Tower and Town, February 2020 (view the full edition)Clergy LetterI was struck by a talk given to the Marlborough Gardening Association recently by Val Compton. (Val is responsible for setting up the community garden in Kennet Place). She talked about the importance of community in her life. She was brought up on a 1930's housing estate in Pinner, now swallowed up by London. Each house had a garden but also the planners had ensured there was some communal space and a bit of woodland where people could meet and children play. If she ever needed help, she could find a friendly person. Later she moved to an expatriate community where she found the same sense of supportive community. It wasn't until she found herself in a very different situation in a country where she didn't speak the language, was pregnant with her first child and lonely that she realised what she had lost. Luckily when she arrived in Marlborough, many years later, recently widowed, she dropped in to the Merlin Hotel Bar (now Pizza Express) and found unexpected kindness and friendship. Most people find friendship through belonging to one or more interest groups. For some it is their church, for me Quakers where in Meetings on Sundays I feel at home and accepted warts and all, with friends who share a set of values that are largely in tune with my own and where I am allowed to just be 'in the presence of the spirit'. We look out for each other. We now live in a secular society: church is not for all, but I believe the need for community is. I am part of many groups, some purely for fun and leisure, but also the Marlborough Area Poverty Action Group that aims to alleviate poverty in any way they can in the Marlborough Area. We befriend the homeless (just greeting and chatting to them makes them feel valued), run the Foodbank, provide hampers to families in need at Christmas, enable children who for various reasons would not otherwise be able to do activities at the Leisure Centre in school holidays and organise a summer outing for these families. As we get to know these people better we are able to give more appropriate support when needed. MAPAG is a community group open to all. Where do you find friendship and community? Rachel Rosedale |