Blooming great Thornton le Dale named as Britain in Bloom finalist

The village will now battle it out against 70 finalists to be awarded either a gold, silver or bronze medal by the Britain in Bloom judges in the largest village category.

Thornton le Dale Hub entered the competition after the village won gold in last year’s Yorkshire in Bloom.

The group of 160 dedicated volunteers plan and deliver activities aimed at enhancing the local environment.

Denise Rajab and Roger Sharples are coordinators of the Britain in Bloom entry. Denise said: “We are delighted that the village has been chosen to represent Yorkshire in this year’s Britain in Bloom. It is a testament to the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to transform our green spaces into something beautiful.

“From litter picking to pond projects and rail painting to bulb planting, the community has rallied round over the past two years. People of all ages are getting involved.”

Roger said: “We have all the plans in place to prepare for judging later in the year and are now encouraging local businesses to come forward as sponsors.

“When spring comes the hard work will really begin.”

The Hub has launched a Bee Friendly initiative, with the crafty club knitting bees and handing out seeds to all residents.

Among the work has been improvements around the pond, including a nature trail.

This was supported by County Councillor Janet Sanderson, member for Thornton Dale and The Wolds, through her locality grant.

Cllr Sanderson said: “We are blessed in Thornton le Dale to have a variety of groups who work hard to maintain our village.

“The Hub offers residents the opportunity to contribute what they can when they can and this model has proved hugely successful both in terms of improvements to the village and community interaction. We are all rooting for them.”