Tower and Town, October 2015

  (view the full edition)

Privilege And Responsibility

It is a privilege to live in Marlborough. We are surrounded by the beauty of the Downs and the mysteries of the Forest. Our lovely High Street can tell stories that go back centuries.

We need to look after it, of course. To foster diversity in the fields and beneath the trees. To manage our buildings to ensure they don’t crumble into dust. It takes effort, and forethought, to show concern for our environment. We can - and most of us do - our best. We recycle and use bicycles and spurn the plastic bag. We turn lights off and compost our food waste.

For with privilege comes responsibility - not just to look after the environment but also to care for each other. Most of us are healthy enough to notice those around us who may not be able to play their part in keeping the Marlborough show on the road; to look out for the frail and elderly when the snows come and knock on a neighbour’s door to see if someone needs a pint of milk or a lift to the doctor’s. (The Link Scheme is always on the look-out for people willing to transport people to hospital appointments.) Young families, some isolated and with limited income or struggling with post-natal difficulties, might find it hard to hold their heads up among our relative affluence. (Home-Start Kennet would welcome volunteers if you think you could help.) If you have a skill or an interest, from growing vegetables to playing with children to playing a sport, there is a voluntary organisation that needs you.

Just as we share the delights of the town, so we have a responsibility to consider the needs of everyone who lives here. And not because it could be us, tomorrow, with the broken leg who needs a lift to the hospital. Or our sons or daughters unable to manage the sudden arrival of twins. But because our neighbours - like our environment - matter. It’s as straightforward as that.

Jo Carroll