RESIDENTS near Winchester could be about to take part in a new award scheme inspired by this year’s Mayor of Winchester’s Community Awards.

Colden Common Parish Council met on Monday (April 7) to discuss potential improvements to the Parishioner of the Year Award in an effort to partly recreate Cllr Ernie Jeff’s prestigious event.

The prize aims to recognise groups and individuals for their contributions to the local community and to those whom have demonstrated outstanding voluntary service, of which several members of the village were identified.

Scout leader Kevin Holland, Colden Common Community Care Trust volunteer Mo Alderman, Colden Common Youth Club and Colden Common School Association were among those who received awards from the mayor.

At the meeting parish clerk, Debbie Harding, said: “Unless you’re involved with the community you don’t know what goes on so you wouldn’t know who to vote for. We need to give it a really good go or leave it altogether.”

Parish chairman, Cllr Richard Izard, said: “Now it’s proving a little bit more difficult to actually get a parishioner of the year for someone who hasn’t already won it.”

Cllr Josephine Anstey said: “It’s a very large village to do this efficiently. It’s such a large population and different people have different ideas.”

Mr Holland was awarded for his contributions as a scout leader while Ms Alderman was nominated for her volunteer work with the Colden Common Community Care Trust.