Audlem 'forgets' Best Village Awards

Audlem has 'forgotten' to apply for prestigious village community awards this year.

The Parish Council was told that Cheshire Community Action was surprised at the lack of interest from Audlem for any of this year's village competitions.

Councillor Richard Furber told a meeting of Audlem Parish Council he had been rung by a member of Cheshire Community Action to ask what had happened to Audlem.

"They were concerned that Audlem has not put in for any competitions this year", he said. "They always get entries from us but have heard nothing."

Councillors were told there was still time to get in late submissions and resolved to enter for the Best Kept Village, Best Village Newsletter and Best Community Website categories. (We are advised that it has subsequently been found that the Best Village Newsletter award is not being held in 2013.)

In 2010 Audlem scooped the Best Kept Village award for the fifth year in a row, was winner of the Cheshire Community Spirit award and the independently- run AudlemOnline website also took first place. But since then Audlem has slipped down the community award rankings.

Although it has since won medals in the Best Large Village Category of the North West of England in Britain in Bloom and the village newsletter has picked up a Highly Commended award, Audlem has failed to take any top titles.

This is in contrast to neighbouring Hankelow which was surprise winner of the Community Spirit Award for 2012 in the Community Pride Competition, organised by Cheshire Community Action. The award was for the most active community with a population under 5,000.

Last year was the first time in many years that Audlem failed to lift any of the major awards, although it did win a "Little Gem Award" for the churchyard which was accepted on Audlem's behalf by Chairman of the Parish Council, Kate Down, at a prize ceremony in Middlewich Civic Hall.

Cheshire Community Action is a registered charity and holds a clutch of competitions designed to stimulate rural communities including awards for Best Community Spirit, Best Kept Village, Community Safety, Working With or By Young People, Community Initiatives, Community Champion and Best Website.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.