Community and local organisations

The Esk Valley is a living community of farms, villages and small businesses, not a theme park. These are some of the organisations that keep it going, and that visitors can support or join.

Esk Valley News

Esk Valley News is the valley's own newspaper, produced by volunteers and delivered to homes from Commondale to Whitby, with village news, what's on, church and chapel notices and the small ads that tell you which pub has a quiz on Thursday. Copies are sold in the village shops.

Esk Valley Railway Development Company

The EVRDC is the community rail partnership for the Middlesbrough to Whitby line. It looks after the stations with volunteer adopters, produces the walk leaflets and line guide, campaigns for better services and organises events on the railway. Anyone can join.

Esk Valley Theatre

Esk Valley Theatre stages a professional production every August at the Robinson Institute in Glaisdale, and has done since 2005.

The Moors National Park Centre

The national park's centre at Danby runs volunteering programmes, guided walks, talks and family events, and is the place to ask about the park's work on the river, the moors and the pearl mussel.

Village halls and institutes

Most villages have a hall or institute that hosts shows, markets, quoits suppers, film nights and the agricultural show committees: the Robinson Institute at Glaisdale, the village halls at Castleton, Danby, Lealholm, Egton Bridge, Grosmont, Goathland and Sleights among them. Notices are on village boards and in Esk Valley News.

Agricultural shows and traditions

The Danby, Egton, Glaisdale and Castleton shows, the Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show, the Goathland Plough Stots and the Danby Court Leet are all run by volunteers and welcome visitors. See what's on.

Parish councils

The villages are governed by parish and town councils, including Danby Group Parish Council (Danby, Castleton, Commondale, Westerdale and Ainthorpe), Glaisdale, Egton, Grosmont, Goathland, Eskdaleside cum Ugglebarnby (Sleights and Ruswarp) and Whitby Town Council. Minutes and contacts are on the village noticeboards.

Run a local group we have missed? Let us know.