Irthington enjoyed the most enormous success last year! The first year of entering Cumbria in Bloom’s Pride in Your Community Award and they won the Silver Gilt Medal Award. The work that had been carried out throughout the village was not lost on the judges who nominated Irthington to go forward into the National Finals of Britain in Bloom. And this has been successful! They are the first place to ever achieve this in such a short time. They really are unprecedented!

So a very exciting 2022 awaits.

There is a change to the rules for 2022. There is now a very real concern for our wildlife amid numbers in all species experiencing disastrous declines. Nature is needing our help, and the new rules now encompass wildlife friendly practices. The theme chosen in Irthington is Nature’s Friends and we are looking at how we can use our outdoor spaces to incorporate more habitats, forage for pollinators and so creating more biodiversity. It is something every one of us can do, wherever we live.

The Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the RSPB have been amazing in offering practical help. Big Plant Week is 1-8th May and the Cumbria Wildlife Trust have donated 100 community packs, Irthington being 1 of them! Irthington school will be planting 150 wildflower plugs in St Kentigern’s churchyard and hopefully the display by Summer will be breath taking.

There are many displays which will be all around the village, including one for the Platinum Jubilee. There will be a ‘We Support Ukraine’ display and community herb garden called “A Pocketful of Herbs” on the Parish Corner. It’s an amazing time to be living in Irthington and a repeat of last year, when the community came together through shared efforts and accomplishments is hoped to be achieved for a second year. Everyone benefitted, people and wildlife, from individual and shared contributions. And when it all came together the result was nothing short of magical. Looking ahead to this year, we can’t wait to see what it will bring!