Feedback on Audlem from the 'Best of the Best' judges

With the announcement of the winning village in Calor's 'Best of the Best' award now made, Calor have sent the judges' feedback from their visit earlier this year to the various competing villages.

Of Audlem, they said: "What a thriving community! You have obviously kept up the momentum since our visit last year. Good luck with driving your Parish Plan forward. Through the work of ADAS and ASET, the village continues to be able to organise large events which bring in many visitors and money to the village. This is an amazing achievement for which everyone concerned should be very proud. We commend the fact that the events help support businesses in the village and raise money for small organisations as well as national charities. Well done to your Parish Council for achieving Quality Parish status – keep up the good work."

"The Traders' Association, created to help village businesses support themselves, will no doubt prove a great success. Congratulations on persuading a national leisure group (Enterprise Inns) to improve a pub in the village – we are sure it will prove a great asset. We are sure that the local awareness of the value of developing tourism will result in further initiatives."

"Your main youth event of the year, the Fun-ky weekend, involving crafts and sports events as well as music, sounds too good to miss. We wish we were young enough to take part! We have every confidence your aim to improve sporting facilities (including young people) by 2012 will be achieved."

The judges commented positively on the involvement of older people in the village and environmental initiatives including the plans for completion of a Village Design Statement and Landscape Character Assessment. They also commented on the Tourist Information Centre which, they said, must be a great boon to tourism. They were interested to hear about Audlem's effort to be included in the Weaver Valley Regional Park (which has since been achieved).

"Your daily updated website is certainly a considerable undertaking," they commented. "The fact that the site is used regularly by the local press can only improve Audlem's image for the good."

Audlem received a 'Highly Commended' certificate at the awards ceremony last Tuesday. The winning national village, which received £21,000, was St Neot in Cornwall.

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