Category Winners

Wasdale - Northern England

The parish of Wasdale in Cumbria is a tiny community with just 73 residents. Because of its small size, Wasdale does not have a Parish Council; however, this is very much seen as one of the community’s strengths. All decisions for the village are discussed as a community and details of parish meetings are delivered personally to every resident, with everyone urged to attend. This way of dealing with village matters has resulted in the creation of a very strong community spirit in Wasdale. Newcomers are always visited and made to feel welcome. They are also supplied with a comprehensive directory of facilities, services and activities, which provides all the information one might need when moving to a new area, including information on health services, education, transport, shops, trades people and local events.

Wasdale has recently completed a Parish Plan. This document is very important to the community because it contains the aspirations of residents who were all given the opportunity to contribute to its creation. There is an action plan included within the document which is now being used to ensure that plans are being implemented as funds become available. Environmental factors feature very prominently in the action plan. Wasdale is located within a glacial valley, surrounded by soaring fells, all of which fall within the boundaries of the Lake District National Park. Because of this magnificent location, environment is a key issue for residents.

Regular litter clearance, bulb planting and improvement of the village green are amongst the many environmental goals already achieved by Wasdale’s residents. Plans for the future include the creation of paths suitable for wheelchair access, tree planting to encourage wildlife and the replacement of plastic road signs with traditional versions.