Regional Winners

Tedburn St. Mary - Regional Winner 2001

Situated in the heart of rural Devon, Tedburn St Mary is a community that finds success in its togetherness. All aspects of village life, such as business, environment or recreational issues, overlap to create a strong community unit that supports and unites residents of all ages.

One example of this is Tedburn’s recycling centre in the Village Hall. Profits from the centre are ploughed straight back into facilities for the village. All of the village’s 40 businesses play an active role in community. This was particularly evident through the donation of goods or services for the village’s Millennium celebrations. One project in particular, the restoration of an old cider press, saw local businesses, builders and craftsmen come together to produce a lasting symbol of the village’s cider heritage.

A wide variety of clubs and activities are available for residents of Tedburn St. Mary, regardless of age. In keeping with the village’s ethos of togetherness many of the clubs such as the Tedburn & District Riding Club are open to all age groups, encouraging a broad mix of interests and opinions. Specific needs are also catered for, the Tremletts Sheltered Housing Scheme, for example, providing elderly residents with the security of having an on-call warden. It is, however, Tedburn’s remarkable sense of togetherness that led to it winning the Calor Gas Village of the Year.

Tedburn St Mary was the overall winner of the Calor Gas Village of the Year competition as well as winning the Community Life and regional categories of the competition for South West and Western England.

Judges' Comment

The quote from the Western Morning News (10th Sept 2001) cannot be bettered: “This is a community that works together, plays together and stands together.”