Awards success for best churchyards

More than 50 churches across the region have been honoured for their efforts to keep local churchyards in tip top condition.

The Diocese of Lichfield Churchyard Awards Scheme has been running for 30 years.

It rewards church leaders who make special efforts to maintain churchyards. Each year churches enter the competition hoping to win a gold plaque which can be hung in the church to celebrate their achievement. A team of 24 judges visits between May and August to make assessments.

Those achieving 90 per cent of marks or more receive a gold plaque, those between 85 per cent and 90 per cent merits a silver award, and above 80 per cent merits a bronze award.

There are also highly commended and commended sections.

This year St Thomas's Church at Walton-on-the-Hill, near Stafford, won one of the eight gold awards but the overall winner was the Lyneal with Colemere church in north Shropshire.

The awards were presented at a special ceremony at St Berterlin Church in Stafford.

David Ashton, co-ordinator of the scheme, said that first impressions were very important for church visitors.

"It is about encouraging churches to improve and do better," he said.

"The first thing you see when visiting a church is the churchyard and if it is scruffy you aren't going to expect much from the church.

"If the churchyard is attractive then you will want to go inside.

"It's about first impressions," he said.

Mr Ashton, aged 79, from Milford, near Stafford, added: "Not all churchyards enter the competition.

"There are some real shockers but for those churches who do take part it can enhance the church and the village communities."