Riffa Views TV: The Eden Challenge Story

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Riffa Views have always tried to extend and expand their relationships with the community of Bahrain and have chosen sport, youth and education as their way of achieving that vision. Riffa Views felt that through the association with the Bahrain International Garden Show we could reach out and offer more to the community. They therefore proposed to create a challenge through the schools of Bahrain that would increase the awareness of the children to the natural environment and not only demonstrate how important it is to all of us, but how much fun environmental projects can be.

Riffa Views enlisted the full support of the Office of Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King, Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, along with the organizing committee of the Bahrain International Garden Show and the Ministry of Education. And so, the Eden Challenge was born.

The Eden Challenge aim is to inspire, educate and encourage children to develop an understanding of their environment.

Throughout the Challenge, the students had to demonstrate creativity, imagination and an awareness of environmental issues

The Eden Challenge has developed far beyond what Riffa Views envisaged when developing the idea. The number of schools participating and the efforts shown by the quality of the entries demonstrates the next generations’ enthusiasm and dedication to the environment. It also confirms that committed investment by corporate bodies in children provides sustainable, tangible results and assists in protecting their future.

“The Challenge lives on, and a reminder of the time, effort and dedication and fun of this experience remains with each school to let those generations that follow realize that their environment is better because of the understanding and awareness of the school children before them” said Richard Browning, Riffa Views CEO.

Riffa Views Announce 2009 Awards at RVBIGS

Using the backdrop of the Riffa Views Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand, Riffa Views announced the award winners of their competitions around the Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show 2009 (RVBIGS 09) – the Overall Winning School of the Riffa Views Eden Challenge 2009 and the exhibitor with the ‘Best Stand of RVBIGS 09’.

The Overall Winning School of Riffa Views Eden Challenge 2009, chosen from the four category winning entries displayed on the stand and announced by Chris Beardshaw, Riffa Views Ambassador for Landscapes and Gardens, and Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al-Khalifa, Director of the BIGS Organising Committee, was The Khawla Secondary Girls School.

The Khawla Secondary Girls School project presented a Water Conscious Garden. The winning Water Conscious Garden depicts a wide range of the complex possibilities that a designed landscape can offer. Using the Riffa Views Eden Challenge logo as a base, the winning design blends water with drought tolerant plants and synthetic materials to highlight the principles and use of water movement and water conservation.

In making the announcement, Chris Beardshaw commented on how difficult the task of choosing an overall winning school had been, “The standard of all the schools’ entries this year and in particular the four category winners has been tremendously high; to choose a ‘champion of champions’ has been incredibly hard. I am extremely encouraged by the focus that the students placed on environmental issues and delighted that the Riffa Views Eden Challenge has inspired Bahrain’s younger generation to consider the importance of their surroundings. I am very comfortable that the kingdom is heading in the right environmental direction.”

Highlighting the winning entry from The Khawla Secondary Girls School, he said “The Khawla project captured the real spirit of the Eden Challenge through the efforts, enthusiasm and dedication of the students and staff. It demonstrated a diversity of ideas and initiatives around the Show’s theme of ‘Water for Life’ and a capability to be expanded and developed into a wider concept that could truly benefit the island’s community.”

The Principal of The Khawla Secondary Girls School, Mrs Seham Al Kooheji, along with students and supervising teachers from the project team were on the Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand to hear the announcement and were thrilled to go up to receive their trophy and the award of BD3,000 towards the school’s environmental activities.

Mrs Al Kooheji said “We had great faith in our Eden Challenge team and the exceptional work of the students, we are all very proud to have won the competition. We would like to thank Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain for her support of the Show and Riffa Views, in particular the Riffa Views Eden Challenge Team, for giving us this opportunity. We want to compete again next year as we believe the competition teaches the students a lot about creativity and teamwork.”

Richard Browning, CEO of Riffa Views, congratulated not only the winning school, but also the other three category winners and all the schools who took part in this year’s competition. He said “The Eden Challenge has developed far beyond what we envisaged; we are delighted by the number of schools that have taken part and the wonderful job that all the schools have done, as demonstrated by the quality of the four category winners. Well done and a very big thank you to all involved and in particular, The Khawla School for being chosen as the Overall Winner.”

Chris Beardshaw and Shaikha Maram also announced the winners of the Riffa Views’ ‘Best Stand of RVBIGS 09’ awards. Much coveted by all exhibitors, this year’s top award has gone to Jannusan Exotics, who received a trophy and a prize of USD5,000. The 1st Runner-Up was the Bahrain Ministry of Municipalities’ Affairs & Agriculture, who received a trophy and a prize of USD3,000; the 2nd Runner-up was The Riffa Views Farmers Market, who received a trophy and a prize of USD2,000, which Richard Browning, CEO of Riffa Views confirmed, will be donated to charity.

Jannusan Exotics is a nursery based in Bahrain, supplying plants, trees, pots and other garden decorations from all over the world. Commenting on the winning stand, Chris Beardshaw said, “The Jannusan stand is very innovative in design style and in many ways, presents a ‘brave’ new concept. It displays a non-traditional, very contemporary approach that sets a new benchmark for future exhibits and is very much part of the process by which the Show will continue to develop on the international stage. The winning stand is certainly one that I could see having a rightful place at any of the big shows such as The Chelsea Flower Show.”

Commenting on the award, Richard Browning said “In working with the BIGS Organising Committee, it has always been one of our joint aims to raise the profile of BIGS. Encouraging exhibitors to participate and to participate at an increasingly higher standard of exhibit through an award such as this is an important part of having brought that aim to reality, which is evidenced by the obvious level of expertise and effort that has gone into the stands at this year’s Show.”

Beardshaw Adds International Expertise on Return Visit to RVBIGS 09

Chris Beardshaw, award winning garden designer and Riffa Views’ Landscape and Gardens Ambassador, is back in Bahrain to add international expertise to the Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show 2009 (RVBIGS 09) during his visit as Ambassador to the Show for the second consecutive year.

Chris arrived last Wednesday to oversee the final details of the set-up for the Riffa Views Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand. He will be attending all three days of the Show, with the aim of sharing his wide-ranging skills and experience alongside the many features that RVBIGS has to offer this year’s visitors.

Commenting as he toured the many stands on display at RVBIGS 09, he said “I am very enthused each time I return to Bahrain and see the progress that the Show is making. This time of the year sees the start of the major international garden and lifestyle show season and RVBIGS is ideally placed to continue to move forward and attain its aim of excelling on the international stage.”

Chris has been a driving force in the development of the Eden Challenge competition and is the Chairman of the Riffa Views Eden Challenge Adjudicating Panel that previously judged the four category winners, whose models have been built up as real life exhibits and are displayed on the Riffa Views Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand. With inputs from a number of areas, including the media’s rating, Chris along with Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al-Khalifa, Director of the BIGS Organising Committee, will judge and decide the 2009 Eden Challenge Overall Winning School.

Beardshaw sees the Eden Challenge competition as a very important element in the education of Bahrain’s younger generation, allowing them a greater understanding of and active involvement in their environment. Whilst the announcement will focus on the competition’s Overall Winner, he is keen to recognize all the schools who participated, “It is of particular importance to me that the efforts and skills of all students engaging with the Eden Challenge are celebrated, since these illustrate the extraordinary focus and talents of a generation on which there are increasing demands and expectations.”

The 2009 Eden Challenge Overall Winning School will be announced by Chris and Shaikha Maram on the Riffa Views Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand at 12 noon today – Saturday 18th of April. Students from all four category winning schools that are vying for the overall prize will be on the Stand for the announcement and are all very excited by the prospect of their school being awarded the top prize. The Overall Winning School will receive a cash prize of BD3,000 towards the school’s environmental resources and activities.

Following the announcement of the Overall Winning School, again on the Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand, Chris Beardshaw and Shaikha Maram will announce the winner of the Riffa Views’ award for ‘The Best Stand of RVBIGS 09’, together with the two runners-up. This award was introduced by Riffa Views at RVBIGS 2007, their first Show as Title Sponsor, with the aim of encouraging the exhibitors to strive each year for better stand designs and content. It is an initiative that has certainly worked as the standard of the Show’s exhibits has improved significantly and the award is very sought after by all exhibitors. In addition to the prestigious title of ‘Best Stand of RVBIGS 09’, the winning exhibitor will also receive a cash prize of USD5,000, with the 1st and 2nd runners-up exhibitors receiving cash prizes of USD3,000 and USD2,000 respectively
For Chris Beardshaw, the Bahrain International Garden Show has become an important and enjoyable focus for his undoubted talents. As he comments, “I have the good fortune to be involved in some of the top international garden and lifestyle exhibitions and shows around the world – after my visit to RVBIGS, I travel onto Japan for the Japanese International Garden Show and then back to the UK for the Chelsea Flower Show. All of these Shows are exceptional in their own right and RVBIGS is no different. I feel privileged to have an involvement with the Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show, a unique exhibition and demonstration of the most focused and relevant individuals and businesses in this field of expertise.”

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