Efforts to celebrate and protect the Somerset countryside are taking centre stage as part of a new awards scheme.
CPRE Somerset is launching the Love Your Countryside Awards to celebrate the centenary of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) charity and to highlight the positive impact of rural projects.
The awards aim to celebrate 'good projects and innovative development' across the county's countryside.
Hugh Williams, chair of CPRE Somerset and one of the judges, said: "Our centenary is a huge event for our charity.
"We hope that our new Love Your Countryside Awards will shine a light on inspiring projects here in Somerset.
"We are looking for projects that are helping to protect what matters, to regenerate what’s been lost and to allow us to connect to the places that sustain us all.
"We are very excited to see what entries come in."
The scheme welcomes nominations and applications for projects that benefit Somerset’s rural environment.
Eligible entries could include community green spaces, housing developments, or countryside businesses.
Award winners will also have the opportunity to be entered into the national CPRE awards.
The awards will be judged by a panel, with the winners receiving a commemorative plaque and an invitation to a summer awards event in 2026.
The deadline for nominations is Thursday, April 30.
There are five award categories.
These are the housing solution award, the rooftop solar award, the blue or green spaces award, the countryside access award, and the countryside changemaker award.
More information on each of these categories can be found at cpresomerset.org.uk, where nominations can also be submitted.
Entries must meet criteria relating to improvement of the rural environment, either natural or built, and must demonstrate sustainable design, use and management.
Projects must be visible from public areas or offer a way for the public to experience them, such as through events or by arrangement.
Entries must be located within Somerset but not in the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset or North Somerset.
The CPRE's work has shaped and safeguarded the countryside through campaigns for national parks, hedgerow protection and dark sky conservation.
The centenary is not only a celebration of the charity’s legacy and achievements, but also a renewed call to action to support and protect rural places.
Share