Many thanks to all who attended last week’s Annual Village Meeting. It was wonderful to see so many residents, hear your questions, and share updates on the Parish Council’s achievements over the past year and our priorities for the year ahead.
We were delighted to welcome newly elected West Sussex County Councillor Mel Winn and Mid Sussex District Councillor Jenny Edwards, who both work on Ardingly’s behalf. A helpful summary of the areas of responsibility for each level of government can be found below this article. We also heard presentations from Ardingly College on developments at the Reservoir Activity Centre, and from the South of England Agricultural Society on its charitable work supporting rural communities. All presentations are available here. Our thanks go to all those who gave up their time to attend and answer questions – it is greatly appreciated.
One of the highlights of the evening was presenting the 2026 Parish Council Community Award, which recognises the unsung heroes of the village who make a real difference to village life.
This year’s award was presented to Deb Ruse in recognition of her many years of service and contribution to numerous village organisations, including her role as Brown Owl within the Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, her leadership of the Village Lunch, and her involvement with Ardingly Connected Together, the Evening WI, Meeting Point, St Peter’s Church, and the Family Support Group.
On behalf of the Parish Council and the wider village community, we would also like to offer Deb our sincere personal thanks for the care, kindness and dedication she has shown over so many years. Her commitment to supporting others and bringing people together has made a lasting difference to village life and is deeply appreciated.
We would also like to congratulate and thank the other nominees while respecting that some preferred not to be publicly featured:
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Kathy James – Founder of the Community Choir and for her extensive contribution to village life, including her work with St Peter’s Primary School Board of Governors, St Peter’s Church, and Ardingly Connected Together.
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Kay Miller-Porter – For dedication and contribution to the Beavers and community spirit.
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Lauren Miller – For dedication and contribution to the Beavers.
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Tammy Nelson – Founder of the Community Choir.
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Igor Srzic-Cartledge – For creating many community-focused opportunities for villagers to connect and engage with one another through Dandelion Style.
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Charissa Turner – Chair of St Peter’s Pre-school.
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Becky West – Founder of the Ardingly Village News Facebook group, which became an essential platform for village communication, and for personal support shown to others in difficult times.
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Alison Winser – Founder of the women’s Ardingly Stoolball Team.
All of the nominees should be incredibly proud of the contributions they have made to our village. We thank each and every one of them for their dedication, kindness and community spirit, and look forward to receiving nominations again next year.
Best wishes,
Ardingly Parish Council
