NORFOLK VILLAGE OF THE YEAR SCHEME

In 1957, CPRE Norfolk volunteer Jessie Moore proposed the idea for an inter-village competition run in co-operation with the County Education Department. It was Jessie's belief that people could be stirred to care more actively for their environment if public credit was given to villages and small towns where communal efforts had produced visible improvements. This idea blossomed into the Norfolk Best Kept Village Competition, launched successfully in the summer of 1966 and continued annually.

By the year 2000, the scheme had gained sponsorship from the Eastern Daily Press and became the EDP Norfolk Village of the Year competition. The new scheme was built on the best features of the Best Kept Village competition but was restructured under three new headings: Community, Environment and Amenities. Its purpose was to encourage a sense of community, enhance local life and surroundings, reward local schemes which address community needs/problems and encourage planning for the long term. CPRE Norfolk continued to be actively involved with the judging of the competition and awarded our own prize for the Norfolk Village Green of the Year.

We believe that the scheme is still a very valuable recognition of rural and community life and it gives us the chance to reward villages for their hard work in maintaining such beautiful parts of the Norfolk landscape. We will continue to support the scheme and promote its work.

If you would like more details about this year's Norfolk Village & Town of the Year competition then please contact us or the Eastern Daily Press 01603 628311