IT’S nearly that time of year again when the pride of rural Dorset will be celebrated.

Villagers have been busy preparing for the annual showcase that is Dorset’s Best Village Competition.

The Dorset Echo-backed contest reaches a milestone in 2016 as it celebrates 30 years.

The awards evening, which has been organised by Dorset Community Action (DCA), for the past 29 years will be held on Tuesday, September 27 at Cerne Abbas Village Hall.

Magna Housing has been the major sponsor for the competition since 2010. Additional sponsorship comes from the Dorset branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Dorset County Council, the district councils, Dorset Echo, Dorset Magazine, Blackmore Vale Magazine and local food producers Clipper Tea, Thomas J Fudge’s biscuits, Honeybuns, Craig’s Dairies and Helen Furness Catering.

DCA’s Competition Organiser Rita Burden said: “We are coming to the climax of the year with our historic 30th annual awards evening just days away.”

She added: “We are appealing to anyone to donate a bottle of wine for the event just to make it a bit more special and any Best Kept Village memorabilia from as far back as the 1980s when Dorset Community Action first organised the competition. This could take the form of a winner’s certificate, village pictures or newspaper clippings.”

Cash prizes, certificates and trophies will go to large and small “best villages” and hamlets along with four other section winners – ‘The People’s Project’, ‘Environmental Champions’, ‘Best Village Shop’ and ‘Neighbourliness’.

Rita added: “This year we have been even more encouraged by the sense of community spirit engendered by the competition and the thrill everyone feels about reaching such an important milestone.”

Last year Burton Bradstock won best large village and Winterbourne Zelston picked up the award for best small village. The new Neighbourliness category was won by Okeford Fitzpaine.