A GRANT of £20,000 has been earmarked to help put Bury in Bloom on a sound financial footing.The one-off payment was agreed by St Edmundsbury Borough Council in recognition of the role played by the committee in Bury St Edmunds' economic vitality and the impact of the town's floral displays.

A GRANT of £20,000 has been earmarked to help put Bury in Bloom on a sound financial footing.

The one-off payment was agreed by St Edmundsbury Borough Council in recognition of the role played by the committee in Bury St Edmunds' economic vitality and the impact of the town's floral displays.

Bury in Bloom chairman Mike Ames welcomed the cash injection and said without it, the committee's work would have been threatened in future years.

"Bury is being visited by the Queen in the summer and representing East Anglia in Britain in Bloom again, so I am very heartened by this news," he added.

Leisure services committee chairman Sara Mildmay-White said: "This money will be used as 'pump-priming' for the group to help it sort out new financial arrangements.

"These will formally set out exactly what responsibilities the council and voluntary committee will each have in future.

"The floral excellence of Bury is internationally recognised and I hope this business-like agreement will show how seriously we all take the importance of Bury in Bloom. It should also make it easier for the committee to attract sponsorship from a wide range of sources."

Bury in Bloom's fundraising usually starts around March, but the plants need to be ordered the previous November. That has meant sometimes not enough sponsorship was raised, leaving St Edmundsbury Borough Council to find extra money that had not been budgeted for.

The grant means this year's floral displays have been safeguarded, giving Bury in Bloom committee members the chance to look for sponsorship for next year's attractions so they would know in advance how much work they could commission from the council.