Wiltshire Council is joining its contractor idverde to sponsor CPRE Wiltshire’s Best Kept Village competition for 2025. The Renelec Group, which provides specialised services to the construction industry and is sponsoring the 2025 Best Newcomer Award.

CPRE Wiltshire is part of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, a charity dedicated to preserving the countryside, protecting green spaces, and promoting sustainable living. The Wiltshire branch works across the county to advocate for rural communities and the environment. 

Entries will be judged on a wide range of criteria, including: 

• Litter collection and cleanliness 
• Presentation of village green spaces, churchyards, paths and streets 
• Rewilding and biodiversity conservation efforts 

The competition features separate categories for small (population of up to 300 people), medium (301 to 1,000 people) and large (1,001 – 3,500 people) villages, with winners of each category receiving a £200 cash prize. Runners-up receive smaller prizes. An overall Winner of Winners village prize will also be awarded, which celebrates the village that has excelled in all aspects of the competition over the past three years. 

Mike Manson from CPRE Wiltshire, said, “Villagers who take part in the BKVC find it to be a very rewarding experience, both during preparation and if they win.  The main presentation day, in September, always demonstrates their great pride and community spirit in having done well.  There is no cost to enter and submitting the entry pack (a simple form, a map and a short report) doesn’t take much time or effort.”

Application details, along with full guidelines on how to enter, are available on the CPRE Wiltshire website https://www.cprewiltshire.org.uk/category/awards/. The competition is open to all villages in Wiltshire, and entries will be accepted until the application deadline on April 17, 2025. Judging will take place initially from mid-May to mid-June, with a second round of judging in July. Winners are announced in August. 

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