Hunt is on to find Staffordshire's top villages
Residents are being urged to start sprucing up their neighbourhoods ready for the re-launch of a long-running best-kept village competition.
Staffordshire's Best Kept Village Community Competition is back for 2022 with a new focus on the community aspect of village life.
Two years ago the competition was cancelled for the first time since its launch in 1956 due to the coronavirus lockdown. Last year it was held "virtually" for the first time.
This year's event, managed by The Community Foundation for Staffordshire and sponsored by Richard Winterton Auctioneers, will focus on the community aspect of village life.
Communities will be able to gain additional points by sharing their stories of friendship, inclusivity, cohesion and, of course, community spirit.
There will be poster and poetry competitions for children aged 5-11, and a photography contest for youngsters aged 11-17.
To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, there will be an additional competition encouraging villagers to use paintings, sketches and photographs to show off their community.
Jo Cooper, from the Community Foundation for Staffordshire, said she was excited the competition was back after the coronavirus pandemic.
She added that any group of residents was free to put forward an entry for the competition, and it did not need to be left to parish councils.
"The judges are dedicated volunteers who spend hours touring the villages and for them it’s not about finding the most beautiful, picturesque village," she said.
"The winners are varied and diverse and the most successful communities are often those that achieve the greatest involvement and community spirit from their residents."
Richard Winterton, county sponsor of the competition, said: “After 2020’s cancellation and last year’s virtual event, I know the judges are looking forward to visiting the villages, and entrants are bursting to showcase celebrate their communities, and we are thrilled to be involved as sponsors of this special competition.”
Teams of judges will visit each village in the first round of judging in May and again in June.
The large and small villages with the highest marks will go forward to the area finals, to be judged in July.
The best large and best small village in each area will then go forward to the county final, which will be judged in late July.
Last time the competition was held, in 2019, Gnosall was voted the best large village, and Tittensor the best small village.
For more information and online entry forms, visit bestkept.community
