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Oxford in Bloom organisers in Florence Park from left, Bryan and Beryl Keen, Trish Stevens and Harry Robinson

A last-ditch attempt is to be made to save Oxford's entry in the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition.

Oxford could miss the competition for the first time in 23 years after Oxford City Council slashed £40,000 from its budget because of its financial problems.

The cuts mean there will be no floral displays in Cowley, Headington or Summertown this year unless organisers are successful with an 11th hour appeal for cash to the city's area committees.

Although floral displays will go ahead in the city centre, the Oxford in Bloom committee believes there is no point inviting judges when many of its feature displays, such as in Florence Park, will be left empty.

The committee is hoping to get £5,000 from the Cowley area committee to enter Cowley into Britain in Bloom's 'Urban Community' category for the first time.

And the organisers are hoping that would prompt area committees for Headington and Summertown to follow suit and put Oxford's Britain in Bloom bid back on track.

Committee chairman Karen Roberts said: "We are in the last chance saloon to try to get the money to enter Britain in Bloom.

"We were really disappointed with the budget cuts and if we don't get the funding from the area committees it will be over for us for this year. There's not really any other options available to us.

"Normally we would have our entry in by now, but we're hoping the organisers will bear with us.

"It would be a great loss to the city if it doesn't happen. People come to see Oxford in all its glory and without all the flowers it is going to look rather sad.

"We hope the area committees will support us as the competition benefits the people living in the city as well as the people who come from far afield to visit."

Oxford in Bloom co-ordinator Mike Gass said: "The council hasn't cut any funding to the area committees so we hope they might be able to fund us. I think we have got a pretty good chance of entering Britain in Bloom if we get some funding in Cowley."

Bryan Keen, who has been a member of Oxford in Bloom for 20 years, said: "Britain in Bloom is in jeopardy in Oxford, but - if we can get the funding from the Cowley area committee - there is still a chance we can enter."

Alice Paterson, Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom campaign manager, said: "It is disappointing to hear that funding for Oxford in Bloom has been cut for 2008."

Britain in Bloom was first held in 1963 and Oxford has won the City category three times in recent years.

Its first triumph was in 1989 when it beat Bournemouth to the top spot.

It repeated the achievement in 1996 when Britain in Bloom judges were so impressed by the city's floral displays it entered the city in 1997's Entente Florale competition. Its most recent victory came in 2002 and in 2006 it finished runner-up to Aberdeen.

Although funding for Britain in Bloom has been cut, the local Oxford in Bloom competition will still take place as normal.

5:30am Thursday 27th March 2008

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