Hampshire and IOW Village of the Year 2023 - The Results!

Hampshire Association of Local Councils is pleased to announce the 2023 winner of the Hampshire and IOW Village of the Year is:       

                      SHERFIELD ON LODDON

Sherfield on Loddon is near Basingstoke, in North Hampshire. It encompasses the rural hamlets of Church End and Wildmoor.

The village boasts a good range of facilities for local people including a very well stocked Village Shop and butchers, a golf course, a Hairdressers, a Garage, The Village Hall and the Coffee Shop as well as two pubs. At the heart of the village there is an impressive open space in the form of thirty-six acres of Village Green. The green includes a number of ponds, a play area, a Cricket Green with a pavilion, football pitches and tennis courts, which are free to all villagers. There was also a number of incredibly well kept allotments a short walk from the green.  The allotments in the village are free to villagers and are run by an Allotment Association who are all volunteers. As well as giving their time to manage the allotments the association gives time freely to mow the grass boarders, run open days and also host competitions all to ensure the Allotments and the Allotment Community thrive.

There is another dedicated group of volunteers helping to manage the Village Green. Whilst there are contractors who mow the grass much of the rest of the maintenance work is carried out by the Village Green Volunteers. These volunteers, amongst other things plant flowers at the war memorial, strim grass, weed the Tennis Courts and maintain the guttering on the Cricket pavilion. The group also runs a number of charity events on the Green such as pop-up cafes in the summer, a Reindeer Trail in the winter for the Children, as well as for key events like the Kings Coronation and the Jubilee.  The green provides a number of activities for the village, with a Cricket Club, and also a group called Loddon Sports which caters for all ages of junior football.

The village Hall is run by a group of volunteer trustees and contributes greatly to life in the village.  Once a month they host a bustling village market which sells a wide variety of products from independent traders. The hall is also home to other events such as short mat bowls, the lunch club, Bramley and Romans Floral Society as well as summer classes. There does seem to be a group for all parts of the community run from the hall. 

The judges felt that Sherfield on Loddon had something for everyone and is home to numerous voluntary groups. This provides a real sense of community and helps to make Sherfield on Loddon a really pleasant place to live.  It’s for this reason we have decided to award them the overall title of Village of the Year.

Congratulations Sherfield on Loddon

Runners up: South Wonston.

Best Small Village

In this village the judges were hugely impressed by the range of activities and initiatives that are operating within a very small village. This is facilitated through a combination of the Parish Council and a range of volunteer groups.  Some of the events to highlight include the Country Fair, where any surplus raised is used to provide grants for a variety of community projects across all age groups. A Scarecrow Festival was held in September, which ended with a community picnic at the Recreation Ground and the funds raised were used to host a Christmas Party in the Village Hall for local children, a much-needed way of encouraging children to socialise in the wake of the impact of Covid.  A ‘Street Party’ was held in May to mark the occasion of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles. This was organised by volunteers and attended by approximately 250 residents. Finally Christmas Market is held annually in the Village Hall, showcasing locally produced crafts.  This has proved so successful that an inaugural Maker’s Market is scheduled in July with an impressive number of local producers.

There are a wide range of groups and societies within the village, providing activities for all age groups.  These include, amongst other, Scout and Guide Groups, a local history group, a local British Legion branch that predates the founding of the wider RBL an active cricket club and a Garden Club too.  There is a newly invigorated Neighbourhood Watch scheme and an active Allotment Association which as well as running the allotments also supports the pre-school and junior School with their plots, thereby encouraging young green fingers and assisting in their education regarding growing food and the natural environment.  The Allotment Association also lend their expertise to the Parish Council in the provision of volunteer labour for regular planting and maintenance of the Parish Council run cemetery. Residents contribute to the running of the Meon Valley Community Bus and Community Care Group enabling those without transport to travel to shops, hospital appointments etc.

Many individuals quietly conduct voluntary tasks for the benefit of residents and visitors; these range from ensuring that the bus shelter is adorned with seasonal flowers and poppies for Remembrance Sunday, a ‘pick, stick and lick’ station for dogs on a footpath, a proposal to encourage rock painting and photo competition for children over the school holidays and countless other initiatives.

This is a huge undertaking in a small village of around 700 residents.  The Parish Council and other organisations within the village frequently work together with a joined-up approach to make life better and more enjoyable for all in the village. It’s for this reason we have given the award to Droxford. 

Congratulations to Droxford

Runners up: Worldham.

Full list of 2023 winners: