Show your love for county

ARE you proud to live or work in Bedford-shire?

The county council wants everyone to have pride in their county and has launched its We Love Bedfordshire campaign.

Residents are being asked why they love Bedfordshire via the county council's website.

It wants to hear the best stories, anecdotes, and receive pictures and other contributions to be used in a book entitled We Love Bedfordshire, edited by the council's resident author John Pilgrim.

Cllr Madeline Russell, leader of the council, explained: "I have lived most of my life in Bedfordshire and am immensely proud of my home county.

"That is what motivates me in my role leading the community, and what drives me to run the very best, efficient services for the people of Bedfordshire.

"Pollsters Ipsos-MORI has said that Bedfordshire has been guilty of underselling itself in the past. Well, now the secret is out.

"We want to shout about things that make our county great and we want people to live here to shout about why they love Bedfordshire too.

"The county council is proud of Bedfordshire and we want everybody that lives, works or visits the county to feel the same.

"Our vision for Bedfordshire is to make Bedfordshire thrive and we want to take every opportunity to tell you how we are delivering that vision and making a difference in each of Bedfordshire's communities."

Council chief executive Andrea Hill said: "This campaign is all about raising Bedfordshire's identity, to put it on the map as a great place to lives, work and visit.

"We are ambitious for Bedfordshire and all our communities and want to shout about the pride we have in our county.

"In the past Bedfordshire has suffered from a lack of recognition and so people have rated other counties more favourably. That's changing and this campaign will help raise the county's profile."

The campaign will be advertised on the sides of buses and on bus shelters, and there will be an array of roadshows around the county.

If you want to contribute to the book, log on to the council's website on www.bedfordshire.gov.uk and click into We Love Bedfordshire and file your contribution.