Bacup Pride praised by Britain in Bloom North West judge

Bacup Pride volunteers entered several areas of the town they look after into the Britain In Bloom North West It’s Your Neighbourhood awards.

Royal Horticultural Society judge, Imran Aslam, spent a full day touring the town centre locations.

He visited Pennine Road community gardens and stopped off at Stubbylee Park to see the community allotments on Rose Terrace and the Rose Garden in the park.

Chair of Bacup Pride Pat Smith and judge Imran Aslam discuss the planting at Irwell Terrace (Image: PR)

At last year's awards day, Bacup Pride collected eight awards which included five Level 5 ‘Outstanding’ awards, and one national award for ‘overcoming adversity’.

It's a challenge the group faced again as when they arrived in the town centre just before the judge, they discovered plants had been removed and thrown about on Irwell Terrace.

Despite this, the team ensured the town was spic-and-span when Imran arrived which didn't go unnoticed.

Chair of Bacup Pride, Pat Smith, said: “Imran had a wonderful time and he said he loved coming to Bacup.

"He arrived just after 9am and said he could not miss the work the team had carried out on Irwell Terrace when he saw the cascading yellow flowers [Bidens] that had been planted.

“We explained that they should have been complemented by orange begonias but the weather had not let them flourish, but he loved the simplicity of the scheme and its impact.”

Mayor Councillor Andrew Walmsley, also Bacup Pride Treasurer and Chair of Bacup Pride Pat Smith show judge Imran Aslam around Bacup (Image: PR)

Imran said: “I have been really looking forward to coming to Bacup.

"I am really astounded at the level of community spirit that you guys have got, it is definitely going to inspire others if we get the message out there about what you do.

“What you are doing is 110 per cent there, it just takes time. I wish the community spirit that you have here was in every county.”

While the judge and volunteers toured the different areas the Pride team has adopted, a man stopped and said he had only lived in the town for about two years but he was impressed with Bacup and described it as a ‘working class Cotswolds’.

Imran said the work the Pride team carried out made a huge impact on the town and he loved meeting so many different volunteers from the team.

Pat said: “He advised us that, in the future, we should have special plaques with Bacup Pride on so that visitors and local people realise who it is that carries out the work.

"He also suggested putting a QR code on so people could find out more information.

“Imran loved the Wall of History and was raving about the park when he judged the Rose Garden and the allotment, where we grow flowers for the town centre and also to grow fruit and veg which is free for the community to use.

“We are looking forward to the awards day in October and I would like to thank all of the volunteers for the many hours they put in to helping Bacup Pride take care of the town.”