Countless volunteers, workers and school children in Falmouth have cause to celebrate this week after the town won big at the South West in Bloom awards.

At the awards' ceremony in Dartmouth, Falmouth in Bloom was named Champion of Champions Gold joint winner; Gyllyngdune Gardens won the Abbiss Cup for the best horticultural display, municipal; and there were 14 Falmouth It's Your Neighbourhood (IYN) winners.

Kimberley Park, Gyllyngdune Gardens, Queen Mary Gardens and the Mission to Seafarers were graded as outstanding IYN winners, with the Friends of Penmere Station, Boscawen Fields, the Friends of Tregoniggie Woodland, St Francis, Falmouth Primary, Marlborough and King Charles Schools and the Dell Walkway recognised as thriving; St Marys School as improving and Earle's Retreat as developing.

On winning a Champion of Champions award, Simon Penna, grounds and facilities manager for Falmouth Town Council, said: "This is a fantastic achievement for the town and one that I'm sure all the partners involved will be really proud to have helped bring about. In winning the most prestigious cup, we took on the real heavy weights in the competition such as Bath, and hosts Dartmouth and sent them packing.

"The judges realised we have the highest standards of horticulture in Falmouth thanks to the really excellent gardeners working under Howard Burns in the town's parks and gardens for Cormac Solution ltd, they are simply the best team you can get, however this award also recognises the tireless work Jacqui Owen does with our children and many other organisations in Falmouth and particularly all the community involvement from our active friends groups. The community input is a hugely valuable asset to Falmouth and one which all the judges have remarked upon.

"The town was immaculately clean and tidy on the judging days thanks Nigel Rutter's Cory team with our own town council team who all worked really hard getting the streets weed and litter free, benches painted graffiti removed etc. Both the FX Plus team from the University and the Beacon Partnership's gardeners gave their time willingly to achieve a level of order for the town that just wouldn't have been possible otherwise."

Falmouth's mayor, John Body, said: “I’m delighted with Falmouth winning Champion of Champions. It’s a just reward for all the hard work of our partner organisations, schools, friends groups and volunteers working with the council team to make our town the fantastic place it is."