Barrow has officially been entered into Cumbria in Bloom 2024.

Westmorland and Furness Council, Barrow Business Improvement District, Barrow Town Council and charitable organisations including Mind in Furness and Love Barrow Families welcomed Cumbria in Bloom judges to showcase the brilliant work of all those involved.

The judges were given a whistlestop tour of the town centre where they were shown the wonderful blooms on full display in the Barrow BID planters on Portland Walk and Dalton Road, alongside the 140 baskets and 180 troughs planted by the community.

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The judges then visited the Mind Garden on School Street, a peaceful space open to all and maintained by volunteers and the Dock Museum where the team has recently planted around the site to encourage pollinators.

Following some presentations in Barrow Park, the group finished their tour by heading to the Love Barrow Families allotment to see the hard work undertaken to turn the plot into a great community space full of vegetables.

Barrow won a silver award in the ‘Pride in Your Community’ category in last year’s county-wide horticultural awards.

(Image: Love Barrow families) Councillor Virginia Taylor, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Sustainable Communities and Localities, said: "I’d like to thank all the organisations and volunteers who have come together to create such wonderful creative entries for this year’s ‘Cumbria in Bloom’ competition.

"Making Barrow so beautiful, and doing it together, just shows what a great place Barrow is to live, work and thrive. Whatever awards we get in the competition, everyone will enjoy seeing these wonderful displays throughout the town – though of course we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the judges will reward everyone’s hard work and imaginative ideas.

(Image: Love Barrow families) "The Royal Horticultural Society exhibit at the Mind in Furness centre garden in particular is going from strength to strength and becoming a much-used and loved town centre haven. It really shows how beneficial gardening can be in connecting us with nature and boosting our mental wellbeing, and this award would help to spread that message.

"We are eagerly awaiting the judges’ decision and look forward to sharing the outcome when we know more.”

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Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity, and Environmental Services, added: “It is wonderful when people come together from across the community to boost the town’s biodiversity in this way. It is a pleasure to see Barrow in full bloom and know that these lovely displays are also supporting a number of our pollinators.

“As an ecologically aware council, working with our communities and partners in this way is crucial in addressing biodiversity loss whilst also improving the appearance of our towns and villages. My thanks and well done to all involved.”