From Modest Beginnings To RE-Betchworth
James Benn
James Benn
The Re-Betchworth story began in mid-2020 when two then members of the Parish Council—Hilary Edwards and Martin Higgins persuaded the Council to invest in 120 Bird Boxes to give a helping hand to one section of our local wildlife. Two years later we’ve:
We have worked hard to establish ourselves as a credible organisation with strong environmental, ecological and sustainability concerns and in early August the Charity Commission registered Re-Betchworth as an environmental andcommunity-focused enterprise worthy of recognition as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The remit we set out in our governing document is deliberately broad.
“RE-Betchworth works to promote the conservation, protection and regeneration of the natural environment for the benefit of the public in the area covered by Betchworth Parish Council and adjoining parishes and helps raise awareness of practices for a more sustainable future.”
- Established a wildflower strip on Goulburn Green and fostered a group of locals who’ve done the same in their gardens.
- Held a number of online educational talks from bio-diversity to heat pumps
- Shared information on a resource-rich website www.re-betchworth.org.
- Worked to bring the village apple orchard back into useful production, and similar older trees is so many local gardens.
- Successfully held the first taster sessions for our own village Forest School.
- Secured commitment from residents to plant 70 trees as a Jubilee celebration and addition to the Queen’s Green Canopy.
- Begun to make short movies that appreciate and celebrate our natural world and established a YouTube channel
- And most recently, held our first communal apple pressing day.
We have worked hard to establish ourselves as a credible organisation with strong environmental, ecological and sustainability concerns and in early August the Charity Commission registered Re-Betchworth as an environmental andcommunity-focused enterprise worthy of recognition as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The remit we set out in our governing document is deliberately broad.
“RE-Betchworth works to promote the conservation, protection and regeneration of the natural environment for the benefit of the public in the area covered by Betchworth Parish Council and adjoining parishes and helps raise awareness of practices for a more sustainable future.”
Continuing our story of formation —back in 2020 Hilary and Martin were joined by James and Claire Benn and Camilla Peterken, and our website setting out our vision was built by Cathy Honey. We secured welcome financial support from the Parish Council, without whom many of the activities listed above could not have been attempted. Debra McKay and Norman Jackson joined us in 2021, to bring other angles to a team convinced that community-led initiatives and partnerships are the way forward. The strength of our team is in the diversity of interests and the commitment we share for trying to make a positive difference to our local environment and community.
You may already have been involved in one or other of our schemes or read about them in the Parish Magazine; but few know of the full extent of our activities and ambitions. So welcome to this, the first edition of a digital ‘reminder’ from RE-B, which we’ll publish quarterly to share our news and offer new opportunities for joining our community projects. We hope you will find something in these pages to interest you and we are always open to new possibilities so please share your ideas. If you would like to join us please do get in touch—James Benn [email protected]
You may already have been involved in one or other of our schemes or read about them in the Parish Magazine; but few know of the full extent of our activities and ambitions. So welcome to this, the first edition of a digital ‘reminder’ from RE-B, which we’ll publish quarterly to share our news and offer new opportunities for joining our community projects. We hope you will find something in these pages to interest you and we are always open to new possibilities so please share your ideas. If you would like to join us please do get in touch—James Benn [email protected]