The SIB 2019 winners, pictured with Kevin Johns at the award ceremony in Swansea’s YMCA theatre. 

 Swansea celebrity Kevin Johns has been made honorary president of the Swansea in Bloom Group.

The appointment was announced on Wednesday evening by chairman Paul Chillington at the group’s annual gardening awards ceremony held at Swansea’s YMCA on the Kingsway.

Kevin, who presented the awards and entertained the guests, is well known as a Swansea Sounds presenter and South Wales Evening Post columnist, and he’s also starring in Peter Pan, this year’s pantomime at the Grand Theatre.

Introducing the ceremony, which was attended by around 80 gardeners, Paul explained that the group had been started 25 years ago as a joint venture with Swansea Council, which had provided financial and admin support.

However, faced with austerity and having to make cuts to many of its services, the council was forced to withdraw its support in 2017, and the group was unable to hold the gardening competition the following year.

At the end of 2018 the group’s managing committee reformed, and successfully reorganised the competition, culminating in the ceremony last night.

Paul thanked the committee for their hard work and determination, but repeated his appeal for more committee members, more judges and more sponsorship to enable the competition to continue.

Winners of the various categories (pictured above with Kevin Johns) were presented with framed certificates, and an excellent light buffet, prepared by Mary Jones, was served after the ceremony.

The full results can be viewed here, and photos of the winning gardens will be posted later.