickenham RFU stadium.

Ms Lerner said: “Walthamstow Village Residents' Association wish to congratulate and thank everyone who joined in and supported them, especially the marvellous monthly gardening team and Vestry House Museum volunteer gardeners.”

Residents spent hours weeding, pruning and clearing the streets to enter the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) competition for the first time.

The group beat Beckenham, Dulwich and London Bridge Business Improvement District to come top of the Urban Community category.

The award means it will also be entered into the national competiton, Britain in Bloom 2010.

The Bloom Committee, which also includes Graham Sherman of Outer Space Gardens and John Chambers, is already thinking about starting work on the entry for 2010 when it hopes to receive a gold award.

Anyone who wishes to get involved, can join a gardening group which meets on the first Saturday every month at 10.30am in the Village Square or the Vestry House Museum gardeners who meet every second Saturday of every month from 10am to 12pm.