North Kirklees gardeners win gold at the Yorkshire in Bloom Awards 2022

Earlier this year the Yorkshire in Bloom judges visited gardening groups across North Kirklees, including Mirfield in Bloom, Roberttown in Bloom and Cleckheaton in Bloom - and now, three months later, the results are in.

After inviting judges Brendan Mowforth and Russell Boland to the town on July 8, Mirfield in Bloom is “honoured” to announce that it has been awarded gold in the large town category of Yorkshire in Bloom and best overall town in the Discretionary Yorkshire Rose Awards 2022.

Other businesses, schools and neighbourhoods across Mirfield also received prestigious awards, including Church House Pre-School and Mirfield Co-op, which both achieved gold, and Mirfield Railway Station and the St Mary’s Neighbourhood, which were both graded as outstanding.

Christine Sykes, Mirfield in Bloom volunteer and secretary, said: “It's a great honour.

"We just wanted to make Mirfield better for everybody and the fact that the people seem to appreciate what we have done makes it all worthwhile.

“We're thankful for the support and sponsorship of Mirfield Town Council and honoured that the Mayor Vivien Lees-Hamilton and Deputy Martyn Connell accompanied us to the Yorkshire Awards.

“We are also very grateful to the John Cotton Group who sponsored the schools and neighbourhoods.”

As well as receiving these prestigious awards, the group’s chairman, Ruth Edwards, also won the Yorkshire Rose Discretionary Community Champion Award for her hard work and dedication to the group and the community.

Ruth said: “I was greatly surprised to receive this award at the Yorkshire in Bloom Awards - I am honoured.

“I have got a great team behind me and we are now planning for the winter and next year.”

Another group which is “bursting with pride” after the announcement last week is Roberttown in Bloom, which achieved gold in the large village category of Yorkshire in Bloom and received the best new entry award in the Discretionary Yorkshire Rose Awards 2022.

Louise Hardy, who founded Roberttown in Bloom three years ago, said: “As our motto says, we are ‘bursting with pride’ to come away with two prestigious awards.

“We are now a gold standard village, which in itself brings added value to business, communities and the general overall village.

“I would also like to mention Kirklees, who we have had a tremendous depth of support from, they have been very supportive of us as well as our local councillors and MP.”

Cleckheaton in Bloom has also been awarded gold in the Discretionary Yorkshire Rose Awards for best new entry and has been graded as thriving in the “It’s Your Neighbourhood” category for its work on the Cleckheaton Library Garden.

Angela Sugden, Cleckheaton in Bloom volunteer, said: “The awards come as a double delight, especially with it being the first time we have entered Yorkshire in Bloom.

“We are pleased to help make Cleckheaton a better place to live, work and visit.

“Our congratulations to all the other groups who have achieved success - well done Bloomers.”

Yorkshire in Bloom is a voluntary regional organisation that administers the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom Campaign in North, South, East, West and North Yorkshire.

For more information and to sign up for Yorkshire in Bloom 2023, visit https://www.yorkshireinbloom.co.uk/