Press Archive

35 Villages in line for the title of Northamptonshire Village of the Year 2005

A total of 35 villages across Northamptonshire are in line to win the title of 2005 Village of the Year.

Judges’ visits, which have already started, will continue until June when the final judging round will take place. This may lead to further judging visits to selected villages if the competition is close. Competition organiser on behalf of Northamptonshire ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England), Celia Rayner, extremely pleased with the response to the competition. She commented: “Not only is the total number of entries received high, but the standard of the entries is very good. It’s great that the county’s villages have embraced this new competition to such an extent. It’s a new experience for all of us – the organisers, the judges and the villages themselves, and after the positive nature of this first year, I am sure that the competition will go from strength to strength in the years to come.”

The competition judges communities on six aspects of village life with categories in Building Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, the Environment and (judged separately) Information Communications Technology (ICT). As in previous years, it does still encompass the Best Conservation Churchyard competition, run in conjunction with the local wildlife trust. Sponsorship comes from Calor, the UK’s leading supplier of LPG, with additional support from a number of local sponsors. Competition support from Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) this year has also led to the provision of an extra £500 prize money for successful villages in the Building Community Life category.

For judging purposes, entrants are split into three categories: small villages (population under 500); medium villages (population from 500 to 1,499); and large villages (population 1,500 and over). Villages that have entered this year’s competition are as follows –

Small Villages:

Abthorpe, Charlton, Clipston, East Carlton, Naseby, Pythchley, Rothersthorpe, Rushton, Stoke Bruerne, Whilton and East Haddon.

Medium Villages:

Brigstock, Chacombe, Cottingham, Denton, Flore, Great Doddington, Great Houghton, Gretton, Helmdon, Pattishall, Paulerspury, Stanion, Titchmarsh, Welford, West Haddon, Whittlebury, Wilbarston and Yelvertoft.

Large Villages:

Bugbrooke, Crick, Finedon, Geddington, Hardingstone, Hartwell.
Of these 35 villages, 12 are also contesting the ICT section of the competition which is judged separately from the other five categories.

Following on from the competition, one village will also have the chance of following in the footsteps of Harpole in 2004, or Bugbrooke in the ICT category, and gaining recognition at national level in the prestigious English Calor Village of the Year^® competition, which this year has a prize fund of over £36,000 and a top prize of £6,000.

The winning villages in the Northamptonshire Village of the Year competition will be announced at a presentation event to be held on Wednesday 27th July, to which representatives of the 35 entrants will be invited. Further information is available from Celia Rayner at Northamptonshire ACRE on 01604 765888 (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only).

Further press information from: Emma Flinn, Flent PR Ltd
tel: 0161 817 4200 email: emma.flinn@connectpoint.co.uk