CPRE Norfolk Awards are in the news

Looking after the countryside, improving life for Norfolk communities and helping deal with climate change are all things where we need action. And every other year since 1979 CPRE Norfolk, the Countryside Charity, has given awards and commendations to projects that meet these goals.

You can help by nominating schemes, whether or not you are directly involved. There are a range of categories, and we are looking for projects carried out by young people alongside private, charity, public and commercial initiatives.

Size does not matter, especially where ideas can be replicated throughout the county. In the past we have recognised affordable local housing schemes, nature conservation, countryside access and rural job creation projects.

This year our categories includes Rural Living, Countryside Champions, Digging Deep (Putting Something Back) and a category for celebrating Good Lighting Design. We are delighted to announce that we have the very generous support of sponsor Brunswick Investment Management.

Rural Living awards can cover schemes that bring communities together to recycle and reuse, help prevent deprivation, house local people and save energy. In past years we have recognised the Reepham Low Carbon Energy Project, affordable housing to rent in Wells, the Colby Primary school Eco Hub, and the Felbeck Trust Outdoor Classroom amongst many others.

Countryside Champions is all about access to the countryside (and can include projects that originate in urban areas), improving habitats, planting hedgerows and trees, protecting landscapes, creating access and rewilding land. Our past nominations have gone to projects to conserve wildlife, such as the Norfolk Ponds project, create new footpaths and allow access to new areas of countryside, such as at Beachamwell and the Hawk and Owl Trust, and volunteer schemes that look after the countryside like the one in North Walsham.

Digging Deep / Putting Something Back is particularly for business and council schemes, that enhance Norfolk’s countryside and make local rural communities better places to live. These may include those that support young people and families, create housing for local people that protects against climate change and is low cost to run, creating eco jobs in rural areas, as well as those for regeneration and conservation. Rural job creation schemes at Holkham and eco housing developments in Fulmodeston and Norwich have featured in our awards.

Finally, one of the very important attractions of Norfolk is its fantastic open skies, spectacular on a clear night providing they are protected from light pollution, which we measure every year in our ‘Star Count’ survey. In this category we will give award certificates to sensitive lighting schemes that help preserve this important asset.

So please tell us about any scheme that is important to you, either with enough information so we can track it down or with your contact information if you are directly involved. To do this you can email us on info@cprenorfolk.org.uk or telephone us and leave a message at 01603 761660.

For more details, and to apply, you can visit the Awards page of our website. We need nominations by the 28th of May for the awards ceremony in September, and look forward to celebrating your countryside projects.

This article appeared in the April 2021 edition of the Norfolk Magazine.