THE village which gave us the historic railway trials and the last steam train has scooped another unique achievement by having the first parish council to be awarded the Charter Mark.

Rainhill Parish Council is also one of the smaller organisations to be awarded the award for providing an "excellent public service."

The Charter Mark Assessor said the parish council, with its 14 members and one part-time clerk, gave good value for money for its £40,000-a-year budget. It was also highly commended for its annual report and newsletter which its produces to all 4,609 properties in Rainhill.

Clerk David Blanchflower is the main employee who works 20 hours a week and uses his Bootle home as an office. The parish council was established in 1894 and for many years has been a strong supporter of local voluntary organisations and maintains strong links with these bodies, providing both financial and moral support.

Last year the parish council embarked on a series of environmental improvements which included tree-planting in local primary schools and flower troughs and seating in the village. Last October saw new childrens' play equipment being installed and almost 22 per cent of the council's budget goes on supporting the village hall.

Parish council chairman, Brian Heydon says: "Our success in winning the Charter Mark is entirely due to the dedication of our clerk and the numerous Rainhill organisations who work closely with us."

Vice-chairman, and deputy leader of St Helens Council, Mike Doyle added: "We have over 100 years proven track record of succeeding in providing for the needs of Rainhill residents by an active community based policy and I am extremely proud to be associated with another first for Rainhill."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.