Following the presentation of ‘The Pat and Gareth Evans Award’ to The Herdwicks during the January Guild Ringing meeting at Workington on 10th January 2026:
Janet Yasities writes:
This group of young ringers has been brought together by Imogen Carrie and Helen Ruberry. They have been ringing together for approximately 18 months and in that time have developed a strong team identity under their assumed name ‘The Herdwicks’. Their hard work and enthusiasm took them on a very exciting trip to the Ringing World’s national striking competition in Birmingham in 2025 where they very ably represented Cumbria and placed an impressive 4th in the category of Advanced Call Changes. This is a wonderful achievement for a new band at their inaugural striking competition and they immediately determined that they would be working towards next year’s competition to be held in Nottingham.
They have set off as they mean to go on and applied for and secured some funding from the Guild. In addition they are committed to raising funds themselves.
The group is inclusive and invites all young ringers from the Guild to join them and they have continued to develop their strong team identity through equal measures of hard work and fun. Imogen and Helen’s engaging, challenging and thoroughly enjoyable practises are developing the careers of the ringers of tomorrow, aligning with the Central Council’s Ringing 2030 agenda of creating a sustainable future for change ringing.
The ‘Pat and Gareth Evans Award’ recognises and celebrates the hard work and considerable achievements of the whole band and its leadership.
Editor’s note: This is the second time that this award has been presented. The Award remembers our dear friends Pat and Gareth Evans; and in the spirit of how they worked within the Guild and in the world of bellringing – it recognises significant and notable progress as a ringer, steeple keeper, tower captain – or indeed any role that improves bellringing for us all. The first recipient – last year – was John Proudfoot for the work he accomplished in re-establishing a Band at St Martin’s, Brampton .
