Great community spirit, the village upkeep and special achievements saw Grundisburgh named Suffolk Coastal’s Village of the Year in the first round of the annual awards last week.

The award was presented at the Grundisburgh Village Show on Saturday by Suffolk Coastal chairman Susan Harvey.

“It is a great honour to present these awards as they recognise the fantastic community spirit which is thriving within Suffolk Coastal’s villages,” she said. “What particularly impressed the judges was how well-kept and presented the whole village was, particularly the church and churchyard which one judge said was ‘a joy to behold’.

“It also boasts well-used allotments and an excellent range of online and notice board information, as well as a wide variety of family-orientated community initiatives.

“Special mention must go to Justin Hyde, who has done a tremendous job of revamping the Olde Forge Stores, as well as the flourishing Good Neighbour Scheme which helps vulnerable villagers in times of emergency, including providing hot water and food, with the parish council having set aside money to provide emergency aid if needed.

“The village charity, the Sir William Brampton Gurdon Cottage Trust, also awards grants to needy residents and a free touch-button emergency call alarm to vulnerable people living in the village.”

The Suffolk Village of the Year 2015 competition, organised by the Suffolk Association of Local Councils in partnership with county and district councils, was launched in February. It is open to villages with between 501 and 3,000 residents.

As the district round winners, Grundisburgh received a £200 cheque, a certificate and silver trophy, and has gone through to the county round of the competition.

Taking second place at district level Wickham Market and in third was Kelsale-cum-Carlton.

The county winner will be announced next month.