THE best kept villages in Wiltshire have been decided and Bratton has been crowned the Winner of Winners!
Bratton was entered into the Laurence Kitching Award, otherwise known as the ‘Winner of Winners’ competition, alongside five other villages that picked up awards in the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) best kept village competition over the past two years.
The winning six villages from 2021 and 2019 were not allowed to compete in the main competition, but were invited to enter the Laurence Kitching Award instead.
In their report on Bratton, the CPRE judges have said they “were immediately struck by how beautifully cared for the entire churchyard is”. In the heart of the village “everything was so neat and tidy which, given a busy road runs through it, was very commendable”. They added that their “overall impression was of a village with a tremendous amount going on, with a great team of people caring for it”.
Peter Brabner is the man who organises the big village clean up each month and he says that the strong community spirit in the village is the reason why they keep winning these awards.
He explained, “Our volunteers are very community focussed, and while we work as a team to keep the village tidy, we all have our own little routes and litter pick rituals that we undertake each week. It’s about having a sense of pride in the area where you live, and we definitely have that!
“We’re just one part of what goes on in the village for instance, I often see dog walkers picking up random bits of rubbish that isn’t theirs. There is a such an enormous community aspect to Bratton and long may it continue!
“I took over the task of coordinating the village clean up about six years ago and we have a group of about 15 people that meet once a month to make sure the place where we live remains idyllic and something that we can be proud of.”
The chairperson of Bratton Parish Council, cllr Keith Raymond, also often takes part in the litter pick around the village.
He said, “We as a council are so proud to represent this village thanks to the hard work of people such as Peter and the volunteers. They really help make the village a better place to live. A huge thank you to everyone that has helped Bratton win this award!”
The award (a shield, cash prize and a plaque) will be presented to Bratton during the presentation day on 25th September. This year, for the second time, the Winner of Winners will also receive a tree to be planted by Carli Paoli, the CPRE Wiltshire countryside ambassador.
