Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, met with green-fingered villagers in Irthington who are putting their community on the map for their beautiful flower displays and reaching the final of Britain in Bloom.
The village, near Brampton, entered the Cumbria in Bloom, Pride in Your Community competition, winning a silver medal and going on to be nominated for the national prize. This is an unprecedentedly quick rise, with most villages taking years to achieve the same acclaim.
Irthington in Bloom is now in the Village category nationally along with five other finalists from across the UK. Britain in Bloom judges are due to inspect the village on 6th August.
With community spirit at the heart of Irthington’s green-fingered exploits, villagers have come together to plant wildflowers, Irthington in Bloom attended the local school’s Summer Fair with youngsters taking part in a range of activities, and a community herb garden has been set up for the use of residents.
The project has been led by local resident Danny Poland with help from a group of volunteers calling themselves the Blooming Lovely Ladies. Dr Neil Hudson has been working with the team at Irthington in Bloom for some months now, providing support so the village can look its best for the judges’ arrival.
Dr Neil Hudson, said:
“It was fantastic to be able to see the people of Irthington’s hard-work paying off. What struck me was not just the beauty of the flowers but the heart-warming community spirit that is coming up roses in Irthington. Young and old, it seems the whole village has got on board with the project, and it was a privilege to hear from everybody about how proud they were to be making a difference to their local community.
“I congratulate everyone involved for reaching the national finals and will have my fingers tightly crossed until the judges’ announcement.”
A spokesperson for Irthington in Bloom, added:
"Everybody is working so hard to make Irthington look absolutely beautiful. Many hours have been spent sprucing up our village and our gardens, working towards a more wildlife friendly environment as our theme is Nature's friends. Our village was entered into Cumbria in Bloom in 2021 by Danny Poland and we now find ourselves in the Britain in Bloom Finals 2022. This hasn't been achieved in the same timeframe by any other place previously, but it does mean that we have worked especially hard to make our village fabulous for ourselves and for nature."
