Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire

Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire, has won the Communications category for the East England region of the 2008 Calor Village of the Year® award.

The Cambridgeshire village of Little Paxton has a population of approximately 3,000 and is situated just north of St Neots.

A strong, proactive Parish Council leads a vibrant community in Little Paxton, with plenty going on for all groups and excellent utilisation of grant funding.

The community life of the village has been revitalised in the past few years. This started with a campaign to retain the doctors’ surgery in the village, which really captured the imagination of villagers.

A desire to celebrate the success of this campaign resulted in the community’s first Party in the Park. This has now become an annual event which is much anticipated by all residents.

A Parish Plan has also focussed attention on many other areas within the community and the Parish Council has an action plan on achieving quality status. This has greatly improved communications between the Parish Council and the village as a whole.

Environmentally Little Paxton is particularly successful. The focus of much of the environmental activity within the village is Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, which is an excellent example of what can be done with determination and a strong band of volunteers.

The Reserve covers 185 acres of lakes, riverside, meadow, reed bed, scrub and woodland and much of it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

Enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, the large number of people that visit the Reserve each year puts a great deal of pressure on Paxton Pits. This is relieved to a great extent by the hard work of the group, Friends of Paxton Pits.

The allotments in Little Paxton are also well managed and the Gardeners’ Club is well supported. The village school has an environmental area and as part of an eco-schools campaign the use of water and electricity are monitored with the aim of decreasing overall usage.

The village’s younger residents have also displayed posters encouraging residents to do the same in their own homes.