The Parish Plan

The Parish Plan was presented to residents and the Parish Council in November 2008. Parish Plans were a Government initiative to enable residents to have a say in the developments they wanted to see take place. While there were several Parish Councillors involved in the work the majority of committee members were volunteers from the village. The committee devised a long questionnaire which was delivered to every home in the parish and over 60% were returned completed. Circulation, collection, analysis, research and publication took well over two years.

The Parish Plan and WAG

Some of those involved in producing the plan wanted to continue to work to help ensure its implementation. Volunteers were invited to attend the first meeting in January 2009 and WAG came into being. The aim of the Willingham Action Group is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Willingham by taking action on some elements of the Willingham Parish Plan. WAG will support the Parish Council with matters that fall within their remit while developing those, such as social life in the village, that are usually outside the responsibility of the Parish Council.

Initially three sub-groups were formed that would meet more regularly and focus on particular aspects of the plan. The sub-groups were, Council Matters, Social Aspects and Youth Issues. Much has changed during the last nine years: Youth Issues became Willingham Youth Trust, a separate body with charitable status and so more able to attract funding. Social Aspects still exists as WAG Social which introduced the modern version of the village Feast which takes place during October and worked with other bodies to put on the first Willingham Beerfest in 2017. WAG also started other initiatives such as the cycling club, photography club, etc. Council Matters was closed and in its place we now have the Enviro Group.

Recent WAG Work and Volunteering

The Environment Group

Have been responsible for Planting about fifty trees around the village, gaining permission from WPC to plant the Community Orchard, some landscaping on the QEII Field, planting bulbs around the village, initiating the collection of old electrical items and starting the village litter-pick. Read more

The Social/Feast Group

Are mainly responsible for organising the village Feast in October but they also instigate and support other social events such as the Beerfest as well as starting up new clubs and societies.