A CAMPAIGN to find the country's best sporting destination could see the Cotswolds as a viable contender.

VisitEngland has just launched the initiative and Cotswolds Tourism Partnership is urging residents and visitors to take a photograph of their favourite local sporting venue and upload it on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #HomeOfSport , together with a snappy sentence about the location of the venue, and why it’s the best sporting destination in England.

Approved nominations will appear on a national sports wall at www.englandhomeofsport.com and will be entered into a prize draw to win a selection of sporting experiences.

Local choices may be the Cotswold Olimpicks or even football in the Windrush, for instance as well as a wide range of venues hosting triathlon, football, swimming, cricket, gliding, tennis and many other events.

The campaign is underway now and closes at midnight on August 31, after which an expert panel will work through the nominations to establish a shortlist of sporting hubs which will be vying for the national title. The public will then be invited to vote for the shortlisted contenders on September 16, and the destination that receives the highest number of votes will be announced as England’s Home of Sport on October 23. Criteria for the winning destination will include: breadth of sporting experiences, diverse and beautiful backdrops and interesting sports trivia or claims to fame.

Cotswold District’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Partnerships, Cllr Chris Hancock, is confident that the Cotswolds will stand out as a #HomeOfSport contender:

“The Cotswolds has a fantastic sporting heritage, ranging from traditional gatherings to internationally acclaimed events. In fact, the many sports events we stage at the grass roots level can be wonderful opportunities to inspire the sports stars of tomorrow and enable spectators to see greatness in the making.”

Susie Hunt, Partnership Manager for Cotswolds Tourism, is hoping for lots of entries from the Cotswolds:

“We’re the home of world class sporting venues like Cheltenham Racecourse as well as smaller, more quirky venues and a whole host of smaller, village sporting events too. It would be wonderful if the Cotswolds could add VisitEngland’s best sporting destination to the long list of reasons why people should visit us.”