The Countryside Alliance Awards started life as the Best Rural Retailer competition. The Awards are a Countryside Alliance initiative. First conceived of in 2005, they were borne of a need to support and promote rural communities. The Countryside Alliance had long felt the "doom and gloom" tales of rural decline, while true to an extent, did not accurately reflect the spirit of rural people and the efforts of thousands to keep their communities alive.

This Best Rural Retailer competition became the Countryside Alliance Awards in 2007, enabling us to sing the praises of our unsung rural heroes through you. It is simple: you tell us who you want to nominate in which category and what makes your choice so special, and if you make your case passionately enough that person could be on their way to regional, or maybe even national, glory. The feelgood factor this competition has already generated is immense, and it goes from strength to strength, enjoying the support of the Daily Telegraph and many regional newspapers.

 The categories for the Countryside Alliance Awards are as follows:

At regional level first, with regional winners going to the British final

1. Local Food Award
2. Village Shop/ PO Award
3. Rural Enterprise Award
4. Traditional Business Award
5. Butcher Award

At British level only

1. Hunter Rural Hero (aged 15 and under)

2. Hunter Rural Hero (aged 16 and over)

3. The Countryside Alliance Grassroots Award for the Countryside Alliance member or trade member who has done the most to advance our aims

Nominations open on Monday 6th September 2010 and close on Friday 22nd October; short-listing and judging then take place. Britain is split into 12 geographical regions for the purposes of this competition, and each will pick a winner in each of the five categories. Click on "Judging and regional boundaries" to your left to read more about the judging structure and how to contact your judging panel.

The regional judging panels will announce their winners in January 2011 - English regional and Welsh and Scottish national winners then go forward to the British final. Winners are chosen by a panel which is chaired by the Countryside Alliance Chief Executive and which also includes TV cook Clarissa Dickson Wright, the Daily Telegraph commentator Philip Johnston, Farmers Guardian Editor Emma Penny and Chris Dewbury of Rural Hero sponsors Hunter Boot.

The overall winners will be announced at a reception at the House of Lords on 30th March 2011.