Shipton Gorge is business village of the year (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Shipton Gorge is business village of the year

10:18am Thursday 25th June 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

FAST talking and a business-like manner has earned Shipton Gorge a Village of the Year accolade.

The West Dorset hamlet is the regional winner in the business section of the Calor sponsored contest.

Flushed from two years of success in the Calor Gas Dorset best village competition Shipton was vying with 38 villages in the south to try and take the nationwide title.

So much goes on the village the had to talk quickly during the two-hour judging earlier in the year.

The judges met village society and business representatives in the New Inn, the pub taken over by residents in 2007 from Palmers brewery .

Village Society chairman John Kent said the pub was the most significant success story and the catalyst for the community spirit and many other projects, including the village orchard.

“Taking on the pub was very much a shared experience which led to friendships that still exist today. Everybody now knows what people’s skills are and they are tapped into quite often, so it is like a ball rolling and the momentum is still there.”

There are around 11 registered businesses and businessman Richard Hewlett told the judges all about them.

As the regional business winner, villagers will be presented with a commemorative certificate and £500 prize money later in the year, as part of the county awards presentations which are taking place on Thursday, September 24.

Calor Village of the Year manager Holly Sims said: “For a village to win a category award it really does have to excel within that area, so Shipton Gorge has done incredibly well and villagers should be extremely proud of their success.

“Feedback from our regional judging team for South England has indicated that standards were very high this year across the board, so all of our village champions are deserved winners.

“A big thank you to the communities for the hard work they’ve put into the competition to make it the success it is – we hope that Shipton Gorge’s success will encourage even more villages in Dorset to get involved next year.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)