THE SECRETARY of an ancient Ryedale educational trust was rewarded for her 22 years service when she was presented with two paintings.

Evelyn Magson, of Appleton-le-Street, has helped mastermind numerous projects aided by the Amotherby Educational Trust, which dates back to 1725 and which earns its income from a 20-acre field at Swinton.

Originally, rent from the field, which has its origins in the Enclosure Acts, was used to pay the salary of the schoolmaster at Amotherby, said Mrs Magson, but when an educational board was set up, it paid his salary and the money from the field rent was invested.

However then, as now, only the interest can be spent and it must be used to aid educational projects in the parishes of Amotherby, Appleton-le-Street, Swinton, Broughton and Easthorpe, said Mrs Magson.

Anyone under 25 living in the villages can benefit from the trust which is able to provide between £4,000 and £5,000 towards a wide range of educational needs. One of its latest was to aid the provision of a state-of-the-art IT suite at Amotherby School.

The trust also benefited from the sale many years ago of the school house and rooms at Amotherby which saw the proceeds invested.

Today the trust benefits children studying music and students going to university as part of its grant-aiding, said Mrs Magson. She took on the job of secretary when she was secretary at Amotherby school and clerk to the governors.

A stalwart of village life, she was also churchwarden and secretary of the parochial church council at All Saints, Appleton, and St Helen's, Amotherby, for several years.

The new secretary of the trust is Mrs Joy Shallcross of Wood House Farm, Coneysthorpe.

Charles Allenby, the chairman of the trustees, said Mrs Magson, who was presented with paintings of Helmsley and Hutton-le-Hole to mark her retirement, said: "She has been a great worker for the trust. It benefits many people and we are proud it has been kept going successfully for so many years."

Updated: 11:16 Thursday, March 28, 2002