The University, which has recently extended its estate with the opening of the brand new £450m Bay Campus on Fabian Way, takes great pride in maintaining its beautiful grounds which offer students, staff and visitors an outstanding environment in which to study, work and live.

The Singleton Park Campus is set within parkland and provides landscaped gardens, green spaces, mature shrubs and borders to help enhance the aesthetics of the estate. Each spring the University comes alive with colour as the borders and beds which are carefully maintained throughout the year come into bloom. The University is now working hard to develop an equally pleasing environment at the new Bay Campus, which not so long ago was a disused BP transit site.

Swansea University first entered Swansea in Bloom in 2009 when it was awarded Bronze in the best newcomer category. The green fingered organisation has since been a regular contender in the competition, which aims to encourage the Swansea business and local community to invest in floral displays in order to make Swansea more beautiful for both its residents and visitors to the City.

The grounds of the dual campus University are maintained by a small and dedicated team of grounds management staff who work together under the direction of Grounds Manager Paul Edwards.

Paul, who has been helping make Swansea University a special place in which to study and work for thirty years said:“We are delighted to win Gold in this year’s competition. The Grounds Management team take great pride in providing an aesthetically pleasing environment for our students and for our staff and visitors to enjoy.

"This year we’ve got over 100 displays and planters across the two campuses comprising a wide range of flowers from lobelia, cineraria, marigolds and amaranthus to begonias, geraniums, surfinias and cana lilies.It’s quite a challenge to maintain such a large number of displays across such a vast estate. It’s all down to the hard work and dedication of the team here who are all committed to making the University, not only a great place in which to study, but also a place in which our students can feel at home.”

Paul Robinson, Associate Director of Estates said: 

“Last year we won Silver at the awards, but in spite of being up against some really stiff competition from leading local businesses and national brands who invest heavily in enhancing their premises, we were determined to take Gold this year.

“The Gold Award really is testament to the hard work and dedication of our professional teams of staff who put every effort into maintaining the University Estate.

“We’re really proud to participate in Swansea in Bloom, and as a major local organisation which feels very much part of the community of Swansea, we feel it’s really important to play our part in enhancing the local environment and helping to make the City as visually pleasing as we can for residents and visitors alike.”

• Swansea University’s Grounds Management team forms part of the Estates & Facilities Management Directorate. The Directorate is led by Mr Craig Nowell and is responsible for the strategic and safe operational management of the University's physical estate and a broad range of services which impact daily on campus users and stakeholders; from staff and students to visitors and contractors. Further information can be found here .

• Swansea in Bloom is organised by the City and County of Swansea's Parks Development team in conjunction with Swansea in Bloom's voluntary group. 

Team Picture:

Left to right back row: Paul Edwards (Grounds Manager), Jonathan Davies, Simon Willett, Matthew Anthony (Grounds Assistants).  

Left to right front row: Karl Davies, Ian Harrison (Grounds Assistants) Oliver Thomas (Grounds Supervisor).