A DUO who have edited a community magazine for more than 20 years are stepping down and the hunt is on to replace them.
Launched in 1997, The Villager chronicles the lives of more than 100 people with learning disabilities who live at Ravenswood in Crowthorne.
And, after a combined 27 years at the helm, joint editors Lindy Johnson and Amanda Pharez have decided to hang up their keyboards and let someone else gather all the news that’s fit to print at the much-loved publication.
Ravenswood said that over the past 21 years The Villager has grown into a must-read for residents’ families, allowing them to keep up-to-date with their relatives’ exploits, which is especially poignant in times when they can’t be there themselves.
And the subject matter is varied: from humble birthday parties to spectacular royal visits, and everything in between, The Villager is at the heart of the community, run by charity Norwood.
Ms Johnson said that of all the stories she has covered, one of her favourites has been the Norwood Challenges.
These challenges see people Norwood supports travel across the globe to cycle or trek in a number of spectacular locations; including Nepal, Kilimanjaro and Kerala in Southern India.
She said: “The Challenges are fantastic because when people from Ravenswood go, there’s a real buzz around the place. And then when people come back from all these exotic locations, you write about it and you feel like you’ve been yourself.”
Ms Pharez’s route to Norwood was through a Challenges. Having completed the Iceland Cycle and Trek in 2001, she met people who encouraged her to volunteer at Ravenswood and The Villager.
“I remember cycling in Iceland and just being in awe of the people on the tandems, with people who live at Ravenswood teaming up with volunteers,” she said. “It was just
so inspiring and I knew I wanted to get more involved with Norwood.”
And their editorial endeavours has changed much since the late 1990s, when The Spice Girls were dominating the airwaves and Tony Blair’s New Labour was taking office.
Ms Pharez explained: “When I started it was all in black and white. We used to stick the photos on to the stories and it was a challenge trying to remember who was who. But it’s great that we can send it out electronically now, and to the families of the people we support too.
“Each month we get at least three or four people email us back and tell us how much they enjoyed reading it and how much they appreciate it, so that’s fantastic.”
Now they are looking for their successors and the pair want them to be part of Ravenswood.
They said: “It’s such a special place. You really need to spend time here and get under the skin of the people to write the best stories.
“The face-to-face recognition you get from families who come to visit is so rewarding. Some of the residents will come and make a fuss of you if they haven’t seen you for a while too, which is a very lovely feeling.”
Anyone interested in helping out should email thevillager@norwood.org.uk
