Best Village Competition 2014

2014

Best Village 2014: Comments of the Judges – posted 04 August 2014

Northamptonshire ACRE

The Hunsbury Hill Centre • Harksome Hill • Northampton • NN4 9QX

Phone: [phone number removed] • www.northantsacre.org.uk

Northamptonshire’s 2014 Best Village Competition Winners

Around 60 villagers and guests gathered this evening to hear the results of the 2014 Northamptonshire Best Village Competition. They were announced at the Presentation Evening Ceremony held on Tuesday 15^th July at the Hunsbury Hill Centre, Harksome Hill, Northampton. This Competition celebrates community spirit and the quality of life in the County’s villages.

The village of Helmdon in South Northamptonshire was the overall winner of the competition gaining the prestigious title of the 2014 Northamptonshire Best Village. The village of Stanwick in East Northamptonshire was the runner up. Annette and Paul Hollowell, representing the competition’s sponsor Hollowells Funeral Plans presented delegates from the winning villages with cups and certificates.

The full results were as follows:-

OVERALL WINNERS WINNER Helmdon

Runner Up Stanwick

Third Weedon Bec

SMALL VILLAGES Winner Lois Weedon and Weston

Runner Up Rothersthorpe

Highly Commended Great Cransley

MEDIUM VILLAGES Winner Helmdon

Runner Up Syresham

Highly Commended Flore

LARGE VILLAGES Winner Stanwick

Runner Up Weedon Bec

Highly Commended Mawsley

Newcomers Cup Winner Mawsley

The Best Village Competition is run entirely by local volunteers and is based at Northamptonshire ACRE. The Competition looks at all aspects of village life: community and social activities, local businesses, sustainability, the provision for the younger and more senior residents as well as tidiness and the welcome visitors receive. The Competition, now in the fifth year of its current format, was saved in 2010 by the generous sponsorship of Hollowells Funeral Plans.

The Judges commended Helmdon for being a very welcoming village whose residents were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all aspects of village life and their environment. The website was complimented on being comprehensive and up-to-date with significant evidence of community participation.

David Scudamore, Chair of the 2014 Best Village Competition, commented: “Our congratulations go to every village that entered the 2014 Competition. We are pleased that successful villages bring the community together to decide on what to show the judges and how to manage the important judges visit to the village. Yet again the judges had great difficulty in deciding on the winning villages reflecting the quality of Northamptonshire’s rural communities. We would like to thank every village for making the judge’s visits so informative and enjoyable.’’

The County Co-ordinator, Barron Walton was delighted with the 2014 Competition and added: “The village of Helmdon is a worthy winner of the Northamptonshire Best Village Competition. Helmdon has been a regular entrant to the Competition and is an excellent example of the County’s rural communities. It is pleasing to see winning villages from across Northamptonshire and we hope to see more communities entering this high profile Competition next year. We are still looking for new judges and I would be pleased to provide details to any prospective judge of what is involved. We would like to thank Hollowell’s Funeral Plans whose generous sponsorship ensures the continuation of this Northamptonshire Competition.’’