A MUSEUM in west Cumbria has celebrated being nominated for a national award.

The Helena Thompson Museum in Workington has made it to the finals of the National Wedding Awards 2020 and it is in the running for to be named the best venue in Cumbria.

Museum manager Tricia Poole said: “This has been the most difficult wedding season we have had due to lockdown and Covid-19, I have spent the last few weeks in contact with my wedding couples rearranging dates for them for next year.”

The museum on Park End Road is currently closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak and social distancing restrictions.

She said: “This has been such a stressful and upsetting time for all, but fortunately we have managed to move all of them over apart from a couple at the end of the year which are holding on to those dates for now.”

She called the nomination “some good news after what has been a difficult few weeks.”

Tricia found out about the nomination on Saturday, the last day of voting.

“What a wonderful achievement for our hidden gem.”

Tricia, who took over as manager seven years ago, coordinates all weddings held at the venue with support from museum duty officer Stephen Jones and a team of volunteers.

She explained that each wedding takes four days to organise with day one focused on rearranging the museum layout and day two, setting and dressing the venue. Day three is the wedding ceremony and day four, the clear away process, rearranging the museum for re-opening.

Venues are nominated for the awards by brides and grooms who had their service there and feel that the team went above and beyond the call of duty.

The National Wedding Awards 2020 is pencilled-in for the Mere Golf Resort and Spa, Knutsford on Wednesday September 9.

Tricia said: “Even if we get no further and do not win the final award, in my eyes we already have a winning venue and team.

“I have a fantastic team of volunteers who work alongside me putting in many enjoyable hours to make every wedding a success.

She said: “There is a lot of work involved but it is worth every minute of it.”

For more details on the event, visit: https://natweddingawards.co.uk/tickets