The year was 2005. It was a funny year because as the summer approached I was just rounding off a project called the Somerset Variety Performance and had plans on running a similar project but on a bigger scale. My original plan was to go as far as including a few more counties and renaming it the SWVP (South West Variety Performance). Being me I decided to make some major leaps and went with a national variety show. This move made me one of the youngest Managing Directors of a national organisation in the country. The National Variety Performance ended up being a range of projects instead of one main show and part of which was an awards project that we planned to role out across different counties. The original awards project was named the Somerset Charity Awards. We were planning on seeking out those in our communities that had raised money for various local and national charities but we broadened things out more than planned and in the end went with the Somerset County Awards. This way we could award the “pride” of the community not just fundraisers.

The Somerset County Awards

Our first award ceremony was very different to the ones we run today. It was completely new territory to me and the team. At the time of the launch of this project the National Variety was going through some changes. I was saying goodbye to some staff and saying hello to some new faces. The transition from old to new came with its problems but at the same time solved a few too. I had huge visions for the National variety Performance and it was only right to let go of the ones that were holding the organisation back.

Nowadays for most projects we ask the public to nominate people for awards but back in the early days it was me, the team and enough newspapers to open a recycling plant. We visited community centers, workshops, schools and many other public places trying to find our award winners. I contacted people i had worked with on variety shows in the past and called in a few performers for the event. The awards were very traditional. Something you would expect at any award ceremony. To be honest the award ceremony was very traditional too but it didn’t really matter because it was a complete success.

After great feedback from the community we started work on a ceremony for the following year. 2007 was an extremely busy year for the National Variety Performance so the ceremony that year was non-existent. We just couldn’t fit it in. Instead we surprised people with their awards at unexpected times. Some people we visited at home and at work and others half way through their own events. We called it the ‘Winter Edition’. It was a shame that we didn’t have time for a full blown ceremony but i was committed to the NVP and other commitments to uphold. Over the next two years i was back and forth from Weymouth and London working on projects for the NVP and the awards was purely a sideline but we kept it up as best as we could.

The Pride of Central Somerset

Towards the end of 2008 the Somerset County awards had not seen a ceremony in a while so i wanted to think how we could improve what we already had. I wanted to make the project bigger and better. By this time the National Variety Performance was just a fond memory. It had been very successful that it became something bigger than i could have ever imagined but i am kind of restricted by an NDA so I’ll leave it at that. In November 2008 i contacted Mid Somerset News and Media and started to build a partnership with them. It makes sense to work with the people who distribute directly to the people you want at the ceremony. Now that we had a lot more access to press coverage in the local area we opened up nominations to the public and asked people to nominate those special individuals in their lives.

The Pride of Central Somerset was a turning point for me. The project had really evolved from its earlier counterpart. The planning was much more precise and the ceremony was grand and refreshing. I knew that after i finished this project i was heading to Canada for what could be the best part of a few years and i was worried that the project may not continue so some of the 2009 team are already on standby for this years awards project which will really kick in after nominations close in the summer.

This video is a clip that was taken at the ceremony during the interval.

We presented more awards in 2009 than any other year. It was the first year we introduced a category which normally goes against our rules but we felt that sporting achievements were being left in the dark hence the introduction of the sports category.

A few days after the ceremony i packed by bags and headed back to Nova Scotia.

The Haliwards

The Haliwards was never planned. I had no intentions on branching out in Canada until i knew where me and Tara were going to settle on a permanent basis but as time passed by i got rather bored. During the summer of 2009 i had worked with the Blue Nose Marathon and was preparing to work with the Tall Ships. This is when i met Haligonia. Haligonia is a small media group focusing on news and events across HRM. I agreed to do a video interview with them for their website about my previous work and why I was in Nova Scotia. A few weeks before I met with Haligonia I started to do some research on running an event in Halifax and I was thinking about running an event similar to the Pride of Central Somerset. I was slightly worried that I wouldn’t be able to get enough exposure so I discussed my ideas with the guys at Haligonia.

What most people don’t know is in the early project plan it was a joint project between me and the Haligonia group. As the Tall Ships approached Haligonia were very busy with the event as they were the New Media Sponsor so we went our separate ways. I had no plans on dropping the project so I tweaked the project plan and submitted it to City Hall.

After nearly a 6 month wait we finally got word from City Hall who rejected the plan until further notice as they were working on a new volunteer strategy.  I really believe they just didn’t look at the plan properly or maybe not even at all. After taking a knock back from City Hall I ploughed on and we received hundreds of nominations.  We are now only weeks away from the ceremony with barely a ticket left and a set of amazing award winners. What can i say.. i know what works!

What’s Next

The Haliwards is in full swing so it’s only a matter of time before we know how successful it will  be but what was meant to be a low key pilot project is turning into quite an event. No complaints though! The Pride of Central Somerset 2010 is already in production and i am working with some members of last years team to put together the first steps.  We are currently taking nominations.

Click here for Part Two

This article is part of a series of posts that will be published during the month of March to celebrate 5 years of award ceremonies directed by Alex Maine. Stay tuned for the next post

Last year Steven Argent founder of the Street-based Orphfund charity, Children’s World, Glastonbury Street Lions club and PCSO Jemma Lawson picked up awards at the ceremony.

“What makes this years awards so special is that i am introducing a transatlantic bond between Central Somerset and Halifax, Nova Scotia” said Alex Maine who is organising the awards.

Mr Maine said in an email from Canada this week that people can make their nominations online at http://alexmaine.net/pocs

I have wanted to say this ever since i raised a glass to toast the success of 2009; the nominations for the Pride of Central Somerset 2010 are now open. Last year POCS was a resounding success and i hope with the help of some dedicated colleagues we will be able to do even better this year. I hope this post will either be something new and exciting to you or a refreshing look at what we have changed to make this year more of a success.

The Pride of Central Somerset is looking for those who are special in our lives. Those who make our community an incredible place to live in. Anyone may make a nomination and anyone may nominate anybody with one simple rule, they must be extraordinary. The Pride of Central Somerset covers Glastonbury, Street, Wells and the surrounding villages. We know that there was a bit of confusion about Wells last year but we want to make it very clear that Wells is included. We should also make you aware that this year we have decided to once again go this alone which means that we will not be working in partnership with Mid Somerset News and Media but we wish them every success with their ongoing projects.

Nominations will work in the same manner as last time. Once we receive all the nominations we will personally look at each one and decide who we feel deserves it the most. Some of you may have noticed that nominations have opened a little later than usual. This is because we didn’t receive many nominations in the past over the Christmas period so we have decided to push everything back by several months. The exact date of the ceremony will be announced a little later this year but nominations will be closing on the 28th February.

I am also very excited to announce that the Pride of Central Somerset now has a sister project running on the other side of the Atlantic. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Haliwards taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Haliwards works exactly the same as POCS just in a different community. You can find out more about this project by visiting the home page.

Lastly I want to mention how POCS is continuing to keep with the times and we welcome you to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

Firstly i would like to begin by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. It seems hard to believe that its been ten years since the millennium. I guess the calendar isn’t lying so it must be true. I am very excited about 2010. It’s rare for me to go into a new year with a project already in motion but i am pleased that the Haliwards made an unexpected comeback in December. The public response to the Haliwards has been overwhelming and talks still continue between me and HRM. It also gives me great pleasure to launch the Pride of Central Somerset 2010 in the next few days. I hope that it will be as successful as last year which really took the project to a new level. It will be a first for me to have two similar projects running with one on either side of the Atlantic.

2010 is not only a year for recurring annual projects it’s also a year to spread by wings and to develop some new ideas. Over the past few months several projects have begun to take shape and are in there very early stages, so early that i have made no public announcements about them.

It’s not only a year for my projects either. I am very much looking forward to working with the Blue Nose Marathon this year. In 2009 i helped co-organize a pre-mixer at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and this year i hope to do the same as well as sit on the Board of Chairs for the Special Events Committee
Between all of this i hope to continue my work with local artists. 2009 introduced some very talented people, including Joe Buck, Adam Sterling and Brittany Wesley. It has been a pleasure listening to their music and i hope to receive more tracks from Haligonian hopefuls throughout the year.

Many of you know through 2009 i participated as a volunteer for many events in the HRM and while i have every intention of doing the same this year i hope that some of your projects may find me. If you have a project in mind and you’re looking for that extra boost in the right direction i would be more than happy to look over your project plan or hear your ideas and offer any ‘injection’ i can.

Best Wishes for 2010,

Alex Maine

I am pleased to say that you can now watch the full length version of the Pride of Central Somerset 2009 online. This is only for people who wish to watch it on the internet and is in low quality for fast loading. This is for anyone on a broadband or higher connection. If you want a full resolution copy please read the details here. You can visit the video homepage @ http://pocs.srv.cc/2009

Well not quite.. Some of you maybe aware that the Pride of Central Somerset 2010 page appeared online yesterday afternoon. There has already been speculation on what will be happening with the event and what our plans are. Well i hope to shed some light on the situation.

Presently i am not planning on returning the the UK until September. Major plans for the POCS 2010 would not really begin until about this time. Sounds perfect huh? Well not really. I don’t know how long i will be staying in the UK when i return. Its highly likely i may change my return date and its also highly likely it will be a flyby visit because i am in the early stages of  setting up a new life here in Nova Scotia, Canada.. but who knows!?

Many of you have probably heard that i was planning on finding another director to take my place and after a lot of thought and consideration that is what i have decided to do. It was something that i was planning on doing for many months now. This is not to say that i wont be involved but i need someone who is ‘inland’ to take some of the strain off me and do things that only can be done on the ground over in the UK. I promised i would not let this project drop and i plan to stick to my guns.

Next question would be i guess “Have i got anyone i mind?” The answer is yes. Several people spring to mind but i don’t want to pick anyone at this early stage. I have decided to open this opportunity to everyone. If you think this is something you would be interested in then please continue to read, if not.. thanks for visiting.

POCS General Director job description:
– Act as a offical spokesperson for the POCS
- Liaise with the media and local people.
- Help build an impressionable image for POCS
- Liaise with the Overseas Head Director (Alex Maine)
- Help with the early stages of production
- Work with local volunteers

Requirements:
- Must be over the age of eighteen
- Must have access to the Internet
- Must have access to home phone

Please bare in mind that this is a voluntary position, you will not be paid in your position but any major expenses will be covered. The chosen applicant will be provided with a reference and a letter of recommendation if they succeed in the position. If you are interested in applying, please send me your details and why you think this will suit you: im@srv.cc

This really is one of those technial term titles, So i will try to explain it a little. As of today April 26th 2009 the photographs and video’s of the Pride of Central Somerset are available to everyone. As you may remember it was only a few weeks ago i was posting about how you can buy the download for the photographs and feature length DVD but there is a signifcant difference.

Today we have made them available for general public documentation meaning that its just for ‘reference to’. The images that you can buy in the download are full quality whereas the public versions have a smal resolution and are only 72dpi plus there are a limited number of umages compare to the download. In the case of the videos its a similar story. We are slowly but surely making the videos of the award presentations available but they are in low quality for the same purpose as i mentioned for the photographs but parts of the ceremony are only available on the DVD. You can view the photographs by visting my flickr account. The videos can be viewed on my official youtube account. Details about POCS 2010 will be announced later this year.

All rights reserved. The photographs are the property of the Pride of Central Somertset ~ alexmaine.com and were repectively taken by Tara MacPhee.

I thought i would feature one of the videos from my YouTube so here is Wells City Band at the Pride of Central Somerset. You can find out more about them by visiting there site.

As of today the Photographs of the Pride of Central Somerset are available for download. You can use transfer them to any device you wish, or take them to a store to have them printed. All images are of at least 2000×2000 and are suitable to print up to poster size. There are over 170 images included in the pack and would be a great gift for anyone who received an award last month.

Pride of Central Somerset – Ceremony Photographs :  £6.99 Click here to buy now

]]> http://alexmaine.net/2009/04/pride-of-central-somerset-photographs-download/feed/ 3 http://alexmaine.net/2009/03/pride-of-central-somerset-video-download/ http://alexmaine.net/2009/03/pride-of-central-somerset-video-download/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:30:30 +0000 Alex http://alexmaine.net/?p=1588 In support of the Martha Care Trust ‘Yellow Day’, as of today the digital copy of the Pride of Central Somerset is available for download. There are two digital products available. All the details for the video ae below, and the photographs download with details will be posted shortly.

Pride of Central Somerset – Ceremony Video
The video is just over 1hr 20mins in length and contains the complete ceremony. The ceremony is made up of 15 award presentations, live music from the Wells City Band and performaces from Georgina Bates and Poppy Lopez. The file is WMV file which can be played back in media player and many other main stream players. It is also suitable to burn to a DVD for personal use only.

The above is screenshots taken from the ceremony video. In support of the Martha Care Trust we are donating 5 pounds of each purchase of this video. Please use the button below to make your purchase. Within 24 hours after payment is received you will receive a link to download the footage. The link will be active for 48hrs.
Pride of Central Somerset – Ceremony Video :  £8.99 Click here to buy now

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