My vision for Camden Residents’ Association

It’s not that we suddenly stumbled across a rich stream of restless lumberjacks or goatherds.  The stunning, perhaps surprising, success of Camden Meadow has been much less about what people can give to it, much more about what it can give to them.  It’s not so much about coppicing hazel or planting fruit trees, though we do those things.  Volunteering as a ‘Friend of Camden Meadow’ opens up opportunities to meet people, to form relationships, to do something positive, to see your impact – to feel valued.  It’s about community and purpose.

I volunteered to become the new Chair of Camden Residents’ Association (CRA) a couple of months ago.  And it’s this focus on community and purpose that I want to bring to it as its driving force.

My CRA will be very simple.  We will do just four things.  Being Camden, they all begin with ‘C’.

We will Champion our wonderful neighbourhood of Camden.  We will celebrate it, talk about it, show it off, promote it.  We think it’s the best area of Bath in which to put down roots and take part.  We’ll show people why.

We will help Connect people together.  To form relationships, to help create a deeper sense of community.  To help build ‘social capital’ across the neighbourhood.

We will Contribute.  Everything we do is done by volunteers, freely giving their time, and occasionally money.  We will always be net givers.  All we ask from the community we represent is for people to be similarly generous.  If you have an idea, a skill, or just some time and enthusiasm – you can play a valuable role.

And we will Campaign.  Occasionally, yes, there are things we need to push for as a community.  When we do, we will add our weight by speaking with one, clear, loud voice.  We know it works.

I call these the Four C’s of Camden.  And I see them pretty much in that order of importance.

I am hugely grateful to my predecessor, Jeremy Labram, for laying such a solid foundation within the CRA for me to build on.  And to our great team of Committee members, for backing me and getting behind me.

This is our vision for the CRA, and for Camden,

If you’d like to support us, it’s very simple, just do what we do – get in touch, roll your sleeves up, and take part.  Together we can make a difference.  And have some fun along the way.

And if you do happen to stumble across any decent lumberjacks, send them my way.

John

John Long
Chair, Camden Residents’ Association
Lower Camden Place
[email protected]