Legacy

It’s almost the end of the year and that always makes us look back: what happened, what didn’t happen, why and why not… We all do it. Villages Together is no different. This autumn we’ve done a spot of reviewing what Villages Together is about, who we’re ‘for’ and how things can be better and more effective. That isn’t just about what has gone before, but about what is to come. The Villages Together Partnership is with us until 2024/5 and whilst that might seem a way off we know it will soon come around and then, if we’re not careful, we’ll be thinking, “Crikey, what was that?”

This is why we are always considering what we call our Legacy in Villages Together. It isn’t just process of finding ways to spend money, but looking at how what we do will have a lasting and positive effect on the villages. Our legacy, as individuals or as groups, is not what we might always think about when we go about our daily tasks, but it is a very important part of Villages Together. Our hope is that once all the work is done in these first ten years (it all began properly in 2014/5) there will be people, organisations and facilities in the villages that remind us of what we have done. But more importantly, we hope there will be a sense of change that has given everyone a sense of involvement, value and purpose that can be traced back to how influential Villages Together was/will be/has been.

It’s not a tangible thing just yet. But it is where we are all heading and I ask, as Project lead for Villages Together, that you consider how you might be able to join in building our legacy. Villages Together is most definitely not about just finding ways to spend money. It is about encouraging everyone to find ways to share in what we already have as villages, and to look at how all of that might be strengthened, deepened and encouraged to thrive.

If you want to join in or just fancy a chat about what it is all about, give me a call: 07970 936325 or office@purwool.org.uk.

Our next Partnership meeting is 22nd January. 7pm. Probably in Puriton Village Hall (to be confirmed…)

Have a very joyful and hope-filled Christmas.