Charnwood Borough Council has announced the winners of its Love the Outdoors in Charnwood photo competition, which attracted more than 100 entries over the summer. The competition celebrates amateur photographers who captured images of the borough's parks, woodlands, nature reserves and wildlife.
Winners and runners-up were presented with prizes at Loughborough Town Hall on 12 October 2026.
The Three Categories
The competition featured three categories: Young Photographer, Open Category and Wonderful Wildlife.
In the Open Category, Rothley resident Doreen Watson won first prize with a photograph of the sunrise over Cossington Lock. She said: "I was out on an early morning walk by Cossington Lock as the sun was rising. As it started to sparkle on the water, I just knew I had to capture a photo of it." Andrea Myring and Tony Chalcroft were runners-up.
Jamie Willis won the Wonderful Wildlife category with a striking photograph of a fox among bluebells in Burleigh Wood. Jamie said: "I was on a 6am walk in March in Burleigh Wood. I couldn't believe my luck when I came across a fox among the beautiful bluebells. I think the photo really captures the beauty of some of the wonderful open spaces we have in Charnwood." Gideon Jones and Michael Belson were runners-up.
Six-year-old Matteo Pouzet, from Charnwood, won the Young Photographer category (open to residents aged 16 and under) with a photograph of the Carillon Tower in Queen's Park. Matteo said: "I love going to the playground at Queen's Park, and I wanted to test out my new French camera. I wanted to get the flowers and the (Carillon) tower together in one photo. I felt really happy to win the competition." Oliver Burton and Sophia were runners-up.
About the Competition
Cllr Anne Gray, Lead Member for Waste, Open Spaces and Leisure Facilities, said: "We received some incredible entries from residents this year and the judging process was a real pleasure. It was wonderful to see so many of Charnwood's outdoor spaces and wildlife captured through the lens of talented local photographers. The standard of entries was exceptionally high, which made choosing the winners a difficult task."
idverde, the Council's partner for the management of open spaces, supported the competition by providing £50 Love2Shop vouchers for category winners and £25 Love2Shop vouchers for runners-up.
Nicola Clarke, Community Engagement Officer at idverde, said: "We were delighted to support this year's competition. It encouraged residents to explore Charnwood's many beautiful open spaces while capturing some truly stunning photographs. The quality and variety of entries showed just how much people value the borough's parks, woodlands and nature reserves."
An album of the winning and runner-up photographs can be found at www.charnwood.gov.uk/photos.