At the Royal Horticultural Society''s Britain in Bloom award ceremony on Wednesday, Darley was delighted to receive a Gold award in the Champion of Champions competition which they contested as a "Village".

The event is the largest horticultural competition in Europe and more than 450 gardening enthusiasts and community champions attended the ceremony at Chester Racecourse. 

Entry to the Champion of Champions category is by invitation of the RHS and only here do communities of differing size compete against one another.  The overall winner was Nottingham (Large City).  Gold also went to Alness (Small Town) with silver awards going to St Ives &  Corbes Bay (Town) and Heysham (Small Village).

Special guest, TV celebrity gardener Chris Beardshaw presented the award to Margaret Barker & Margaret Vaughan (co-chairpersons of Darley in Bloom).

Congratulations and many thanks to everyone who contributed to the effort, whether it was through sponsorship, supporting the various fundraising events, litterpicking, planting, watering or weeding - often through extremes of  weather!  Without your help, this success would not have been possible.