Category Winners

Moretonhampstead - Southern and South East England

Moretonhampstead is a small rural community, situated on the fringe of Dartmoor National Park.

Although Moreton (as it is known by the locals) has a small population, it offers its inhabitants a wide range of clubs and activities and hosts regular special events, including a week-long carnival, a music day, Secret Gardens event, and a plant sale for local charities.

The villages Business Association, which has over 80 members, organises many of these events and local businesses are very helpful in day-to-day village life. Art plays an important role in the business community: not only does Moreton have an art gallery and four art studios, but local businesses also display the work of artists in the area.

For the younger members of the community, Moretonhampstead Youth Club runs events such as adventure trips and competitions and plans are currently under way to construct a new building to house the villages youth groups. Not only will the building be a welcome addition to the villages facilities, but it will also use entirely renewable energy for heating and hot water. Moretons older villagers are also very active and play a vital role in organisation such as the village information centre, the primary school, and other voluntary organisations. There is also a local Community Club which caters for the over 60s.

The village also has its own computer centre which has recently expanded, investing in an extra eight PCs and new laptops. The centre offers free internet access as well as a variety of courses for people of all ages. The facility is also home to the Moreton Computer Club, which is a self-help group that meets once a week.