By Maria Kastner

EDINGTON Parish Council has been handed a cheque for over £1,000 to help it maintain and improve the village's much-loved village pond.

On Monday, June 5, the Wessex Water Community Grid Award was granted to parish councillor Geoffrey Lupton, who applied for the award on behalf of the parish council.

The cheque for £1,030 award will go towards the conservation of the pond, which has played an important role in establishing Edington as one of the best kept villages in west Wiltshire, coming third overall in the county-wide competition last year.

Mr Lupton said: “Winning this Grid Community Award means we can get the job done in time for summer and hopefully in time for judging Best Kept Village in Wiltshire.”

The restoration of the pond will include the cutting back of overhanging beech trees, the clearing of weeds that cause the pond to be stagnant, and the planting of shrubs to attract insect life and oxygenate the pond.

“The pond gives the village a central focus. A village pond is really an attractive feature, so we wanted to save this pleasant addition of the village, that, with the new ducklings, is really rather enchanting.” Said Libby Symon, of Wessex Water.

“As important as money is, it is the will power to do the job that is most important, and Edington has that”.

The Grid Community Awards are now in their second year and provide funds for projects that will help the environment and wildlife on land where Wessex Water’s new infrastructure engineering works are.

The Watermark Award provides funds for environmental projects within the Wessex Water area.

Now in its twenty third year, it has supported over 900 environmental initiatives.