CPRE announces this year's award winners

CPRE Hampshire is proud to announce the first four winners of its Countryside and Design award, launched this year. They are:

• Portway Junior School, in Andover, for their new school garden project in the Schools category
• Bordon Junior School in East Hampshire, for their new school garden project- in the Schools category
• Futurefarms Ltd of Martin in the New Forest, for their cooperative farm and food project - in the Voluntary/ Community category
• Ballard Water Meadows, in New Milton, for their conservation work - in the Voluntary/ Community category.

The awards were set up to reward people who are working to enhance Hampshire's environment and to highlight the importance of good environmental practice. There are three categories:

• Schools - encouraging the use of landscape as an opportunity for learning, a high level of pupil involvement amongst its criteria
• Voluntary/community - highlighting environmental conservation or restoration within the rural or urban environment and evidence of strong links to the local community amongst its criteria
• Public sector/ business - involving projects that show tangible progress towards tackling one or more of the core CPRE issues. (not awarded this year)

CPRE conceived these awards to highlight the amount of environmental work carried out by the local Hampshire community. Becky French from CPRE Hampshire said

"We feel that it is really important to promote and reward local projects that show good environmental practice. Hopefully this will encourage more projects that will enhance our Hampshire environment. CPRE has been impressed by the quality of the entries, which shows the efforts people are making to enhance our countryside. We look forward to receiving applications for the 2008/9 awards."

Details of this year's winners are:

Bordon Junior School, East Hampshire

With the help from the whole school community Bordon Junior School has transformed its gardens into a multi-sensory space, providing eco-friendly learning opportunities for both pupils and parents. With a variety of raised beds, children have been given the opportunity to grow a variety of different plants, including being involved in their own food crops from seed to harvesting and cooking.

Portway Junior School, Andover

Again, with the help of pupils, parents and volunteers the old school quadrangle was cleared and a new garden built. The children have been introduced to growing their own food, gardening organically and the concept of sustainability. They use gardening to support the teaching of science, maths, geography and citizenship. The space includes raised beds, a green house, wildlife pond, bog garden and a sheltered teaching area amongst other great environmental features.

Futurefarm Martin Ltd, Martin, New Forest

A group from Martin in Hampshire have formed a co-operative to try and produce much of their daily diet from the land within their own parish boundaries. Run primarily by volunteers the project uses local labour to employ the 'best practices' when growing vegetables with no pesticides and rearing pigs and chickens to a high free-range standard. As well as being able to order your food online, the village holds a Saturday market at the local hall and provides honesty barrows throughout the week. Their aim is to provide quality food of known origin for the village and surrounding area and also to promote the regeneration of the village.

Ballard Water Meadows, New Milton

A local group of people from New Milton established a 'friends group' to clear and maintain Ballard Water Meadows, an area that had been neglected for ten years. Their aim is to maintain the site for the benefit of the local wildlife and community. Recently the local Town Development office, has been working with students from the local Brockenhurst College to design and build a broad walkway to facilitate all weather and all ability access.

Inviting entries for 2009

CPRE Hampshire's Countryside and Design Awards scheme is to be run annually and is now open for the next round of entries, with a closing date of 21st March 2009. If you know of a project which you feel may be suitable for an award please visit: www.cprehampshire.org.uk/news/awards.html or contact 01962 843655 for further details.

- Ends -

CPRE/H/141

Notes to editors


The Campaign to Protect Rural England, Hampshire Branch (CPRE Hampshire) is a registered charity and a branch of the national CPRE charity.

CPRE Hampshire strives to promote the beauty, tranquility and diversity of the countryside of Hampshire by the sustainable use of land and other resources in town and country, and encouraging the biodiversity and well-being of rural communities.

For information on CPRE, please contact:
Becky French or Pam Mason, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01962 843655
Email:admin@cprehampshire.org.uk

For all media enquiries, please contact:
Keren Burney, media & communications officer, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01730 894123   Mobile: 07876 780065
Email: kburney000@aol.com




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