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THE VILLAGE & COMMUNITY
MAGAZINES AWARDS
This year, the Village and Community Magazines Awards, sponsored by the Cambridge Building Society and the Cambridge Evening News, were held at Over Community Centre on 21st March. The Meridian 'Millennium' edition was entered and we hoped to exceed the 'Highly Commended' we had achieved before.April and I attended the evening, slurping our wine and nibbling the tasty buffet provided, before the awards began. We were made to feel very welcome by the host representatives present, like Caroline Togher, Marketing Manager, and Jackie Fleming, Assistant Manager of AGM Customer Services of The Cambridge Building Society.
There were only twenty odd entries the first year and thirty-six entries last year. The fifty-seven entries this year were displayed on a table for us to browse through and we could see that the competition was fierce.
Bob Jackson, the Chief Executive of The Cambridge Building Society, opened the evening and Chris Elliott from The Cambridge Evening News gave us various tips. "Presentation and making your magazine attractive is really important. Illustrate with photos etc., to break up the copy. Probably most important of all, put yourself in the position of the reader."
Chris told us some of the scoops for the Evening News are gleaned from village magazines. So who knows, some of your articles could make regional, if not national headlines!
Then we got down to the 'nitty gritty' we had all been waiting to hear - which magazine would win THIS year? Bob Jackson said that it had been hard for the judges, but they had whittled down the choice to seven that he proceeded to announce in reverse order.
7th place - 'The Village', Holywell cum Needingworth
6th place - 'Sawston Scene'
Joint Highly Commended - "
Out of Reach'
'The Meridian'
'Voice'
Runner-up, winning a trophy to keep, was 'Wilbraham Warbler'
Finally, 'Highly Commended' two years ago, runner-up last year and this year's winner was 'The Melbourn Magazine' which won two trophies, one to keep and one showing previous winners, £250 cash and £500 Training Voucher.
With so many entries, April and I felt that we had done well to achieve 'Highly Commended' again and there is always NEXT year.
So keep those articles coming to make 'The Meridian' a really interesting, stimulating magazine that will appeal to the judges another time.
Vicki Russell Distributor
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