|
Community Shop |
|
The Best Kept Village competition
Calor 'Essex Village of the Year, 2008'
|
|
The competition is run by The Rural Community Council of Essex and is open to all the villages in Essex. The title of the competition is slightly misleading as most of the marks are awarded for the facilities which the village provide and for "Community Spirit". As a result it says much more about the village than if everything looked tidy on the day that the judges came round. Langham won the award for villages of our size in 1999 and 2004, were runners up in 2005 and we hope for more success in the future!
In 2008 Langham got a 'Merit' award, for a village that scored points just outside the prizewinning entries.
Calor 'Essex Village of the Year, 2008'
This competition has a greater emphasis on the village's sense of community, rather than the just the physical condition of the entry. Langham won in 2008 because of some notable strengths; the Community Shop and its 60+ band of volunteers, the n Garden of the WI, the facilities of the rest of the playing fields and, the inclusion provided by the many activities at the Community Centre. The visiting panel walked from their briefing by the Langham group and could immediately see all of the activities that had just been described to them! Communications were judged, and the value of the parish newsletter, parish notice boards (kept up to date!) and this website also contributed to the victory.
The prize for winning this competition was £500, a plaque, and a place in the national finals of the competition; Langham will represent Essex in those finals.
The emphasis of the competition change over the years, and there is now an increasingly 'green' element involved, as part of the whole 'sustainable communities' initiatives. Langham aims to be sustainable, by promoting local services and by maintaining a healthy and pleasant rural environment. To this end, a programme of achievable improvements will be drawn up to lead our quest in the national competition!
|
