Community magazine has write approach

Working with our volunteer team on the Ellacombe and Plainmoor Community Magazine has been a veritable feast of serendipitous moments.

Just the other day, when I was in B&Q, the lady at the till serving me looked up and said: "I read your magazine – I've just moved to Plainmoor, and I found it really helpful."

It made me reflect on the ripple effect and value that the magazine has had across our community.

It was back in February when the team debated the feasibility of restarting the community magazine after a break of a year. We had our first serendipitous moment when, on a train back from Exeter, I was approached by a local businessman who asked when our next community magazine was coming out as he would like to advertise in it. We took this as a definite sign to go ahead with it!

Each contributor adds individuality to our community magazine, making it a rich, inclusive publication that seeks to reflect the interests and concerns of residents in Ellacombe and Plainmoor and keep the community informed and connected. The ultimate aim is to encourage all residents' sense of belonging and participation.

We have our fabulous team of 23 volunteer' good neighbours' who deliver the magazine in their streets and sometimes more extensively: we have an ex-postie who loves walking, a mother and son who deliver whilst walking their dog, a 12 year old pupil at a local school, our local councillors, and a gentleman for whom delivering magazines gives a real sense of purpose. As I said in my last Torbay Weekly article back in June: "We can all be pebbles in the sea and by working together for our community, we can create the ripples for change."

Remember, this is your community magazine, so we invite anyone and everyone in our local area to contribute towards it, perhaps by sharing your local stories, hobbies or passions or simply by giving us some feedback of what you'd like to see in future issues. So, would you like to join this amazing team by contributing ideas, writing articles, or distributing copies in your road/street? As Helen Keller said: "Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much."

We look forward to hearing from you.

Email: ushagarrattley@torbaycdt.org.uk