Search begins for Gloucestershire's top village!

The search begins for the county's top village as GRCC launches its Gloucestershire Village of the Year Competition 2025.  This is an opportunity for communities to show that they are balanced, proactive, caring, and irrespective of size, making the best of local opportunities to sustain or enhance the quality of life for all their residents.  The competition is open to villages with a parish council or parish meeting with a total population of under 5,000.  Entry forms are available to download now via the box to the right, and the deadline for entries is Wednesday, 30 April 2025.

Villages will be judged on five categories:

  • Community Led Health and Wellbeing
  • Climate & Environment
  • Inclusive Community
  • Digital & Innovation
  • High Sheriff's Volunteer of the Year Award

After the judges' visits have taken place in May / June, representatives from the shortlisted communities will be invited to the awards ceremony on 17 July 2025 at the prestigious Highnam Court, where the achievements of those who have taken part will be celebrated and the winners announced. 

A cheque for £2,000 together with a framed commemorative certificate and plaque will be awarded to the overall winner as well as to each of the individual category winners.  Category runners up will each received £1,000, a framed certificate and plaque.  This year's competition features a special award from the High Sheriff for Volunteer of the Year.  All entries will be automatically entered into the Grand Prize Draw with the chance to win prizes worth over £500 donated by B&Q in Gloucester.

GRCC is proud to be partnering with One Gloucestershire, Barnwood Trust, Renishaw, Cotswold District Council, Stroud District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, and Freeman Homes who are key sponsors for Gloucestershire Village of the Year 2025, with kind support from the local media and Cotswold Life.

Barbara Piranty, GRCC's CEO, said, "We are excited to be running the competition again for 2025, and hope that our communities take this opportunity to showcase all the good things they are doing.  We have experienced turbulent times in the past five years and we hope this will be a celebration of how villages have come together to support each other and thrive."

Dymock, a previous Village of the Year winner pictured above, shared why they got involved.  Pictured left to right outside the village's Beauchamp Arms Community Pub and Shop are Barbara Piranty (GRCC CEO), Charles Coats (GRCC Chair of Trustees), Debbie Downham, Jeremy Downham, Cllr. Gill Kilmurray, and Parish Clerk Rachel Freestone.

Councillor Gill Kilmurray, Vice Chair of the Parish Council, said, "It's a great way for newer people to get involved in the village."

Parish Clerk Rachel Freestone added, "It's a great opportunity for all the volunteers and organisations to come together and show what a great village it is." 

Debbie Downham, one of the villagers involved in Dymock's entry, said, "The benefit of entering is that it give the village a reason to pull together, and if you win, you've got that sense of achievement and recognition.  It really capped off everything we'd achieved - we'd brought all these groups into one and it felt like a great accolade to everyone for all the work they put in.  I think there's a great community spirit here."

The GRCC team are on hand to advise on the completion of entry forms, and can be contacted via the website or by calling 01452 528491.