2024 Awards

At our annual Awards Ceremony on Tuesday 12th November 2024, held at Elmore Court, six CPRE Gloucestershire Awards were presented – the fifth Award marked a significant milestone – our 100th charity Award.
Amberley Shop & Café
In 2017, Amberley’s last shop closed, prompting the village to create a community-run shop. A Community Benefit Society was formed, and with
support from the Church of the Holy Trinity, a shop and café were integrated into the church building. Over £270,000 was raised through grants, donations, and fundraising events.
Opened in June, the shop and café are run by over 80 volunteers and operate daily, sourcing locally and using eco-friendly heating. The project has been a great success, transforming the church into a lively community hub and showing how Listed Buildings can be sensitively adapted.
Citation: Awarded for delivering a complex project that demonstrates both a vision and strong commitment by a community to achieve the goal of replacing its village shop, combined with an exemplar of the sensitive adaptation of a Listed church building to accommodate much wider community use.
Arlingham Pound Restoration
Citation: Awarded in recognition of the re-creation of an historic local structure of great age, re-using on-site stone and employing local craftspeople and volunteers.
Arundel Mill Pond Eel Pass
The Severn Vale Waterscapes project focuses on the critically endangered European eel, which undertakes an incredible migration from the Sargasso Sea to Europe and back. Eel numbers have dropped by 95% over the past 40 years, partly due to habitat loss and barriers like weirs blocking river passage.
In Stroud, the project has tackled these barriers, with the Stroud Valleys Project working at Arundel Mill Pond. Once an eyesore, the pond has been restored with repairs to the sluice and weir, the removal of silt, and the creation of better habitats for wildlife. An eel pass has been installed to help eels move upstream, and local citizen science has confirmed its success through eel DNA testing.
Now, walkers along the canal towpath can enjoy views of the improved pond, with informative interpretation boards explaining the project’s importance.
Citation: Awarded for enhancement of landscape, biodiversity and public information through partnership working and community involvement and physical works to benefit eels within the wider context of the Severn Vale Waterscapes Project.
Churnbridge Row
Citation: Awarded for actioning and delivering an exemplar of much needed rural affordable housing, in a manner that works well for the residents, incorporates high standards of building performance and blends into its rural setting.
Restoring Gloucestershire’s Scarce Heathlands for Wildlife & People (100th Award)
Heathland is a rare and important habitat in Gloucestershire, with restoration efforts focused on the Tidenham Chase Nature Recovery Zone. This includes The Park, managed by Forestry England, and Poor’s Allotment, owned by the Poor’s Trustees, covering 60 hectares.
Forestry England began restoring The Park by clearing coniferous woodland, but challenges from birch, bracken, and gorse emerged. Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust now manages both sites, using grazing by cattle, ponies, and sheep, along with tree clearance and herbicide use. The restoration has led to thriving heathland, marked by increased nightjar breeding and adder sightings.
The project is a national example of heathland restoration, providing valuable training for volunteers and enjoyment for visitors.
Citation: Awarded for providing a model for delivering successful heathland recovery on a significant scale, and for opening up the area for both volunteer involvement and public enjoyment.
The Rising Sun Woodcroft Community Pub Project
The Rising Sun, built in 1870, was closed in 2011 and put up for sale in 2012. Developers planned to turn it into housing, sparking a campaign to save the pub. The community successfully secured Asset of Community Value status in 2013, protecting it from development.
In 2021, after years of fundraising and legal battles, The Rising Sun Woodcroft Community Benefit Society purchased the pub, raising £350,000 through community shares and securing £175,000 from the Government.
After major repairs by over 120 volunteers, the pub reopened in 2022 as a thriving community hub, supporting local suppliers and hosting events, including a weekly quiz raising money for local charities.
Citation: Awarded in recognition of the grit and determination, huge learning curve and long-term goal by the community in securing a past community asset. Using every resource available, in bringing The Rising Sun into a truly valued hub enjoyed and appreciated by all.