Vying against 60 contenders West Bergholt were anxious to find the outcome of the Annual Best Kept Village competition at a ceremony in Little Waltham on Wednesday 9th July. Winning the Class 2 competition (population 2500-5000) the village was clearly in contention and whilst not taking the main award was delighted to win a ‘podium place’ with 3rd overall to add to its class win.
Nick Shuttleworth, executive director of the Rural Community Council of Essex, said villages are fighting back in challenging times.
“Our judges were enormously impressed by the standard of entries this year and by the range of activities going on in these communities,” he said. “Behind the attractive façades there are a lot of pressures on our rural communities, such as the closure of rural post offices. There is so much in our villages which has to be done by volunteers and people of all ages appear to be getting involved. We are seeing that our rural communities are a very resilient and enterprising lot.”
Rural Community Council of Essex is a registered charity which promotes community projects throughout rural Essex and acts as a voice for rural people on key issues. Further information from Nick Shuttleworth on 0844 4773938 or e-mail; [email protected]