The Best Kept Village Competition began in Staffordshire in 1956, and has been running continuously since then. The competition was developed to encourage village residents to take pride in their communities, and was originally managed by the Rural Community Council. Sadly in 2017 the RCC took the decision to close, but wanted to ensure that the competition continued, and so approached the Community Foundation to transfer the management of it. Recognising the importance of ensuring that an event steeped in history continues, and recognising the value of an event to bring different communities together, the Community Foundation took over the administration of the competition from 2018.
In Shropshire the competition was managed by a different organisation, and ran until the 1990s, when it was abandoned. As the Community Foundation covers both Staffordshire and Shropshire we thought it was important to roll the competition out to Shropshire too.
Whilst we want to retain the history of the competition, we also recognise that times have changed and people’s attitudes have changed too. The competition is not about finding the most beautiful, old, or picturesque village any more, and the winners are more varied and diverse than you might think. We now accept entries from housing estates or wards within districts. The most successful communities are often those that achieve the greatest involvement and community spirit from their residents. We have also developed a number of ‘supplemental awards’ which recognise and reward different aspects of village/community life, so even if a village/community cannot enter the main village awards, they can still showcase their work and community spirit.
The primary method of entry has also changed, with the bulk of an entry now being able to be submitted online, from a computer, tablet or phone, rather than having to fill out a massive paper application form.
Partners for 2026 –
For both counties we are really excited to extend the awards this year to anyone under 25 who submits a short film
This category is for young filmmakers who want to shine a light on sustainable thinking and the place they call home.
Whether it’s climate action, community heroes, or small changes making a big difference, we want to see your ideas on screen.
Films entered in the 2026 BKVC awards are automatically entered into Earth Stories Film Festival, a multi-award winning, environmental film festival dedicated to amplifying young voices. 
