Article created : 21/07/2009
A village in north Essex where over 300 people still work for local businesses and which is planning an ambitious new pavilion project to support young people is celebrating after claiming the top prize in this year’s
Calor Essex Village of the Year and Best Kept Village Competition.
Great Bardfield in Braintree district, beat off strong competition notably from Bicknacre and Helions Bumpstead , placed second and third respectively, to clinch the prestigious Essex Village of the Year award. In addition to receiving a prize of £500, they will also have the honour of representing Essex in the next Calor Village of the Year for England competition.
Great Bardfield is strongly committed to providing local employment opportunities and campaigned successfully to get broadband installed ahead of schedule. The ambitious plans for a new pavilion at the recreation ground will particularly benefit its thriving Youth Club and Junior Football Club, and will be designed to be environmentally friendly. The Parish Council also firmly believes in consulting and involving the wider community and manages a Community Information Point in the centre of the village.
The competition, organised annually by Rural Community Council of Essex and sponsored by off-mains gas supplier Calor, also honours a raft of Best Kept Village winners. The 5 individual class winners were Great Wakering, Wickham Bishops, Great Bentley, Helions Bumpstead and Messing. All prize winners received their awards at RCCE’s Annual General Meeting on 9th July; presented by Dave Haddon representing Calor.
RCCE Director, Nick Shuttleworth, paid tribute to Great Bardfield, which has a population of just over 1,000:
“Our competition is all about rewarding vibrant, enterprising and caring villages, a description that sums up Great Bardfield perfectly. In the current economic climate, it was particularly encouraging to see that local businesses are still at the heart of village life. Our judges were also delighted to see the Parish Council pro-actively encouraging people of all ages to get involved in the community.”
He went on: “ Bicknacre and Helions Bumpstead also deserve praise for some exciting initiatives. At Bicknacre, the local community manage Priory Fields, 27 acres of open space supporting a variety of wildlife habitats right in the centre of the village. Whilst at Helions Bumpstead, the village hall committee organises its own farmers market every month to help fund the refurbishment of the building.”
Nick Shuttleworth paid tribute to all this year’s winning villages:
“This competition demonstrates all that is good about rural life in Essex. Our judges were enormously impressed by the enterprise, commitment and sheer hard work of the dedicated volunteers who do so much for our rural communities.”
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 VILLAGE OF THE YEAR RESULTS 2009.DOC
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