WRITTLE's COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

In the 1960's, when Writtle was beginning to expand, the newcomers were able to join the existing community of villagers born and bred and to find all their needs supplied by the traditional village shops on the Green, from the village newsagent and hardware chandler to the several butchers, greengrocers and general stores. Coming into being at this stage, both the Community Association and Longmeads Community Centre were able to involve the developing community in a variety of well supported events and activities that reflected the changes that were taking place while retaining the sense of everyone being part of a local community.

SINCE THEN . . .

In the following decades Writtle, like every other community in the country, has been subject to the rapid and developing changes that have (and are) taking place in the modern world. Here, the continuing influx of new residents along with the increasing need to commute further distances for work and the disappearance of our village shops following the advent of out of town superstores have combined to blur our collective 'sense of place'. Added to this, the car culture and proliferation of stay-at-home media entertainment have, as everywhere, tended for us to become more isolated from those around us and for society to become increasingly atomised. As a result of these and many other developments, our sense of community has become increasingly fragile and, consequently, during this period, the Community Association has found it increasingly difficult to fulfil its purpose.

HOWEVER. . .

Despite having to weather all these wider changes, and due in no small part to the Writtle Parish Council and Writtle Society, Writtle still retains its village character and status and, surrounded as we are by open countryside, all of us living here must surely value the fact that Writtle has withstood the threat of becoming absorbed into the homogenous suburbia of the growing commuter belt. Recognising this, surely each and all of us should now look to regenerating that sense of community in which all of us share and from which each of us can only benefit.

In keeping with the purpose for which it came into being, the Writtle Community Association is now setting itself forward to provide the opportunity for all Writtle residents to help regenerate that active, participatory village community life that we have been at risk of letting go.

To that end, and following the recent village Public Meeting, several working groups of residents have come together to rejuvenate the Longmeads House and grounds, replenish its funding and prepare a programme of events and activities in which all residents, old and young can come together. If you'd like to give a hand, leave a message via the Home Page on this website.