Whitehaven has won a top prize in the national Britain in Bloom competition.
The Cumberland town has achieved a silver gilt award.
The prize was awarded at the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom UK Finals ceremony yesterday (Monday, 23 October).
Whitehaven competed in the coastal town category and was nominated for its outstanding wildflower displays, community engagement and nature conservation.
The town was selected to represent Cumbria, following the success of the 2022 Cumbria in Bloom Gold Award for its horticulture work, in partnership with Whitehaven Town Council.
The area was awarded full marks for plants ‘being vibrant and growing to their full potential’, and high scores for gardening and horticultural activity, consideration of the environment, and community participation.
The Judges visited Whitehaven on Thursday 3 August.
The silver gilt trophy and certificates will soon be on display in The Beacon Museum for all of the public to see.
Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said:
“Our Green Spaces teams do a great job, day in day out - working in all weathers - to make sure our green and open spaces look so pristine.
“This hard work has been rewarded with top prize at the national Britain in Bloom competition. Whitehaven and its amazing parks and green spaces have been showcased to their judges and I would like to pass on my personal best wishes and thanks to the team that support this area. In addition to supporting the biodiversity of the area, they also ensure that Cumberland is an inviting place to live and visit.
“I would also like to thank Whitehaven Town Council as a funding partner, Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners and local volunteer groups.
“This is the first time in 12 years since Whitehaven has been entered into the national finals and I would like to pass on my thanks to all those involved in making our area bloom.”
The Cumberland area also received a variety prizes at the recent Cumbria in Bloom awards ceremony last week.
In addition to winning some personal accolades, Cumberland Council also supported a variety of community groups to achieve prizes too.
The council has been supporting the Whitehaven in Bloom committee efforts together with Whitehaven Town Council and other local organisations.
The council has contributed by creating new flowering wildflower display verges and street cleansing.
Awards were presented to villages and towns within the Cumberland area including Dalston, Maryport, Whitehaven, Workington and Wreay.