Hertfordshire Village of the Year 2009

The CPRE Hertfordshire Village of the Year competition sponsored by Calor in association with Herts County Council, North Herts District Council and Herts Mercury) celebrates and encourages village life. Following 2008’s fantastic success, Woolmer Green entered the competition again this year.

The competition consists of four categories: Environment, Business, People and Communications. Each carries a plaque and a cash prize. To win the coveted Village of the Year East (as we did last year) you need to enter all four categories and perform well generally - AND WE WON IT AGAIN THIS YEAR!

Apart from the prizes, this process adds value to the community as it pulls the village together, shares info on what goes on here, and identifies what we do well and where we can do better.

The entry involved months of gathering information and consulting with expert individuals and groups across an array of areas and then pulling together a thick document to demonstrate to the judges a well-balanced, pro-active, caring community. It highlights the quality of life we experience in our village. After submission of our entry in April, three judges visited the village for an afternoon in early June when they were given a presentation, an overview from successful award-winning residents Stuart Blackman and Gary Fenton, an insight into youth issues, and a tour of the school, the proposed allotment site and business services. This was followed by lovely refreshments with a Q&A session. They genuinely seemed impressed!

A huge thank you needs to go to all the individuals, clubs, businesses, organisations, parish councillors and residents who helped with the entry – it really does show what a varied, dynamic and wonderful village we truly are.

Many thanks to Paula Deane and Catriona Byres for their fantastic effort in pulling our entry together and, assisted by Andy Gribble, taking the judges around when they visited —JW

Hertfordshire Village of the Year 2008

Woolmer Green had a banner year in the Calor Gas Village of the Year 2008 competition for Hertfordshire, organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

For a number of years this has replaced the old Best Kept Village competition. Whilst we entered this on a number of occasions we stood no chance of winning since we couldn’t compete with the many pretty villages in Hertfordshire.

This is what the judges said about Woolmer Green:

"This is probably the first time that a village has achieved equal highest marks in every category of the competition. To mention just a few of the new initiatives carried out by individual villagers and presented to the judges during their visit:

• The monthly Farmers’ Market organiser also uses his culinary skills to encourage residents to savour the delights of ‘wild food’.
• The Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator has developed the Online Watch Link (OWL) Neighbourhood Watch software currently in use within the county and elsewhere. It has been demonstrated at the House of Commons and received a Hertfordshire Business Award.
• Young James Mansell’s current film ‘Heroes’ concerning school bullying makes an exciting bridge between young people and the Parish Council.
• Two very confident and articulate pupils took us on a guided tour of St Michaels Primary School, which buzzes with a range of activities and that was judged to be outstanding at the latest OFSTED inspection.
• A new footpath map has been produced and one of the older inhabitants is currently undertaking a photographic survey."

Individual Success

We are also proud that the judges recognised two young people from our village. James Mansell has won the Dorothy Abel Smith Award for Young People, and Anna Brockman from St Michael's School has won the years 1 and 2 category in the Children's Poster Competition.

This is what the judges said about James:

DOROTHY ABEL SMITH AWARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

This award, now in its fourth year, is given to a young person up to the age of 18 who has made an outstanding contribution to village life. This year the award goes to a lad who speaks at Parish Council Meetings and organized races at the recent Village Day. He made a film on the theme of anti-social behaviour involving other children: this impressed the neighbourhood police officers who have asked him to make two short films on the theme of drugs and alcohol, for which they offer funding.

Winner: James Mansell of Woolmer Green