A magazine dedicated to reporting news in five villages is celebrating an awards success.

Village Voice, the community magazine for Belton, Browston, Burgh Castle, Fritton and St Olaves has achieved fourth place overall in a national competition for Parish Magazines.

The competition is organised by Parish Mag Printers Ltd, a specialist magazine publishing company and this is the fourth time that Village Voice has entered, its previous best was 17th in 2013.

This year the publication were up against over 410 similar magazines in the A4 size category and also came out as overall winners in the best print category.

Village Voice, which started as a four-page mono publication in April 2000 has gone from strength to strength and is now a 32 page publication in full colour.

It was started by the late Malcolm Scott, who as the chairman of Belton with Browston Parish Council became its first editor.

After about seven years a group separated publication from the council into a fully independent group but Mr Scott continued as editor until illness forced him to give up in 2011 when Brian Swan took over for four and a half years. In the spring of last year, Dr Regi Alexander was appointed as new editor.

He has expanded and improved the magazine with various features including a book page and medical feature each month as well as giving the board the opportunity to take over full design and lay out of the publication meaning that the only commercial involvement now is with printers, Blackwell Print of Great Yarmouth.

Further causes for celebration in the last few weeks are that the October 2017 edition was number 200, and on Saturday it awarded grants worth £3,500 to clubs and groups in the five villages.

The management board is made up of chairman Ernie Tuxford, editor Dr Alexander, Brian Swan as administrator, Bill Richmond and Martin Roche.

The management board say they also have a loyal team of deliverers and without their help and the support of contributors and advertisers publication would not be possible.

To contact Village Voice call 01493 780776 or e-mail beltonvvadds@gmail.com To view a copy of the magazine visit http://beltonand browston.com/?page_id=47