Let us know what makes where you live so special

The 2011 EDP Pride in Norfolk Community Awards have been launched and we want you to nominate your community and highlight what makes it special. The long-running competition is backed by five organisations, including Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk Federation of Women’s Institutes.

Whether you live in a hamlet, village, town or even in a large community on the edge of Norwich, anyone can nominate their community for the five categories of the annual awards by writing in fewer than 400 words why it should win. Then either send in your nomination, enclosing the EDP Pride in Norfolk entry form on the page opposite, or email it, to the address at the end. Please enter by Sunday, July 31.

There are five categories for the community awards:

• Under 500 population
• Under 1,000 population
• Under 2,500 population
• Under 5,000 population
• More than 5,000 population

The winner of each category will receive a cheque for £500 and an engraved plaque.

The awards also include a competition sponsored by Norfolk's Best Rural Community Council which seeks to recognise communities with the most successful and vibrant village or church hall or sports pavilion. The judges of the Community Building competition are looking for a sense of broad involvement of all sectors. The use and community value of the resource will be judged, not the actual structure.

Nominations can be also be made for CPRE Norfolk’s John Hayden Shield, which recognises the contribution and value of green spaces in the wider field. And Norfolk Women’s Institutes are looking for nominations for the Forward to the Future Award, which highlights achievements and success of initiatives and efforts involving younger members of the community.

There is also an award for the EDP Clerk of the Year to be presented at County Hall. This is run by the Norfolk Association of Local Councils.

What the judges will be looking for

EDP editor Peter Waters considers what the judges will be looking for...

We all have a view of the idyllic community. It might be chocolate box-pretty, with a pond and a green on which white-flannelled cricketers are hitting willow against leather. There’ll be a pub, with low, beamed ceilings and bare wood settles, and a welcoming barman proferring foaming pints of local real ale from handled jugs. There’ll be a primary school full of smart, uniformed children, with stone cottages hosting English red roses around the door and windows But does a veneer like this really tell us much about the community itself – about its people, the way they live together, and how they have achieved a sense of togetherness? Of course not.

Vibrant community is about people helping each other; making a better environment for themselves and their children. It may be about being kempt, with litter-free streets and neat flower beds, because this illustrates the pride people have in the place they have grown up in or come to reside. It’s certainly about being progressive while holding on to traditional values; putting on activities and events for all ages and interests; volunteering; hosting thriving clubs and societies; it’s about local shops, and creating genuine distinctiveness and character. These are some of the things we’re looking for in our EDP Pride in Norfolk awards, in conjunction with Norfolk County Council. Tell us why your particular neck of the Norfolk woods is such a great place to live and what you’ve done to achieve your success in creating a real sense of community.

How to enter

Please email nominations for all competitions mentioned above to prideinnorfolk@norfolk.gov.uk or send them, enclosing the form above, to Sue Plaw, Pride in Norfolk Awards, Norfolk Association of Local Councils, The North Wing, County Hall, Martineau lane, Norwich NR1 2UF

Entries for all categories close on Sunday, July 31st 2011.

After the closing date, a shortlist will be compiled by the competition organisers for judging in July and August. The finalists will be announced and representatives invited to the 2011 awards ceremony on Wednesday, November 23 at County Hall