The Buy In Grayshott Group (BIG) have been presented with a framed certificate and a cash prize of £100 for winning the prestigious category of the "Best Business In The Community Award" in The Hampshire Village Of The Year Competition.

Kate Rowlandson who presented the award on behalf of Hampshire Association of Local Councils who are organisers of the competition said "this is really an amazing achievement by BIG when you consider the number of villages who entered and the size of Hampshire, so much credit must go to BIG and in particular the work that Dick and Phil have put in each year since 2002 on behalf of Grayshott Village, huge credit must go to them for facilitating the village community involvement both from businesses and residents over winning the award."

This latest award will sit proudly next to the plaque BIG won in 2002 when Grayshott was awarded the distinction of winning the best village in England and Wales for "Business In The Community" which was presented by HRH The Princess Royal. That same year BIG also won the regional Business category award for Southern and East England and again this achievement was repeated in 2005.

Dick Smith, Chairman of BIG said, "he was delighted and pleased to be told of this latest BIG award and added that all the credit must go to our 150+ members who not only get on and run their successful businesses but also contribute to support village community life. Grayshott clearly demonstrates how villagers that support their local businesses can flourish."

Phil Bates one of the founding members of BIG which was established in 1994 went on to say,"Winning this award illustrates that a village does not need large-scale funding or complex organisations to get things done, in Grayshott there is a very entrepreneurial approach which has real business benefits for all and is so important in the economic climate businesses find themselves in today."