A MEETING to help secure the 2019 Ambleside Rushbearing procession and sports was to take place last night (Wednesday).

Rev Beverley Lock, of St Mary's Church, said volunteers were needed for tasks such as secretary, treasurer and publicity to ensure the age-old parade could happen in July.

"We very much hope the outcome of the meeting is a lovely community event in 2019," the team rector said, adding that 'bearings' from flowers, moss and rushes would still be created.

The Rushbearing dates back hundreds of years, said Rev Lock, and originated in the custom of covering the church's earthen floor with rushes for warmth.

Each year they were cleared out and fresh ones laid, and this cleansing was celebrated.

As time went by flowers were used to adorn wooden frames covered with rushes and damp moss. Known as ‘bearings’, they were carried or ‘borne’ in procession to the church and included a large harp, crosses, the Star of David, a crown, churchwardens' staves and a globe depicting the world. Younger children carry baskets of flowers, and sometimes flowers are used to decorate babies' buggies.

William Wordsworth walked in the procession and the Rushbearing hymn sung at the ceremony was written by the curate of Ambleside church, Reverend Owen Lloyd, in 1835 - not St Mary’s Church, which was not built until 1854, but St Anne’s Church on Kirkstone Road.

In the first verse Rev Lloyd wrote about how "our fathers, to the house of God, as yet a building rude bore offerings of the flowery sod and fragrant rushes strewed".

Each generation has added to the tradition with children’s games, gingerbread for those who walked in the procession and a fell race to the top of Loughrigg.

On the back wall of St Mary’s Church is a mural depicting the Rushbearing. It was painted by Gordon Ransom as a postgraduate student of the Royal College of Art, which was evacuated to Ambleside in the Second World War. It includes portraits of many local people of the time and was last year restored by art experts at a cost of £13,000 raised by appeal.

Speaking before yesterday's meeting, Ambleside team rector Rev Lock said: "Ambleside Rushbearing is a lovely tradition and is a community event. It now happens each year on the first weekend of July. It is important to local people as part of our heritage and often those who have moved away come back ‘home’ for this event each year. Many visitors enjoy the spectacle too.

"The service will happen and the bearings will be created in 2019 but community help is still needed for the tasks of secretary, treasurer, collecting treasurer, events coordinator/manager, sports coordinator, publicity and prizes.

"We very much hope the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting is a lovely community event in 2019."