VILLAGES in Warwickshire will be trimming their hedges and cleaning up their footpaths again this year as they attempt to win two major competitions.

The Warwickshire Best Kept Village and Village of the Year competitions offers residents the opportunity to prove why they deserve to be recognised as one the county's best areas with the launch of the 2006 competitions.

Entry forms are now available for the competitions, which are organised by Warwickshire Rural Community Council (WRCC) and sponsored by Calor, a gas company.

The Warwickshire Best Kept Village competition separates communities into small and large categories focusing on the community spirit highlighted through village's well-kept environment and celebrates communities pulling together.

Villages enter on a district level to begin with and villages from each district are selected to go forward to the county round in order to find an overall winner for each category. This competition also incorporates the Best Kept Churchyard event.

Last year Salford Priors won the special award for the overall winner of the Business category from Calor in association with Business in the Community.

The competition judges communities on six aspects of village life with categories which irrespective of size have made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of like for all residents. The competition judges communities on older people, environment and information communication technology.

All villages with a population of 5,000 and under are eligible to enter and community organisation can enter on behalf of a village.

There is £500 prize money available specifically for the Building Community Life category which has been made available thanks to continued competition support from Defra (Department for environment, food and rural affairs) for this category at both county and national level.

For more information and entry forms contact 02476 303232.