Hampshire Countryside Awards

Hampshire Countryside Awards
Dee Haas CPRE Hants (L), Gemma Lacey of The Southern Co-operative with Brook Meadow team and Steve Brine MP

Teams from 19 shortlisted countryside projects gathered recently with more than 100 guests at the eighth annual CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) Hampshire Countryside Awards ceremony at Itchen Abbas Village Hall, Winchester.

The Earl of Malmesbury, President of CPRE Hampshire introduced the ceremony and Steve Brine, MP for Winchester presented each of the four category winners with an engraved plaque.

In the Community and Voluntary category, supported by The Southern Cooperative, the winner was the Brook Meadow Conservation Group, Emsworth.

Gemma Lacey, head of sustainability for The Southern Cooperative, explained what had impressed the judges most during their visit: “This award is in recognition of the group’s sustained work in energising their community, developing a working membership base and drawing in young people to support local conservation activity. Brook Meadow is very close to the town centre and is now a widely appreciated amenity giving people a respect and appreciation of ‘their’ countryside and offering a balance of conservation and recreation.”

The CPRE Hampshire Countryside Awards 2015 will be open for applications in the New Year. http://www.brook-meadow.hampshire.org.uk/ http://www.thesoutherncooperative. co.uk/Community_Support/community_supp ort.php http://www.cprehampshire.org.uk/awards/index.html

The CPRE charity’s office is based at St. Cross, Winchester. Its members strive to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of the Hampshire countryside by the sustainable use of land and other resources in town and country, and encouraging biodiversity and the well-being of rural communities. Find the charity on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.

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