SKELTON (YORK) VILLAGE TRUST

Committee Membership
Can I encourage members old and new to consider joining the Village Trust committee?

Like any other, our organisation depends for its vitality on supplies of new ideas and fresh perspectives. We are eleven in number –including officers –and members usually serve for three or four years. We meet about six times a year on a weekday evening for a generally lively discussion and to plan forthcoming activities. Whilst committee members undertake these activities, none is particularly time consuming.

Committee members’ interests range from local history to plants and trees, from arranging publicity to monitoring planning applications, and we all lend a hand at events.

So………if you feel you would like to contribute to the well being of Skelton, here’s one way of doing so.

Whilst the new committee will not be formally confirmed until our AGM in May why not act now – before this newsletter gets binned. Please feel free to contact me or any committee member by phone or email to express your interest. We look forward to hearing from you.

BENCHES

During the summer
 the benches on, and in the vicinity of,
The Green were refurbished and repainted
 by
committee members.
The benches are used
by
 residents and visitors alike
and are, once again,
a credit to our village.

ORCHARD VIEW HEDGE

Members of the Trust started in February to improve the hedge facing Orchard View.
The work, which was funded
by
York Community Pride Challenge Fund,
has involved removal of the old hedge, replacement of the fence,
sowing a grass and wildflower seed mix
and the planting of a wildlife-friendly hedge. The wildflowers
may take two years to establish fully
but we should then have
 approx 50 different wildflowers to enjoy. The planting of new trees
with an emphasis
on
Autumnal colour or fruit for wildlife
will complete the project.

Trees and Bulb Planting

This year we have added variety to our plantings by including both snowdrops and crocuses to our annual daffodil plantings. The former have been kindly donated by York City Council. Further new plantings of trees are planned for the village during the course of the coming year.

Archive
In mid October the village school held a parent’s afternoon. Since the village Archive is kept in the school –and used by the teachers and pupils - we decided to mount a display of some of the contents. Members of the History Group and the Trust were on hand to talk to visitors and were encouraged by the considerable amount of interest shown.

Christmas Tree
By the time you read this we hope to have erected a Christmas tree in the churchyard in conjunction with the Parochial Church Council. We have felt for some time that the village should have a Christmas tree and this is our first attempt. Siting such a tree is fraught with obstacles but at last we have made a start!

Speaker Evenings - Looking Ahead:

Wednesday 23 February Speaker and Social Evening

Our speaker is Russell Hollowood who is Exhibition Developer at the National Railway Museum. His subject is ‘The Victorian Railway World’ including the giant characters, amazing achievements and shocking low life of the Victorian railway scene!  Tickets will be available from committee members and the village shop in early February.

Wednesday 11 May AGM  
Following the business of the AGM there will be a presentation by Philip Thake who is Chief Executive of the York Conservation Trust. More details in due course.

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NEWS