Acklington is the place to live say judges
Acklington is the best village in Northumberland because it has done most to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants, according to the judges of a prestigious competition.
The settlement, with a population of just over 300, got most votes in the Calor Village of the Year® for Northumberland 2007 competition. The village will receive £400 and go forward to the national finals of the competition, which will be judged next year.
The joint runners-up in the county were Wylam and Norham. The event is administered by Community Action Northumberland (CAN) and the chairman of the judges, Mr David Woodard, said that it had been difficult to choose the winner as the three finalists were all doing so much for their communities.
Villages were not judged by what advantages they had but by what they did to improve the quality of life of residents. The guidelines were that judges would be looking for “proactive and caring communities which, irrespective of size, have made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for everyone living there.”
Mr Woodard, a trustee of CAN, said: “We were very impressed at how most of the people in Acklington seemed to be involved in village life. Despite the size of the village and although it might not have the advantages of some places in the county, regarding location and facilities, it has a fantastic community spirit and a real sense of things happening.
“There is so much going on that it is easy to imagine that living there must be very rewarding and fun. We also appreciated the very supportive but informal network that exists for people to help each other, when necessary. From the time you arrive as a newcomer to the village, it would appear that steps are taken to make you feel welcome and part of community life.”
In its application, the village listed some of the residents who contributed to making it so distinctive, as well as giving examples of the activities organised by the Acklington Community Team (ACT), including social evenings, events to improve the environment and others arranged to involve families, children and older people.
John Davison from ACT said of the village’s success: “This achievement acknowledges the very special community spirit that exists in Acklington. We may not have a village shop any more but we have many things that other villages do not. We have a unique place made up of interesting and special people. We have a history to be proud of and vibrant and caring community. We are so pleased that this has been recognised.”
Villages could opt to be judged on up to four aspects of rural village life – people, business, environment and communications. They were invited, also, to describe in fewer than 500 words what makes their village a special place.
It is the 11th annual Calor Village of the Year® competition and the third time that settlements in Northumberland have had the opportunity to enter.
