The Made in Ross artists are among the finalists for this year’s Visit Herefordshire Awards for Excellence. The team, who display their artwork in the Market House, have been shortlisted in the ‘Best Visitor Attraction’ category.

As Made in Ross are finalists in the awards, they will automatically either be commended, highly commended or the overall category winner.

Eleanor Kercher, the group’s Chair, and Chris Champness, the secretary, will be attending the ceremony at Eastnor Castle on Tuesday, September 20th.

Chris Champness, the group’s secretary, said that being a finalist for the Awards for Excellence means a great deal to the artists. She said: “It means what we struggled to achieve has been recognised.”

She added that the Made in Ross artists have aimed to create a visitor attraction in the town, to pull in visitors. She added that although many of their visitors are complimentary, many people do not realise there is an art gallery inside the Market House, and the award would help to raise their profile, not only in Ross, but in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Frances Warren, another member of the art collective, told the Gazette that being a finalist for the Best Visitor Attraction was an accolade for everything the group had set up, and also for Ross Town Council and the Courtyard, for believing in the group, and bringing them in to the Market House.