Essex Village of the Year Competition

The Parish Council has been reviewing the scope of the Essex Village of the Year competition and believes that Ridgewell could and should enter this competition. For our participation to be successful, it is important that villagers are supportive of our entry so that we can all take pride in the place where we live. Unless you wish to be specifically involved, all that is required of you is to continue to keep your house frontage tidy.

More details about the competition are given below. It is important that this initiative is "owned" by the village and not just the Parish Council. So, if you would like to be involved, please let a member of the Parish Council know. Ridgewell is already an attractive and well-maintained village. Let's work together to keep it that way and strive to improve it still further.

Background and Scope

The Essex Village of the Year and Best Kept Village competition has been run annually since 1955 with, on average, 100 villages taking part.

The competition provides a showcase for all that is good in our rural communities. The overall purpose is:

• To encourage village communities to work together to provide support and encouragement for all aspects of village life.
• The awards will be won by evidence of community involvement and initiative, not by aesthetic or architectural heritage.

The competition is divided into 5 Classes dependent on the population of the village. There is a winner in each class and an overall winner for Essex. The Essex Village of the Year winner then goes on to enter the Eastern Region competition and in turn that winner goes forward to the National finals against villages from all over England and Wales. Entries are submitted by the end of March, and judging can take place at any time up to the end of June, when the winners are announced.

Ridgewell would compete in Class IV – population 300-800 people. 

So does Ridgewell have what it takes?

• Is there a strong community spirit?
• Are there a variety of activities and events?
• Is there care for the environment?
• Does the village take pride in its achievements?

Whilst currently we may not score a perfect 10 for all of these questions it does offer a good target for which to aim.

The Village Facilities and General Appearance are judged according to twenty categories, based on an inspection of the village by the judges. Many of these areas are already in good order in Ridgewell or work is in hand to improve them.

On reviewing the list you will see that Ridgewell benefits from most of the categories. What we need to show is that they are valued by the village by ensuring that they are keep tidy and well maintained.

Notice boards. Playing Field. Children's Playground. Village Hall. Churchyard and Chapels. Parish Council Cemeteries. War Memorial. Village Greens and Commons. Village Shops. Public Houses. Village School. Telephone Kiosks. Bus Shelters. Seats and Benches. Public Conveniences. Gas/Petrol Station. Litter Control and Provision of Litter Bins. Streams and Ponds. Footpaths and Verges. Commercial/Business Premises.

The Community Profile section of the competition is judged on our responses to a questionnaire, which has five main categories covering:

1. Natural Environment. Here we are required to provide details of projects recently undertaken or planned to enhance the natural environment of our community, and who in the community has been (or we hope will be) involved. They also want to know about any conservation and recycling schemes.
2. Business and Employment. In this section we indicate the involvement of the community in the running of businesses in the village such as Post Office, Shop, Public House, School etc. Also details are required of any other employment opportunities.
3. Community Facilities. Here we list village facilities such as Church, School, Playground Village Hall etc. and details of how they are managed and maintained by the community. Information is also sought on the participation of the young and senior people, and young families in the various organisations.
4. Community Awareness. This section is about how we communicate within the village. Details are required on our Newsletter, Parish Plan, Surveys, Parish Map, Village Show etc. and any issues in our community.
5. Information Technology. Do we own or plan to have our own web site and have facilities that can be used by any of the residents?

Once the judging has been completed and the winners announced we would receive a copy of the judges' comments on our entry. This will give us a good insight into an outsider's view of our village and increase our awareness of those areas where we could do better to both maintain and improve the quality of life in the village of Ridgewell.