Audlem invited to compete in 'Best of the Best' competition (updated with more details)

(The website link that was here no longer works) Calor, the sponsors of the 'Village of the Year' competition, is holding a special 10th anniversary of the competition award this year and has invited Audlem to enter. Having won three county, two North of England and one national award in last year's competition, the village has jumped at the opportunity. All national and regional winners over the past 10 years have been invited to enter and 41 villages from England, Scotland and Wales are competing for the 'Best of the Best' title.

A small team made up of members of the Parish Council, ADAS, ASET, the Youth Club, Public Hall and the Parish Plan has already started work on the written entry which has to be in by 17th March. As last year, we will be competing against villages from Cheshire, Cumbria, Durham, Humber & Wolds, Lancashire, Northumberland, Tees Valley and Yorkshire, a huge area. The other North of England villages competing are Coniston (Cumbria), Old Hutton & Homescales (Cumbria), East Keswick (Yorkshire), Glaisdale (Yorkshire) and Shelley (Yorkshire).

Audlem will initially provide competition judges with a written entry covering six categories in all: Community Life, Business, Younger People, Older People, the Environment and ICT (Information Communication Technology). Communities will then have an opportunity to make a presentation to judges, who will visit the community during April and May, in order to expand on their written entry.

Richard Furber, chairman of Audlem Parish Council, commented: "We are delighted to be participating in this special competition being run by Calor. It's great to have the opportunity to once again prove why our community stands out from other villages, and we are sure we can impress the judges with our enthusiasm and community spirit. It would certainly be a great honour to win the contest and be crowned the 'Best of the Best'."

There is a substantial cash prize on offer for the village crowned the overall champion, and the results of the competition will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place in London on September 19th. Suzanne Weir, Calor Village of the Year® manager, commented: "Calor is running this special competition, not only to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the competition, but also to give past winners a chance to shine the spotlight on themselves once again. Feedback from villages over the years confirms how those entering the Calor Village of the Year® competition are amazed at the richness of community life that is revealed as they go forward, and I hope that the villages participating in the 10th anniversary competition will benefit from entering as much this time round as they did when they first took part."

A full list of participating villages is as follows:-

North England: Coniston, Cumbria; Old Hutton & Homescales, Cumbria; East Keswick, Yorkshire; Glaisdale, Yorkshire; Shelley, Yorkshire; and Audlem, Cheshire.

South England: Egerton, Kent; Otford, Kent; Ashington, West Sussex; Sherfield on Loddon, Hampshire; and Chale, Isle of Wight.

East England: Great Bentley, Essex; Holywell cum Needingworth, Cambridgeshire; Sutton, Cambridgeshire; Oakley, Bedfordshire; and Loddon, Norfolk.

West England: Weobley, Herefordshire; Edington, Wiltshire; Mere, Wiltshire; St Tudy, Cornwall; St Neot, Cornwall; and Cradley, Herefordshire.

Central England: Lubenham, Leicestershire; Jacksdale & Westwood, Nottinghamshire; Harpole, Northamptonshire; and Ashover, Derbyshire.

Scotland: Arran, North Ayrshire; Assynt, Sutherland; Sandwick, Shetland; Langholm, Dumfries & Galloway; Cockenzie & Port Seton; Whitehills, Banffshire; and Isle of Whithorn, Dumfires & Galloway.

Wales: Llanbadarn Fynydd, Powys; Gorslas, Carmarthenshire; Cwmamman, Carmarthenshire; Llandrinio, Powys; Bettws yn Rhos, Conwy; Llangernyw, Conwy; Clawddnewydd, Denbighshire.

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