Dorset's Best Village Competion 2013
Entries are now being accepted for the 2013 Dorset Best Village Competition.
Three years ago Magna Housing Association became the major sponsor for the competition and has renewed its support for the next three years.
We have revamped this long running competition to give it a fresh look with categories which fit into today’s world. Please could you bring these to the attention of the appropriate community group or organisation in your village.
If you are unable to enter on behalf of your village, please don’t forget that any voluntary group or organisation can enter, ie Church, village hall, youth club, playgroup etc.
Please note you can enter ANY CATEGORY – if you only want to do one category, such as the ‘Best Kept’ element of the competition and nothing else – or enter several, such as the People’s Project and Environmental Champions Awards – we will be pleased to receive your entry.
Forty-three villages and hamlets entered in 2012, with over £2000 in prize money handed out to the worthy winners. In addition to these cash prizes Dorset County Council and East, North, West and Purbeck District Councils, with the Dorset Echo, Dorset Magazine and the Blackmore Vale Magazine, offer supplementary special prizes - on top of the deserved acclaim gained by the winning villages!
Many who enter the Competition are motivated into actively looking after their local environment and proud that their efforts are being recognised. We hope you will feel that the challenges we meet today with global warming offer a further opportunity to showcase villages which incorporate ideas that support recycling, energy saving and local food production, etc. We are confident many communities are already being creative and putting sustainable ideas into practice.
Please do enter your village and win yourself the recognition you deserve! We look forward to receiving your entry.
AIMS OF THE COMPETITION
SECTION 1 - Best Kept
- To encourage community effort and endeavour in keeping villages tidy and litter free
- To stimulate pride in appearance and upkeep of all public areas and buildings
Classes and Prizes
Large Villages: Less than 3,000 population Prizes - Winner and Runner-Up
Small Villages: Below 500 population Prizes - Winner and Runner-Up
Previous Winners Category: Outright winner, large and small class, in any of past five years
Hamlets: Winner
First Time Entry (Or not entered for past Ten Years): Prize for new village with the Judges highest percentage mark
What will be Judged
Features 1-6 on Judging Sheet
Villages judged on a percentage mark based on the total features present in that village.
Entry forms must be accompanied by sketch map indicating position of all features to be judged
SECTION 2 - People's Project Award:
Prizes to Winner and Runner-Up - What makes your community special? Sing the praises of an initiative which has improved your village and is worthy of recognition
SECTION 3 - Environmental Champions Award:
Prizes to Winner and Runner-Up - Tell us about an environmental activity which deserves recognition – no matter how big or small – we are looking for innovative projects!
ENTRY IS FREE FOR ALL SECTIONS
THIS MAY BE MADE BY THE PARISH COUNCIL OR ANY VILLAGE ORGANISATION ON THE OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
JUDGING - Judging starts in May until July.
Some villages will be re-visited to determine final placings
Closing date for entries: By 5.00 pm on Monday 8th April 2013
Prize giving - Thursday 19th September 2013 at Puddletown Village Hall
Two representatives will be invited from each village
2012 Winners
Askerswell village was awarded first prize in the ‘Best Environment’ category, for their village recycling scheme
55 villages took part in Dorset’s Best Village competition 2012 – the highest number of entries since Dorset Community Action started organising the competition 26 years ago. The winners were announced at a presentation evening held at Corfe Mullen Village Hall.
In recent years, the competition has been developed to acknowledge community and environmental projects, explains volunteer organiser Rita Burden: ‘On-going maintenance of the village hall, play area, churchyard and regular litter picks are very important, but it is not just about how the village looks. It is also about how active the village is. How it builds up a sense of community spirit and addresses the needs of its residents, especially the more vulnerable ones.’
Three years ago Magna Housing Association became the major sponsor for the competition and has renewed its support for the next three years. Additional sponsorship in 2012 came from Dorset County Council, the four District Councils, The Dorset Echo, Dorset Magazine and the Blackmore Vale Magazine, along with local food producers Clipper Tea, Fudges Biscuits, Honeybuns, Craig’s Dairies, Denhay Farms and Helen Furness Catering.
DORSET BEST VILLAGE AWARDS 2012
East Dorset Special Awards. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman, East Dorset DC
£50.00 Alderholt
£50.00 Gussage All Saints
£50.00 Sixpenny Handley
£50.00 Sturminster Marshall
North Dorset Special Awards. Presented by Cllr. Col Mike Oliver, Chairman North Dorset DC
£75.00 Pimperne
£25.00 Tarrant Monkton
£25.00 Child Okeford
Purbeck District Council Special Awards. Presented by Cllr Eric Osmond, Chairman Purbeck DC
£50.00 Affpuddle
£50.00 Briantspuddle
£50.00 Church Knowle
£50.00 Winfrith Newburgh
West Dorset District Council Special Environment Award presented by Karyn Punchard, Streetscene Manager, West Dorset DC
£50.00 Owermoigne
£50.00 Shipton Gorge
New Entrant – Highest % Marks Award. Presented by Fanny Charles, Blackmore Vale
Plaque East Creech
Peoples Project Award. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman East Dorset DC, Mr Donald Rushton, Chairman Magna Housing Ass
Runner-up £50.00 Chetnole.
Winner £100.00 Shipton Gorge.
Environmental Champions Award. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman East Dorset DC, Mr Donald Rushton, Chairman Magna Housing Ass
Runner-up £50.00 Milton Abbas.
Winner £100.00 Askerswell.
Previous Winners Small Village. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman East Dorset DC, Mr Donald Rushton, Chairman Magna Housing Ass
Winner £150.00 Shipton Gorge
Dorset Echo Award Mr Martin Lea, Dorset Echo
Previous Winners Large Village. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman East Dorset DC, Mr Donald Rushton, Chairman Magna Housing Ass
Winner £150.00 Pimperne
Dorset Echo Award Mr Martin Lea, Dorset Echo
Hamlets Award. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman East Dorset DC, Mr Donald Rushton, Chairman Magna Housing Ass
Winner £150.00 Melcombe Horsey
Winners Plaque M/s Helen Fisher, Dorset Magazine
Small Village Award. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman East Dorset DC, Mr Donald Rushton, Chairman Magna Housing Ass
Third £50.00 Loders
Runner up £100.00 Tincleton
Winner £150.00 Church Knowle
Large Village Award. Presented by Cllr Lucy Clark, Chairman East Dorset DC, Mr Donald Rushton, Chairman Magna Housing Ass
Third £50.00 Child Okeford
Runner up £100.00 Burton Bradstock
Winner £150.00 Winfrith Newburgh
DORSET COUNTY COUNCIL WINNERS PLAQUES presented by Cllr John Wilson Chairman, Dorset County Council
Small Village Church Knowle
Large Village Winfrith Newburgh
