Best Kept Village 2024

ALDBROUGH ST JOHN WINS BEST KEPT VILLAGE 2024

For 16 years now Richmond Rotary Club has organised a Best Kept Village award and this year’s winner is Aldbrough St John. New entrant (since 2019) Skeeby also received a prize, and for the first time this year, funding for saplings was awarded to West Scrafton and East Witton in recognition of how their villages had enhanced the environment to encourage nature. Fifteen villages took part this year and the overall standard was judged to be extremely high.

Rotarian Jos Huddleston, who organised the event praised the hard work and creativity of all participants, and explained the way the wide-ranging contest works:

‘We send out judges to all the villages during the same two weeks in July, and they score each village on fifteen criteria ranging from public spaces and private gardens to the condition of bus shelters, shops, guest houses, inns and the encouragement of wildlife.  Villages without some features are not penalised. After the first scoring a second visit by different judges is organised to the front runners to be sure that the scores are fair’, he

said. This year we introduced a special focus on environmental provision for wildlife.’

Receiving the winning prize of £400, Chair of Aldbrough St John Parish Council, Mike Banks said, ‘Thank you to the Richmond Rotary Club for giving their time and donating prizes, and also a big thanks to the villagers for keeping our Village looking so beautiful all year round.’

Richmond Rotary Club President, Mac Bryant, presented a cheque to Aldbrough St John this week and said that he was delighted that the competition encouraged so many people to participate and take pride in their locality. ‘There is every reason to be proud of the area where we live and all our beautiful villages well deserve the recognition that Rotary gives them through this annual competition.’

Further information is available from:

Jos Huddleston Phone: 01748 822816 Mobile: 07507 738441.

Mac Bryant Phone: 01325 377746 Mobile: 07803 239870