The winner of February’s Hornsea Hero award can be rightly described as blooming marvellous!

Christine Sumner, a founding member of the Hornsea In Bloom Committee, was chosen for the accolade by Freeport Hornsea and the Hornsea Post, for her work in bringing the town to life with colourful floral displays.

The committee works with Hornsea Town Council, Hornsea School and organisations preparing many of the floral displays in the town and also encourages local businesses and individuals to enter hanging baskets, flower beds or their gardens to be judged in the annual Britain In Bloom competition.

Christine has worked endlessly to promote and develop the Hornsea entry and has increased the number and standard of entries to such a high level that last year Hornsea achieved a silver gilt award.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and the agenda they cover can be very varied, as Christine’s nomination shows.

Working with a band of volunteers to promote the event through sheer hard work and enthusiasm, she has managed to bring a wonderful outlook to Hornsea’s town centre during the summer months.

With beautiful floral plantings at the entry roads to the town and her encouragement of local companies and individuals to join in and enter different categories, she has made Hornsea a floral pleasure for all its residents and visitors.

Born in Manchester, Christine moved to Hornsea with Rick her husband and two children 15 years ago this month.

Her love of gardening and her outright tenacity has driven forward her desire to establish Hornsea’s annual entry into the floral competition.

And although both she and Rick have many other interests, including helping with the development of the Hornsea Inshore Rescue boathouse scheme, she still loves to travel up to Seamer and Stockton to visit her family.

Freeport centre manager Simon Tudor said: “Chris’s efforts in establishing the Hornsea entry into the Yorkshire In Bloom competition have been outstanding. Arranging any event takes a great deal of time and effort and Chris takes this all on board. You can still find her helping to plant up the beds and troughs around Hornsea.”

Christine will receive Freeport shopping vouchers as her prize.