NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading rural insurer, has announced the return of its annual Country Crime Fighters Awards 2014.

With a cash fund of up to £6,500 available, the Awards will help to recognise and celebrate unsung rural heroes by providing them with financial and practical support to help fund anti-crime initiatives.

All people have to do is visit www.nfumutual.co.uk/crimefighters and tell the insurer in 300 words or less why they or their community group deserve to win an award and how they have helped to reduce crime in their local area.

The rural insurer has introduced new categories to attract an even more widespread audience of people who dedicate their time to reducing rural crime in their local communities. The categories for 2014 are: • Social Media Crime Prevention • Equestrian Crime Prevention • Farm Crime Prevention • Local Community Crime Prevention • Wildlife Crime Prevention • Rural Business Crime Prevention • Crime Prevention through Technology The Country Crime Fighters Awards 2014 will engage with people from all over the country, as people nominate themselves or their community group for an award. Following successful nomination, regional winners will compete for a place in the final and be invited to attend the awards ceremony in London with the chance to be crowned national winner. The winner will also receive a trophy and a cheque for £1,500. Regional winners will receive a trophy and £500.

Nominations can be submitted online at the Country Crime Fighters webpage; entries close on the 11th August 2014. To enter online or to download a rural crime toolkit visit: www.nfumutual.co.uk/farming/initiatives/country-crime-fighters. This section of the website will contain a handy guide on how people can go about setting up a crime reduction watch team in their community.

The 2014 winners will be selected by a new expert panel of judges featuring: Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police, Simon Prince leading on wildlife and rural crime; Chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, Claire Worden; Rural Services Network Officer, Nick Payne; features writer for the Daily Telegraph, Joe Shute; and NFU Mutual Chairman, Richard Percy.

Richard Percy, Chairman of NFU Mutual, said: “As part of the fabric of country life, we have a responsibility to offer continued support to rural communities in their ongoing fight against crime. I am thrilled to be involved in the judging panel of this competition again this year and cannot wait to start uncovering more of the UK’s unsung rural heroes.”