The Wychwood Network grew out of the desire of local residents to do something, and in particular to fill a need for some ‘thing’ that they felt would connect people, ideas, and organisations in the area. This ‘thing’ could then help us all to work towards strengthening our local, rural community and enable us to live more sustainably.

Despite many hours of debate and discussion, because we are primarily connectors rather than doers, our real identity remains difficult to encapsulate in words. The Wychwood Network is an organisation, or, as we would like to think of it, an organism, with no formal rules, membership or structure, and no political, religious or other affiliations or orientation. However it seems that those of us who collectively make up the Network share certain values.

We believe in

• The importance of rural communities, and the interdependence of each member of them
• The need to appreciate our heritage and conserve our habitat, environment and landscape, whilst looking forward and not back
• The measurement of quality of life by indicators other than simply financial ones
• The imperative to live in a sustainable manner, for the benefit of our own and future generations
• A positive and practical approach, where action is more important than theory, and finding solutions more important than criticism
• Enjoying ourselves!!, celebrating life in the Wychwood area through communal events, song, dance, art and literature, parties, fairs, worship and fellowship.

The words “sustainable” and “sustainable development” are overused. Critics suggest that they are too vague to have meaning. For a good discussion about what “sustainable” means see Jonathan Porritt’s book Capitalism as if the World Matters. A simple definition of sustainability is “capacity for continuance into the long-term future”. The best practical definition of “sustainable development” (a phrase coined by a Charlbury resident!) may be the famous Brundtland one of “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

For a good discussion of why small networks like ourselves can make a real difference, we recommend Paul Hawken’s book Blessed Unrest. Like many of the worlds species, the vitality of the Network belies its own fragility and fight for sustainability. We are only as much as the time, effort, thoughts and deeds of the local community. We survive on a shoestring budget and with the efforts of all too few people. Please get involved and support us with time, money, ideas or all of these.

The current steering group consists of:

• Richard Lord
  
• Rebecca White
  
• Tom Dyson
  
• Michelle Greenwald
  
• Rosie Taylor
  
• Laura Winter

Our two part time administrators are

• Sofia Dyson
  
• Anna Mason
  

The Wychwood Network is a member of the Oxfordshire Community Action Groups, and is supported by the Leader + Network.