Wenhaston Community Council 1971 - 2006
It was in the 1980s that Wenhaston Community Council devised a "Good Village Guide" booklet to be given to new residents to help them to settle into the village. Then, as now, the Guide contained information about the practicalities of village life together with contacts for the many and varied village clubs and organisations, with the intention that the new resident would truly enjoy being part of this community.
The Guide was only one of many projects undertaken by Wenhaston Community Council - a remarkable organisation which served Wenhaston well during its 35 years of existence. Times change however, and when in 2006 it was felt that much of what the Community Council did was being duplicated elsewhere, this, coupled with the difficulty of establishing a full Committee, resulted in closure that year.
It is appropriate that a few words are recorded here about Wenhaston Community Council and the many ways in which it played a part in village life. Wenhaston Community Council was set up to enrich village life. As a properly constituted "voluntary body with charitable aims" it was run by a small committee of village residents. Its first project was the building of the Village Hall (achieved in 1975), for which it co-ordinated the massive village effort which resulted in the impressive Hall we see today. Once built the Hall was the responsibility of the Community Council until the formation of a Management Committee in 1984.
The Community Council then proceeded to organise village events (fetes, parties, shows, exhibitions, firework displays, talks, dances and so on) at which the prime purpose was enjoyment for all concerned rather than profit. Profits though, plus subscriptions from members, enabled financial assistance to be given for Village Hall fitments and for grants to be made to village groups and to village projects. Often the Community Council was able and willing to assist where other funding bodies could not or would not.
Many thousands of pounds have been disbursed over the years with each application for funds agreed to be in accordance with the Community Council's Constitution and the use of funds agreed to be of benefit to residents. The Council themselves provided several useful village items including public seats. To mark the Millennium (and the Village Hall's Silver Anniversary) a working sundial was commissioned and placed at the Village Hall.
Wenhaston Community Council started with the Village Hall and it was fitting at closure that the circle was completed with the Village Hall benefitting from this event. The Community Council's bunting used for events was donated to the Hall Management Committee and the Community Council's financial balance at closure was spent in the Hall on the installation of smart replacement windows.
The Community Council's records have been lodged at Suffolk County Council’s Records Office at Ipswich.