Yateley shares Hampshire's Village of the Year 2026 with Liphook, and Hook is runner-up. Hart councils took six of the eleven awards between them.
Yateley has been named Hampshire’s Village of the Year for 2026, a title it shares with Bramshott and Liphook. Hook was named runner-up, and also won the award for the best recreational facilities in the county.
The Hampshire Association of Local Councils (HALC) announced the results on Wednesday 23 September. The presentation evening was at The Key Centre in Elvetham Heath, whose parish council won the overall title in 2024. (HALC, results)
Bramshott and Liphook, the other joint winner, is in East Hampshire, about 18 miles south of Yateley.
Hart’s night
Councils from Hart district won six of the eleven awards. The HALC results table gives these wins to Hart councils:
| Award | Hart winner |
|---|---|
| Village of the Year 2026 | Yateley Town Council (joint, with Bramshott and Liphook) |
| Best Youth Initiative | Yateley Town Council |
| Best Recreational Facilities | Hook Parish Council |
| Best Community Health Scheme | Eversley Parish Council |
| Best Community Initiative | Odiham Parish Council |
| Most Inspiring Place | Elvetham Heath Parish Council |
Three more Hart councils were placed second:
- Hook, runner-up for Village of the Year
- Odiham, runner-up for Most Inspiring Place
- Eversley, runner-up for Best Small Village
Hart has a record in this competition. Odiham parish was named Hampshire and Isle of Wight Village of the Year in 2022, according to Odiham Parish Council. (Odiham Parish Council, 30 September 2022)
What the judges saw
HALC’s judges visited the entrants over the summer.
In Yateley, they highlighted partnerships between the town council, local organisations and volunteers. HALC lists what caught their eye:
- support for young people through Vision 4 Youth
- community transport for older residents
- environmental projects
- commemorative events
In Hook, HALC says the runner-up place recognised the parish council’s investment in facilities, recreation and youth activities. Hook Parish Council has published the judges’ fuller comments. (Hook Parish Council, 25 September) They single out:
- the skatepark at Hartletts Park, built with input from young people, and its annual Skate Jam
- the parish council’s partnership with Fleet Phoenix, which runs youth clubs, free holiday activities and outreach work
- the planned Hook Sports Pavilion and The Hook Shed
“What made Hook’s overall entry particularly strong was the connection between these projects,” the judges said.
Hook Parish Council called it “Two awards. One fantastic village”, and said the awards were about “the clubs, groups, volunteers and residents who make things happen”.
What it means for you
The awards go to councils, but most of what the judges praised is run by, or for, residents: youth clubs, community transport, a skatepark, holiday activities.
- In Hook, the parish’s youth clubs and free holiday activities are run with Fleet Phoenix, the partner the judges named.
- In Yateley, the judges named Vision 4 Youth and the town’s community transport for older residents.
- For your own parish, the competition is entered by the parish or town council, so the route in is your local councillors.
HALC did not publish the judges’ notes for Eversley, Odiham or Elvetham Heath’s category wins. We will add them if the councils publish them.
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