Having been associated with the village of Rainford through employment and settlement since 1966, it was both an honour and a privilege to accept the invitation to become Chairman of the Parish Council for the year 2011-2012.

Rainford is a fantastic place to live and has the right blend of light industry and farming.  Its people are also an asset and I am grateful to them for their support as I carry out my duties as Chairman.

Rainford is more than just a village, with the outlying areas of Crank, Kings Moss, St Helens Road and the North End all playing their part in making the community a vibrant place to live.

There are also many facilities available for children and young people, such as football, cricket, tennis, karate club and rock music tuition.  Guides, Brownies, Scouts and Boys Brigade also flourish and our senior citizens are not forgotten with lunches, parties etc.

The Christian community is well represented through Churches Together in Rainford, which brings Anglicans, Roman Catholics and Non-Conformists together in a common cause.

Our schools are among the best in the borough of St Helens.

Many Rainfordians who leave the area do come ‘back home’ at some stage in their lives, proving that you can take the person out of Rainford but you cannot take Rainford out of the person.

Long may it continue.

Councillor Allan Jones

Chairman, Rainford Parish Council