Antrobus - Winner of Two Awards

Geographically Antrobus is a large village spread over a wide area; however, this has not affected its community life which remains inclusive, vibrant and active. Many successful community projects have been completed by villagers over recent years to the benefit of everyone. These include an affordable housing scheme, the establishment of a community shop, and the retention of the village Post Office to name but a few.

Antrobus Community Shop, the only one of its kind in Cheshire and Lancashire, is open seven days a week for a total of 43 hours. It’s run entirely by volunteers and all profits are re-invested back into the community. Since its opening in November 2003, over £7,000 has been provided from the shop’s profits to support groups and activities in the village.

Antrobus’ village hall is another impressive community project. Built on land donated by a local farmer, and funded by money raised through community projects, the hall was built by local volunteer labour. Registered as a charity, the hall is managed and run by trustees, committee members and bar staff all of whom work on a voluntary basis. The adjoining playground is also in existence thanks to the efforts of villagers, this time by the local mums who raised funds and worked with the Parish Council to obtain grants. It was then designed by the children attending the local school.

The older residents of Antrobus make a significant contribution to all village activities. The village’s Friendship Club has been established specifically with older people in mind, and meets an important social need. There is also good informal support for older people as and when required, for example a village charity offers financial aid for those in need and all requests are treated with strict confidentiality.

In terms of its environmental achievements, Antrobus is also extremely successful. This is particularly noticeable in the work of Antrobus Heritage, a voluntary group, which started a five year plan in 2003 to enhance the flora of the parish. To date, 190 trees and about 50 young wildflower plants have been planted, and a significant amount of time is dedicated to maintenance. As the project has progressed, other landowners have also been encouraged to plant their own trees and the knock-on effects have been widespread.

The village of Antrobus is situated in north Cheshire and has a population of just over 800.

Visit the Antrobus web site at www.antrobusvillagehall.com