A GROUP of volunteers are celebrating after receiving two awards in recognition of the work they have been doing to beautify their village even during Covid-19 restrictions.
The annual Northumbria-in-Bloom awards may have been cancelled this year but that has not stopped its organisers from recognising the work that has continued in West Auckland.
Only two years since its inception, West Auckland-in-Bloom has transformed the village’s green spaces with colourful planters and
bulbs.
Earlier this month organisers were surprised when they received an email from the Royal Horticultural Society confirming they were to receive awards in recognition of the work they did and for inspiring others.
Jean Pattison of the group believes the awards came about when she was asked to write about the volunteers’ activities for a Northumbria-in-Bloom publication.
She said: “I wrote about everything we have managed to do, the new planters and that we found more volunteers this year. I believe that is why they gave us the ‘inspiring others’ award. It was a complete surprise.
“It makes everything that we have done worthwhile.”
Audrey Beck, also of the group, said a long-time resident had praised the work that had been done during a recent online parish council meeting.
Ms Beck added: “She said, ‘I moved to the village 20 years ago and I hated it’. Then she said ‘what has been done, I love it’.
“We really want people to have pride in the village.”
Volunteer Evelyn Sewell said a lot of maintenance needs to be done during the winter and plans are afoot to decorate a pathway to lift the Christmas spirits of youngsters who use it to get to school. Among the ideas are to decorate it with snowmen, Santas, snowflakes and Christmas trees.
She added: “It is just about trying to make something lovely for the children.”
