CPRE Somerset: Love Your Countryside Awards - Blue or Green Spaces Category

About the Blue or Green Spaces award

We are looking for projects that make a difference to the countryside at a local level.  Projects that benefit both people and the environment, now and for the future. Your project could be in any kind of natural environment – from woodlands, meadows, parks, allotments and community gardens (green spaces), to rivers, ponds, lakes, wetlands, and coastal areas (blue spaces).

We want to celebrate community-powered projects that protect, restore, and reimagine Somerset’s land and water environments. It could be hands-on habitat restoration and water quality improvements,  or schemes tackling soil health, pollution, and biodiversity loss. We want to hear about your initiatives – big or small – that are grounded in local knowledge and practical action. Whether revitalising wetlands, restoring hedgerows, or monitoring habitats through citizen science, these projects help natural systems thrive and ensure a healthier, more resilient countryside for generations to come.

We’re looking for projects that demonstrate:

• Community involvement – Projects that are shaped by local people and involve practical action – whether that’s planting, restoring, researching, or reimagining local landscapes.
• Nature Recovery – Initiatives that protect or restore vital habitats and natural resources – such as wetlands, hedgerows, woodlands, ponds, wildflower meadows, or nature reserves – while improving soil health, water quality, and biodiversity.
• Innovative and Knowledge-Based Approaches – Use of citizen science, specialist expertise, or original methods to investigate, monitor, or solve environmental challenges.
• Connectivity and Access – Projects that link green or wild spaces, introduce nature into urban areas, or create new opportunities for people to enjoy and care for the countryside – such as community gardens, wildflower corridors, or accessible nature trails.
• Addressing Countryside Challenges – Tackling issues like fly tipping, light pollution, or the loss of tranquillity, and promoting more sustainable land use or farming practices.
• Future-Focused and Flexible – Projects with long-term vision designed to evolve with community needs and environmental pressures, ensuring lasting impact.

We welcome projects of all sizes from across the Somerset countryside that demonstrate some or all of these qualities.

Who can apply?

• Please read the category descriptions, criteria and eligibility information carefully. If you are not sure which category to enter please contact admin@cpresomerset.org.uk and we can help.
• An individual, organisation or group can enter themselves or be nominated by someone else. However, all individuals or organisations need to give permission to be nominated.
• Projects must be within the unitary authority area of Somerset (this does NOT include B&NES or North Somerset)
• The nomination must be relevant to work taken place in the last two years.
• Past projects are entitled to re-enter but entries must contain new elements on which they will be judged.
• You may enter into more than one category.

Why apply?

• Celebrate Your Impact on people, place, and planet
• Gain Recognition from peers, professionals, and the wider community
• Inspire Others with your approach to your treasured space
• Boost Your Profile and attract future opportunities
• Champion Rural Innovation and community empowerment

Winners will receive a plaque and will be invited to our CPRE Somerset: Love Your Countryside Awards event in summer 2026.  They will also gain automatic entry into the CPRE National Centenary Awards, giving your project the recognition it deserves on a larger stage.

On the award application form you will be asked to provide:

• Details about the project and your connection to it
• Contact details
• Information about your digital presence (if applicable) including social media profiles and website address
• Project information, including a 400 word brief description
• Supporting evidence, which may include additional documents, short films or videos
• Up to five supporting photos which will be used to promote the awards as well as your entered project or person
• Details about volunteer contributions including volunteer hours and numbers, if applicable.

Ready to enter?

Online entry form for the Blue or Green Spaces Award

• Complete the online entry form (opens in a new tab) and submit with supplementary information.
• Alternatively, download the CPRE Somerset Love Your Countryside Awards 2026 Entry Form  Details of where to email or post the award nomination are available on the form.
• The deadline for entries is 5pm on Thursday 30th April 2026.