Over the past few months we’ve been constantly bombarded with buzzwords like ‘equality’, ‘inclusion’ and most of all, ‘legacy’, defined in the Collins English Dictionary as ‘something handed down by an ancestor or predecessor’.  Inspire a generation was a brilliant piece of marketing which not only helped London win the 2012 Olympic Games but provides a pillar of hope on which our ailing nation can aspire to build upon well beyond the games.

However, as much as many of us were inspired by the accomplishments of our nation’s athletes, if we truly want to inspire a generation then it needs to begin closer to home.  It needs to begin within our local community.

For the past four and a half years it has been the vision of a few to serve the many residents of Great Witchingham who have endured the gradual decline and eventual loss of their Memorial Hall, playground facilities and more recently the destruction of their local post office at the hands of petty thieves.  A community such as Great Witchingham thrives on friendships and mutual respect for one another.   However, without any facilities in which to gather and grow, community spirit can be stifled.  Therefore, we need to put in place the infrastructure to enable not only the nurturing of friendships but also to provide the opportunity to learn new skills, improve one’s health and to enrich one’s mind.

This project is not just about the bricks and mortar but about building relationships, stretching people’s horizons, inspiring each and every generation.  We need to inspire our elderly neighbours, encouraging them to make new friendships, to experience new activities, to be served upon, valued and loved.  We must also provide for our young people, inspiring them to learn new skills by providing them with a community facility to be proud of; somewhere to exercise, to play competitive sport or to simply hang out with their friends in a safe, welcoming environment.  The ever growing number of families with young children living in Great Witchingham wish to be able to enjoy child centred activities and play facilities without having to get in their cars and drive to a neighbouring village.

That leaves the rest of us. Every resident of Great Witchingham deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential.  A new modern village hall at the heart of our community will enable them to do so.  Creating a focal point for the community to meet will help us all to grow in relational maturity so that we can in turn demonstrate to our children what it means to be a good neighbour.  If we are to inspire a generation at the grassroots level then we need to encourage different generations to mix together, to learn and to enter into dialogue with each other so that mutual respect becomes a hallmark of our community.

‘The Big Society’ that David Cameron is trying to implant within our culture doesn’t have to be that big.  Friendship begins with small acts of kindness, the reaching out of a helping hand or a simple word of encouragement.  If we are all cooped up inside our homes or having to leave the village to attain social fulfilment then the seeds of enrichment will have no fertile soil on which to grow.  However, by approving our plans for the Great Witchingham Village Hall you will be helping us take an enormous step towards rejuvenating our community.

Please have a read of the report below: