BERRY Hill and Westbury-on-Severn were among the Forest of Dean communities recognised at the Gloucestershire Rural Community Council's Gloucestershire Village of the Year Awards, with Berry Hill collecting two accolades and Westbury-on-Severn earning a highly commended honour.

The annual awards ceremony took place at Highnam Court on Thursday, July 16, where communities from across the county gathered to celebrate projects improving village life through volunteering, wellbeing, environmental work and digital innovation.

Berry Hill finished runner-up in the Community-led Health and Wellbeing category before also winning the B and Q Grand Prize Draw of products, giving the village two reasons to celebrate during the evening.

Judges praised Berry Hill for its wide range of health, wellbeing and social activities catering for residents of all ages and abilities while promoting inclusion and reducing social isolation through community-led initiatives.

Among the highlights recognised was a long-running weekly social fitness session, where the £1 attendance fee has generated funding for around 60 community projects and local causes.

They also highlighted the village's community-designed orchard, featuring more than 40 varieties of fruit trees and bushes, including heritage varieties. Maintained by volunteers, the fully accessible space provides benches for quiet reflection, social gatherings, seasonal events and educational opportunities for local children while producing fruit for the community.

They said they were left with the impression of a village committed to creating opportunities led by residents, ensuring activities remained accessible, relevant and well supported while protecting valued community assets for future generations.

Westbury-on-Severn was recognised in the Digital category, receiving a Highly Commended award for its innovative use of technology to strengthen community life while ensuring residents who are less confident online were not left behind.

Judges praised the village's enthusiasm for embracing modern technology through WhatsApp groups, parish e-newsletters and social media, alongside practical support sessions delivered with GRCC's DAISI project to help residents with digital skills, mobile phones and online safety.

They also recognised the creative use of artificial intelligence by the village theatre group, which projected locally themed scenery with humorous additions during a pantomime, together with ongoing work to digitise parish archives and record around 2,000 gravestone inscriptions, creating a valuable online heritage resource.

The overall Gloucestershire Village of the Year title went to Gretton, while Upton St Leonards was named overall runner-up.

Barbara Piranty, chief executive of GRCC, congratulated all the winners and finalists, saying the awards highlighted the passion and commitment of local people working together to create stronger, healthier and more sustainable communities across Gloucestershire. She encouraged communities of every size to enter next year's competition and showcase the lasting difference volunteers make every day.

Gretton was named the overall winner after also taking first place in the Volunteering and Skills in the Community category, while Upton St Leonards finished as overall runner-up and won the Digital category. Category winners received £2,000 and runners-up received £1,000 alongside commemorative certificates and plaques presented by GRCC and the competition sponsors. The competition celebrated villages demonstrating innovation, inclusion and resilience countywide together proudly.