Your Westerham - The Future
At the end of 2008, Westerham Parish Council in conjunction
with
Kent Rural Towns asked for volunteers to get involved with
their
Healthcheck process for our town.
The group gave this project the title
The aim of our Healthcheck is to analyse the town's strengths
and weaknesses, to consult with everyone who would like to add their
voice, and to identify projects which might qualify for funding - and
to try to build a collaborative vision of an even better Westerham.
...and then help to make it happen.
Final Report - April 2010
To download the Final Report, which will be presented at the Annual Parish Meeting in Westerham Hall on 12th May click here (It may take a few seconds to download).
To read the Village Design Statement, created by the Westerham Society in 2000, which is referred to in the above report, click here.
The Healthcheck Process during 2008/09
A small
group of new volunteers and parish councillors jointly held a public
launch meeting in October 2008 where we talked about the process and
dragooned a few more wonderful folk to join the ‘health
check’ team.
We began, as other towns have done before us, by undertaking a series of surveys. Our volunteers split into four groups to pull together a wealth of detailed information about the ‘health’ of Westerham’s: economy, social & Community arrangements, transport, and environment.
A steering group was established in October 2009 and Lesley Moore was
invited to co-ordinate the activity of the workgroups. Lesley later
agreed to also chair a steering group for the health check process,
which is made up of the key/lead volunteers from the workgroups, some
parish councillors, colleagues from Kent Rural Towns, and anyone else
who wishes to become involved and contribute.
At the Rotary Fair on The Green 2009...
Much
great work has been taking place in-between group meetings, lead by the
volunteers with energy and enthusiasm to make things happen. Great new
connections between organisations are being established and the
advantages of collaboration between individuals; small organisations,
public bodies and private businesses are already being enjoyed and put
to good use.
Amongst the most exciting developments are:
- The aspiration for Westerham to become a Transition Town:
e.g. improving our environment by having traffic that causes less
trouble/local product sourcing etc.
Find out more at: www.transitiontowns.org
- The emerging collaborative culture in which people communicate, co-ordinate;supporting traders and businesses, the activities of our many societies and clubs and this volunteer group Your Westerham-The Future.
For further reading...
- The KRT Healthcheck Handbook Healthcheck Handbook
- Data Sources Guide for Healthcheck Questionnaires Data Sources Handbook
Other towns which have undertaken the Healthcheck process
- Edenbridge
- Hawkhurst see Hawkhurst website and also Summary Document
- Faversham Final Report
- Tenterden Website
