On 7 November, it was announced that Clare, Brantham, and Hintlesham and Chattisham have scooped the honours in this year’s Suffolk’s Most Active Community Awards.
The awards, now in their fifth year, are organised by Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Association of Local Councils. Their purpose is to recognise and celebrate communities in Suffolk that are going the extra mile to encourage their residents to be active.
Hintlesham and Chattisham, which has a population of just 778 people, triumphed in the small village category, for villages of less than 1,000 people. The judges were particularly impressed with their achievement in raising £117,000 to provide an all-weather floodlit Multi-Use Games Area giving residents free access to tennis, hockey, five-a-side football and netball.
Scooping the large village title this year was Brantham. Judges pinpointed the extensive range and selection of opportunities available in the village for their success. The varied activities available include Zumba and Irish dancing classes in the village hall, a new trim trail and annual 5-mile run, regular local walking groups, a social cycling group, and formal cricket, bowls and football clubs, the latter boasting 11 junior teams.
Clare was victorious in the Most Active Town category. Judges pointed to three recent developments as being key to their success in the competition – the establishment of parkrun, which attracts between 100 and 130 runners every week, gaining national ‘Walkers are Welcome’ accreditation, and opening-up of the local school swimming pool to the community. Sudbury were also highly commended in the Most Active Town category.