THE FUTURE of Liphook in Bloom hangs in the balance with key members planning to hang up their tools in 2017.

In two years’ time, the organisation will be 20 years old, and the village now faces the annual local in bloom competition week being scrapped as early as next summer.

It was standing room only at the Millennium Centre when the future of Liphook In Bloom was under discussion during a brainstorming meeting.

Many members have been on board since the conception of Liphook in Bloom and some have decided to retire in the anniversary year.

The public face of Liphook in Bloom is the annual display of plants, bulbs, hanging baskets and the gaggle of helpers in hi-vis jackets tending these throughout the year.

But behind the scenes is a small team of around 18 people who plan and organise everything required to make the colourful event happen every year – and it has been decided that 2017 will be the swan song for the bulk of the current team.

The core members have been putting together a description of the roles that need to be filled 16 flower beds need designing annually with plants to be purchase and planted with weeding – twice a year – as well as some administrative roles.

In addition, a large amount of the work is created by the 100-plus hanging baskets dotted around the village, which need constant watering.

Russ Ellis, with his team, has been in charge of that task for many years and he made an appeal, saying: “We urgently need more volunteers to help with watering twice a week during the summer months.

“Approximately 800 to 1,000 litres per week are needed just to water the hanging baskets and flower beds between June and September, with rainwater from tanks placed in Simon Coyote’s yard off Haslemere Road and from a pond by kind permission of Richard Northcott.

“That means we use 16,000 litres just for the hanging baskets. Soon we will have to vacate Mr Coyte’s yard and are looking to relocate new smaller tanks behind the Millennium Centre, but still have to find somewhere to park the bowser, trailer and other equipment.

“In 2017, the watering team will stand down and we need to find replacement volunteers to carry on the work.”

Philip Jordan pointed out the organisation needs to look at its core activities now in order to reduce some of the workload.

Suggestions included not putting up any more hanging baskets or perhaps reduce their number and the amount of flower beds, as well as introducing sustainable planting. They could pay a contractor to do the work instead and stop holding the village’s annual in bloom competition, which creates most of the administrative work.

The summer event, which has between 11 and 12 categories, could be discontinued as early as next year, which would also see the annual presentation evening, held in September end too.

According to key members this would reduce the voluntary administrative work load by more than half, which currently involves finding sponsors, writing up to 300 letters, dealing with entries, search for judges and organise trophies for winners.

In addition, Liphook In Bloom wants to encourage younger people to join the committee and take on roles in setting up a database and using social media more.

Some 7,500 plants and 10,000 bulbs are planted every year. Mr Jordan added that finding volunteers to help with planting flower beds twice a year has not been a problem in the past, but the time has come when Liphook In Bloom needs to concentrate more on its key activities.

Another stalwart, Paul Johnson, pointed out the hanging baskets, which are sponsored by various local businesses, are very popular and would be sadly missed.

President Terry Burns said sustainable plants and shrubs in flower beds around The Square would be damaged each year during Liphook Carnival, when they get trampled on, and could cost a lot more when they need to be replaced.

Over the last few years, the cohesive planting scheme for the whole village has been colour co-ordinated, including all beds and hanging baskets.

But it was felt in future they could be tended by smaller teams, who would create their own individual designs.

Currently, all tasks are carried out by a small core team supported by additional volunteers when required. Liphook In Bloom’s main aim is to increase the numbers of the core team and break up tasks into smaller sections, which would then require less commitment from individuals as well as create specific volunteer jobs which could be co-ordinated by one individual.

Other ideas were to publicise the competition week more, let another organisation run it, create smaller groups to adopt the responsibility for flower beds and hanging baskets, and reduce responsibilities for individual volunteers.

After the meeting, 14 volunteers signed up. Another follow-up and progress meeting is planned for February.

The Liphook in Bloom team came into being when a few friends, who were members of Liphook Marketing Panel, considered how to put life back into the village. With no money and little knowledge but a great deal of enthusiasm, the organisation grew bigger and brought local sponsors on board.

Since the beginning, Liphook In Bloom has entered into regional competitions, which are now sponsored and supported by Southern Water and the team has won awards, including gold medals in 2005 and 2007, and a Silver Gilt in 2006.

In previous years, Liphook has also been selected for, and entered into the national Britain In Bloom competition.