The Archant South West title splashed the challenge on its front page last week and within hours of it going on the paper’s website the story went global.
Millionaire banker Keith Owen left Sidmouth £2.3million to benefit the community back in 2008, but the latest scheme by the Sid Vale Association has really caught the public imagination with the audacious bid to transform great swathes of grass verges and lawns in the Sid Valley into an ‘iconic spectacle’ in springtime.
Herald content editor, Stefan Gordon, said: “The Sid Vale Association asked us to help by publicising the scheme. This was a no-brainer as it was a great, positive community story.
“After the piece hit the web on Tuesday, it was picked up by Mail Online, and The Sun, The Mirror, The Telegraph, The Express, The Guardian and even The Ottowa Citizen to name a few all followed suit. It was also discussed on John Humprys BBC Radio 4 show and on BBC Radio 2,” said Stefan.
“It’s great to have this publicity on such an original idea,” said Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce chairman Steven Kendall-Torry.
The first phase of the initiative will see 130,000 daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and other bulbs planted in more than 40 areas in the space of two months.
The three-strong Sidmouth reporting team of content editor Stefan Gordon and reporters Stephen Sumner and Harvey Gavin will be getting their hands dirty on the town’s first-ever Bulb Planting Day in October by helping plant some of the blooms.
SVA president Handel Bennett hopes the blossoming bid will extend Sidmouth’s tourist season and boost visitor numbers.
Keith left £1.5million in cash and £800,000 in property to the SVA after his death from cancer in 2007. His will stated that the capital should remain untouched but each year the estimated £120,000 interest should be spent on projects in Sidmouth, Sidford and Sidbury. Before his death he asked the SVA to ‘think outside the box, plant one million bulbs and get everyone involved’.
