As well as scooping a plethora of awards and ascending the European stage with Entente Florale, the Falkland in Bloom committee has taken up the invitation to share their experiences with the Channel Island community of Guernsey.

Former committee chairman Keith Jackson explained that the invitation to exchange information and learn from the experience came about as a result of Falkland winning the large village category in 2008 Britain in Bloom Campaign.

Falkland in Bloom business liaison and fund-raising convener, Julie Christiansen, said: "It is a great honour to be invited to Guernsey and we are really looking forward to the trip.

"It is a very generous offer from the Floral St Peters Group.

"Falkland in Bloom has learned a great deal in 22 years of campaigning and we have never hesitated to pass on what we have learned to other community groups."

Julie added: "The climate of Guernsey is considerably different to ours but the aims and objectives of the communities are exactly the same, the improvement of the local environment and the fostering and enhancement of civic pride."

The three-day visit which began yesterday (Thursday) will include a presentation by Julie and Keith and will include a mock judging of St Peters, in order to assess the proposed judging route.

Keith said: "The Floral St Peters Group are hopeful of gaining a place in the finals of Britain in Bloom in 2010 and are going about things in exactly the right way by starting their planning early.

"This kind of exchange encapsulates all that is good about the Britain in Bloom Campaign and will hopefully go some way to dispel the perception of secrecy and jealous competition as the Britain in Bloom Campaign is about so much more.

"Falkland in Bloom regularly invites other communities to share our experiences, but I think that this must be the furthest any group has travelled to spread the word".

Falkland has been invited to participate in the Champions of Champions category in Britain in Bloom Campaign of 2009.