Shropshire's Best Kept Village & Community competition application extended
Shropshire’s Best Kept Village & Community, managed by the Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire, has extended its closing date for entries to Wednesday, 14 May. It follows an influx of late entries and requests from several villages. The number of entries has already surpassed last year’s total.
This historic competition originally ran until the 1990s when it was abandoned, but recognising the importance of the event in fostering community spirit the Community Foundation decided to relaunch the competition in 2024.
Joseph Smith, Head of Business Development at the Community Foundation said ‘As Shropshire’s official and only accredited Community Foundation we want to honour the history of the competition, but we know times and attitudes have changed. It is no longer about finding the most beautiful or picturesque village. We want to celebrate the diversity and community spirit of an area, including housing estates and urban neighbourhoods. The most successful communities are likely to be those that demonstrate the greatest involvement and community spirit among their residents.’
Awards will be granted in four categories.
Best Village (North): For villages in the former local authority areas of Oswestry or North Shropshire
Best Village (Central): For areas in the former local authority areas of Shrewsbury or Telford
Best Village (South): For villages in the former local authority areas of Bridgnorth or South Shropshire
Shropshire’s Best Kept Village & Community – Overall Winner: Awarded to the county’s overall winner
In each category, the winner will be awarded a trophy, certificate and a cash prize of £500. A prize will also be awarded to recognise outstanding entries, where an entry might not have won the category but have submitted an exceptional entry.
30% of the points are awarded for demonstrating inclusivity, year-round events, clubs, and community cohesion. The remaining 70% comes from general community spirit and appearance of the village.
Suzy Cole, Administrator of the competition said ‘As the competition grows we want to introduce more award categories recognising community spirit and arts-based projects, further celebrating the vibrant communities across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.This initiative is an exceptional way to engage with local communities at a grassroots level, and help to make a difference to people’s lives.’
This year’s competition is sponsored by Homes Plus, David Wilson Homes, and Tamlite.
For more information and to submit your entry visit bkvc.org.uk or call the Community Foundation team at their new office in Shrewsbury on 01743 295900.
