A VIRTUAL ’village show’ starts today with competitions and activities for all the family.

The online event is being run by national conservation charity, the Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT).

The CRT usually stages open days on farms around the UK, but with these brought to a halt, the Trust wanted to find a different way to bring new and existing CRT supporters together and raise money for the charity.

’Village shows play an important role in bringing rural communities of all ages together, to socialise and celebrate local produce,’ said Abbie Pearce, CRT marketing manager.

’It seemed the perfect solution to combine the ethos of these traditional, countryside events with how farming, food and nature are shown to work in harmony at our farm open days in an online show, particularly as we’ve just launched our brand new website.’

The CRT Village Show, which is free to join and open to everyone, will have many competitions anyone can enter, including a wildlife photography competition from June 22.

With three categories: wild spaces; wild close-ups; and wild selfies, judges will choose four winning photos from each category to feature in the Trust’s 2021 calendar.

’The overall winner will receive a feature in the next issue of members’ magazine, The Lark, to showcase their photography and a tour at one of our properties with a CRT wildlife monitoring officer, once the lockdown has ended,’ Miss Pierce added.

Areas of the online Village Show are dedicated to stimulating activities and videos that encourage children to learn how food, farming and wildlife are connected – and adults will also enjoy them.

’Our wonderful farmers are recording video diaries of life on our farms, where you can meet their lambs, calves and wildlife living in crops,’ said Miss Pierce.

’Our wildlife monitoring team also provide regular blog updates about nature living on the farms. Plus, the education team have put together engaging activities to try at home, such as making a fairy garden, nature cuffs and egg head planters.’

The CRT says it wants to provide a bit of escapism during the lockdown by bringing the wonders of farming and nature to people in their homes to enjoy.

To join the CRT Village Show and learn more about upcoming competitions and activities taking place over the summer, visit countrysiderestorationtrust.com/CRTvillageshow.

To enter the wildlife photography competition, use the hashtag #CRTVillageShow and tag the CRT in photos on social media:

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