The Irish dairy farmers, who own Kerrygold, are a great example of how working as a cooperative can be beneficial for everyone involved. "It’s great to have a stake in the business and an equal say in how the business is run. We are proud and passionate about what we do and being able to share what we have achieved is one of the great advantages to working in a cooperative", beams Michael Crowley, one of the farmers featured in the Kerrygold television advert.

The Kerrygold farmers believe that many others are doing the same and that those who work to bring benefits to their communities as a whole, should be recognised and rewarded. As a result we have launched The Kerrygold Farmer Cooperative Awards. Community spirit is alive and kicking if the stunning number and range of entries to the awards are anything to go by. With nearly 100 entries to consider, the farmers have now finished their deliberations and are delighted to be able to announce the winners.

The award of £1000 for the most inspirational community group goes to the amazing Incredible Edible project in Todmorden, Lancashire. ‘A local food campaign with a twist’ is how the organisers describe their campaign, which aims to increase the amount of food grown, cooked and eaten locally and to reduce the town’s carbon footprint. From Spring 2008, an enthusiastic group of volunteers started planting herbs, vegetables and orchards in disused and neglected public spaces for the benefit of everyone in the town.

From those small beginnings, the project has grown to include all seven of the schools in the town, local businesses and institutions such as the health services and local authority. There is a campaign for local eggs and a return to a proper local food market. Two of the organisers, Pam Warhurst and Nick Green said: "The Incredible Edible’s project has created a better life for our community which we have achieved by working together. We are really pleased that our efforts have won the support of the Kerrygold farmers and the award will enable us to spread the word further. The money will be used to provide a hilltop show garden, where we can demonstrate what has been achieved so far, encourage people to get involved in our scheme and see at a glance many of the wonderful things that are growing and flourishing in our town. It will open everyone’s eyes to how much we can produce locally and will be a constant source of inspiration."

The winner of £1000 for the most inspirational young community group is the 1st Long Melford Scout and Guide Group in Suffolk. The group have had their meeting place and HQ on the same site for 40 years. It needs serious refurbishment and the group decided that the best way to raise funds was to work within the community to get their respect and support. The young people have provided many hours supporting other charitable organisations in return for donations to the refurbishment fund as well as undertaking their own fundraising events. The HQ is part of their village community and is used by many other local groups but “1st Long Melford Scouts” has taken the initiative to lead the project to raise funds for restoration.

“When we saw that Kerrygold was owned by a group of Irish dairy farmers who pulled together working to a common goal, we saw similarities in how we worked and that was what we highlighted in our entry,” says secretary Karen Austin.

Commenting on behalf of the Kerrygold dairy farmers, Andrew Gow had this to say: “All the entries were encouraging examples of communities pulling together. We have always found this to be the best way to achieve great results and we hope that groups like Incredible Edible and the 1st Long Melford Scout and Guide group will inspire others to continue to do great work in their community.”