In January, we at Advertiser HQ were shocked when we saw that Andover had been named as one of the worst places to live in England.

It was ranked the 22nd worst place in a survey by the satirical website I Live Here, with one person even describing Andover as “the most depressing place in the northern hemisphere”.

We couldn’t disagree more. We believe Andover is a great place to live, full of wonderful people, a host of brilliant independent businesses, and a community spirit that other towns could only dream of.

So as voting opens for the next ‘awards’, we at the Advertiser have decided to take matters into our own hands. Today, we launch the Andover Appreciation Campaign, which aims to highlight why Andover is a great place to live.

One of the most qualified people to sing Andover’s praises is Ben Walton. The businessman who runs Ben’s Quality Dry Cleaners on Union Street, grew up in the town and has been in business here for 19 years. Most recently, he was awarded the Attitude of Gratitude prize.

He said the town has seen many changes, but “through all the changes the heart and soul of the town has remained”.

“That is the kindness, supportiveness and caring nature of the community. I’ve undertaken many charity and fund raising events over the years, individually, as part of Andover RoundTable, in teams with friends, in teams of local businesses and with other groups like Anton Rotary and the response and support from the community is always strong and committed.

“The streets are always lined for the carnival, the high street is packed for the Christmas lights switch on and even when the local dry cleaner dresses as Pudsey bear and irons on the roof of the Guildhall or spends 75 hour ironing non stop in Asda the people of Andover come out and show their support. This is huge testament to the people of Andover and the community spirit we have.”

And Attitude of Gratitude campaigner, Manuela Wahnon also had plenty of positivity to spread about the town.

She said that it’s “the people that make a community” and the ‘spirit of Andover’ can be found in everyone who volunteers and helps out.

Manuela added: “On the odd occasion when there are acts of anti-social behaviour or vandalism it still shocks and is discussed. Whereas in cities and other places, crime passes as the norm.

“Our town is a multicultural tolerant place to live in, with churches and mosques that accommodate all faiths.

“Watching news films and soaps, where lawlessness passes for normality, just reinforces my belief that our town is a pretty safe place to live in, when compared to other areas in the UK.

“Amongst many other things, I’m grateful for our parks, rivers, markets, theatre, cinema, bingo hall, sport centre, railway station, bus station, police station, fire station, ambulance station, schools, colleges, nurseries, cemeteries, and a crematorium. You could in essence start your life here and earn your own forever home here too.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Rush, a resident of the town for 20 years and recently winner of the Spirit of Andover award, listed some of the reasons he loves the town.

“Its location, surrounded by lush green countryside, its quaint High Street thriving with independent retailers, its theatre bringing culture and humour to the centre of our town, and the number of groups that exist to make it an even better place to live.

“However, for me, Andover is all about community. A place is not defined by its history and landmarks but by the people that live in it. Andover has a multi-cultural society that often come together to achieve great things. As a whole they support each other and look out for each other, and this has been made even more obvious through current time.

“You only need to see the shortlist of nominees at The Pride of Andover to see what amazing things some amazing people do for their community. And there are so many unsung heroes who just go out of their way to make our town an even better place to live. Every place will attract negativity, but Andover oozes positivity.”