Celebrating the heroes of the countryside

Rural businesses such as village pubs and historic country homes – even the village fête - stand to gain recognition through a nationwide competition launched today in Country Life magazine, in association with Waitrose.

The Country Life Awards, in association with Waitrose, celebrate the role of enterprising individuals and businesses in the countryside, and recognise the vital contributions they make to local communities.

The Country Person of the Year will be judged on the difference they make to wildlife, agriculture, environment or traditional craft – either locally or nationally.

Categories include Rural Enterprise of the Year – open to entrepreneurs, local businesses, farms and retailers who provide specialist services and products – and Country House of the Year, judged on quality of restoration, stewardship and the heritage protection.

The remaining categories are as follows:

• Country Garden of the Year – Entries can include small gardens, rural garden schemes and allotments. This could be a large historic garden, a lifetime achievement or a recent renovation.

• Country Event of the Year – This category will look at fetes, county shows, agricultural shows and more idiosyncratic occasions and traditions such as cheese rolling.

• Country Pub of the Year - With the aim of encouraging pubs to be more community-focused, this category will reward hostelries that provide good, locally sourced food and bring people together.

• Country Campaigner of the Year –Entries for this would be people who have made a radical difference to rural life.

Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life, said: "We are looking for the people who have made a difference in our world, but whose contribution is often overlooked. Country Life is delighted to be celebrating those who keep countryside culture alive and Waitrose is the perfect partner for this. We hope this will unearth some interesting and deserving entries. "

Mark Price, Managing Director of Waitrose added: "By recognising the great and good of the British countryside, these Awards honour the people and places that ensure our rural heritage remains vibrant. We look forward to seeking out the unsung heroes of Britain’s villages, farms and rural businesses through our partnership with Country Life."

The deadline for entries is 30 July 2009 and the judging takes place in October 2009.