COMMUNITY projects from across North Craven were recognised and rewarded in the Village Ventures 1998 Competition, run by the Rural Community Council and backed by Royal Mail.

And Bentham's Looking Well community arts centre project scooped second place overall.

The contest attracted 70 entries from across North Yorkshire, and the judges, led by Ken Hounsome, praised the hundreds of people involved in the projects for the generosity of spirit in working voluntarily to support their communities.

The original list of entries was reduced to a shortlist of 12 and, from that, the first, second and third places were decided.

Top honours went to the Castle Bolton and Redmire Post Office and Village Shop Project, which narrowly beat the Looking Well project into second place.

Judge Lyn Ashcroft described the Looking Well as being "warm, welcoming and inviting". She also praised the Mucky Buckets play mat, which was featured in the Herald some weeks ago, and the exchange of skills within the Bentham community that the project had promoted.

And there was more good news for the Looking Well, for it also won the special Royal Mail Educational Award, chosen by the sponsors.

Alex Davidson, of the Royal Mail, spoke warmly of the Looking Well's achievements before handing a plaque and certificate to Lynda Wigley, chairman of the Looking Well board, who represented the group at the presentation ceremony.

Alison Jones, who runs the Looking Well, and her colleagues were unable to attend the presentation because it fell the night before Bentham's community bonfire, in which the Looking Well was heavily involved.

However, she and everyone else connected with the project were delighted with the award.

Alison told the Herald: "It was really nice to win something, and Lynda said that the awards ceremony was a heartwarming occasion.

"The judges who spoke said that the Looking Well was community grown and had a really positive and good atmosphere.

"It does make a difference to be recognised, and we are very, very pleased."

The Looking Well won a total of £400 which will be put towards providing a disabled toilet and a chimney on the building, and the users are also going to have a celebration party, as this is the first award the Looking Well has won.

Two other North Craven schemes - the Settle Sheep Shambles Steering Group and the Village Green Restoration Fund at Selside - were highly commended by the judges, and among the nine runners up was the Long Preston Playing Fields Association.

Other local projects which received certificates of merit were: Langcliffe Village Hall Teas, Horton-in-Ribblesdale's Thursday Club, Oscar's Kids' Club at Settle, Cowling's Pinnacle Productions, and the Rylstone and Cracoe District War Memorial Hut.

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