Workington Nature Partnership has won a Cumbria in Bloom award for its wildlife-friendly work in the town’s nature areas. The Wildlife Project Award was presented to the Partnership at a recent Cumbria in Bloom awards ceremony, which this year was held online.
In conjunction with Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Get Cumbria Buzzing project, Workington Nature Partnership has been restoring nature areas across the town for wildlife. Key to their success has been the work of a passionate group of volunteers, known as the ‘Wednesday Wombles’ who, among other areas, have been restoring the gardens and woodlands of the former Bankfield mansion. Previously neglected and vandalised, this is now a popular area for families and walkers who enjoy the wildlife-friendly planting of flowers such as ox-eye daisies. Other pollinator-friendly locations created by the Partnership include Workington Town Quay flowerbeds, where planting of kidney vetch is now supporting the nationally-rare small blue butterfly.
Tanya St.Pierre, Project Manager for Get Cumbria Buzzing, said: “This is fantastic news, congratulations to Workington Nature Partnership and their wonderful volunteers for all the amazing work they’re doing. Their wildflower planting is helping to provide a crucial ‘bee-line’, as part of the Get Cumbria Buzzing network of pollinator-friendly locations that we’re creating across north and west Cumbria. Projects like this will really help numbers of important pollinating insects to recover, as well as bringing such pleasure to local communities.”