A young horticultural dynamo has been given a prestigious award.

20-year-old Danny Poland, of Irthington in Bloom, has this month been awarded his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at Holyrood Palace.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is awarded to younger people for their overall citizenship and teaches team-building, resilience, confidence and tenacity.

A lot of people earn their bronze award in school and leave it there, while a select few are resilient and tenacious enough to aspire to get their gold, which is no small task.

Rightly so, the award is handed out at the prestigious Holyrood Palace where it used to be that Prince Phillip would do the honour.

Danny is known throughout the village of Irthington for being instrumental in getting the small community into a huge horticultural competition, Britain in Bloom awards; Irthington is a finalist for the prestigious RHS award.

READ MORE: Irthington reaches finals of Britain in Bloom Awards for the first time

Accompanied by mum Samantha and dad David, he travelled to the palace on July 1.

Samantha said: “The weather was dry and warm with the sun making a regular appearance, so we were very fortunate.

“There were around 4000 guests and each was handed a bag with an itinerary of activities, a bottle of water and some Kendal mint cake.

“Two military bands took it in turns to play and there were various activities in the garden to do if you wanted to; giant Jenga and other games.

“There were lots of photo opportunities around the gardens. 

“Air cadets and others began to line up and there was a change to what was happening around us before the National Anthem began playing and Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex and Earl of Forfar stepped onto the main stage to deliver a speech offering congratulations on the achievement of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

“He walked around the garden with lots of the guests trying to see and speak with him, though he was surrounded by security too.”

Irthington will be judged by Britain in Bloom judges in August, meanwhile, the Irthington in Bloom group continues to arrange activities and projects that centre around this year’s theme of ‘nature’s friend’.
READ MORE: Irthington pupils have fun making bird boxes and bug hotels