About Us | Cumbria in Bloom

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lizhauld@gmail.com

About

Cumbria In Bloom

Discover what Cumbria in Bloom is doing in your area - or get involved in any of our competitions

OUR COMPETITIONS

Hello! Welcome to Cumbria In Bloom

We have been in existence since 1983, largely funded by grants from Councils in our regions. We were granted charitable status on 5th February 2007 (Registered No 1117828), and this has helped us broaden the scope of our work. Our main purpose is to engage with groups in Cumbria, encouraging participation in a range of competitions that promote improvement of horticulture, floriculture and environmental issues in our region.

Closely following Britain in Bloom’s campaign guidelines, our cohort of judges visit all projects over the summer to evaluate achievement and offer guidance.

In September each year, an awards ceremony is held to recognise and publicise the efforts of those who have taken part. We also nominate finalists for national recognition in the Britain in Bloom Competition.

There are a variety of ways for organisations and individuals to get involved and support the charity, for example you may wish to sponsor Cumbria in Bloom or give a donation. You may find that using ‘gift aid’ is advantageous. There are a number of other ways to get involved too, for example becoming a member, a trustee or a volunteer. In addition, you may want to find out more by attending one of our events.

If you are interested in taking part in our competitions or wish to support Cumbria in Bloom in any way, please contact our administrator, Liz Auld.

Get Involved Volunteer, Membership, Judging

JOIN US

About RHS

& Britain In Bloom

Britain in Bloom is the largest horticultural campaign in the UK. First held in 1963 and initiated by the then British Tourist Board it followed a French model started in 1959. In 2002 the Royal Horticultural Society which was established in 1804 and claims to be “the world’s largest gardening charity” took over the control of Britain in Bloom.

Charitable Purpose

The RHS quotes its charitable purpose as

“The encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches”

As the Britain in Bloom campaign is all about communities and people the RHS statement has been translated to inform the three core pillars that underpin how entries are judged: Horticultural Excellence; Environmental Responsibility; and Community Participation.

For those taking part:

For those taking part in Britain in Bloom the judging process focuses on these and performance is measured against the RHS medal standards of Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver; and Bronze.

Whilst the “Bloom” title is still widely recognised it is now somewhat misleading as the emphasis is much more on how all sectors of the local community are managing their local environment. So things have to look good but there needs to be so much more for judges to take account of for top medals to be awarded.

For Cumbria’s nominated entrants:

For Cumbria’s nominated entrants into Britain in Bloom the challenge is considerable. Our local judging follows the same criteria but national judges are more insistent on applying the standards rigidly which means participants’ preparation has to be thorough.

The benefit, though, is that the process develops a much greater understanding of good practices and how to achieve them. The rewards are national recognition which the communities can use for significant impact on promoting their qualities to the wider country and for giving their residents and businesses a real feel-good factor.