VILLAGERS in North Yorkshire, who have got together to improve their area or save local services, are invited to compete for a countryside award scheme.

The Village Venture scheme, organised by the independent Yorkshire Rural Community Council, is being sponsored by Royal Mail, and supports people who are doing their best to improve their communities.

The awards are not a grant, but are designed to celebrate activities which have already been carried out in villages threatened with the loss of services.

But there are a number of small cash awards for schemes which are judged to be among the best, with a total of £3,000 prize money up for grabs.

A wide variety of projects are eligible, such as environmental schemes, campaigns to save local services, childcare or play schemes, sports facilities and community drama - and entries are now invited from the hundreds of villages across York and North Yorkshire.

Royal Mail's York area manager Neville Rutherford said: "We deliver to thousands of addresses in rural communities and we want to do all we can to support them and respond to their needs."

Application forms are going out to parish councils, community groups and other organisations during this month.The closing date is June 30 and the competition is open for villages with a population of less than 10,000.

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