Category Winners

Northchapel - Southern England

The West Sussex village of Northchapel is situated north of Midhurst, close to the Surrey border, and has a population of around 850. Northchapel is an active, well-integrated village with excellent communication. A welcome pack provides newcomers with information about the facilities and services available in the village and a monthly magazine is produced in conjunction with a neighbouring parish, which gives contact details for the clubs, organisations and sporting activities on offer.

Groups ranging from a dog training club to a bowls club make good use of Northchapel’s village hall which is welcoming and well used. Residents are starting initial investigations into the refurbishment of the hall and a project team has been established to look into this further. If plans progress, they will include the provision of better facilities for disabled users of the hall. Other facilities in the village include a sports club and pavilion, a workingmen’s club and a school swimming pool which is open to all residents during the summer holidays.

Residents of all ages are well served by Northchapel’s facilities, but the village’s younger residents are particularly well catered for. The village has addressed the needs of children of all ages. The local primary school has a school council and a parish councilor has carried out a survey in order to gather the ideas and opinions of young residents so that they can be incorporated into any future developments in the village. If the refurbishment of the village hall goes ahead, a great deal of thought will be given to the facilities which can be provided for young people.