During 1997, over 200 household in the parish were asked to complete a questionnaire as part of a "Parish Appraisal". One question was whether people wanted a village newsletter, and another, would they be prepared to help produce one.
Three quarters of the households said they would like one, and a quarter offered assistance. So, one of the appraisal team, Charlotte Cox, arranged an open meeting in the Parish Hall on 26th June 1997 to progress the idea.
Disappointingly, only eight parishioners attended (none of whom were indigenous Welney people). Four - Karen Fleming, Helen Barry, Tim Bennett and Margaret Levesley formed a steering committee.
Later, with the addition of Carol Green, they became the first editorial team and produced a pilot edition, distributed free to every household. It was widely acclaimed, and has been followed ever since with bi-monthly issues, starting with No 1 in Oct 1997.
In 2011, thirteen years later, two of the original team are still involved.
Helen Barry, an ex-BBC producer living at Welney Hotel on Bedford Bank West, was the first editor and
within just a few months, in January 1998, The Welney News had been
voted best parish magazine in Norfolk in a competition run by BBC Radio Norfolk,
winning a desk-top publishing software suite. (The BBC connection was pure
co-incidence - Helen and the committee had no idea about the competition until
Roger Giles brought it to their attention.)
Since Helen's resignation
through il-health at the end of 1999 (and her later tragic death in 2001) WN
has had a number of editors or temporary 'stand-ins', all of whom continued to
produce high-class magazines.
In early 2011 Rachel Brown moved away from Welney and Derek Levesley became a
temporary editor to keep the magazine alive until a new permanent editor could
be found. Peter Arnold took up the challenge and a committee was formed. At
Peter Arnold's request, a PDF version of his second issue, number 82, was posted
on this website. Unfortunately Mr Arnold apparently acted without the authority
of the committee who ordered the removal of the PDF version. Peter Arnold
resigned as a result of the committee's decision.
The "Welney News" of yesterday
Regular features of many issues were reports of or from village organisations
such as the School, Church, WI, Friendship Club, Cricket club, youth clubs and toddlers groups,
plus an events diary, puzzles & competitions, "a day in the life of" featuring local residents,
Readers Write, even a "Victor Meldrew" column with a penetrating, sometimes sad, often amusing,
view of Welney and the shortcomings of the few who try to run things and the many that don't seem
to care, and an interesting "farmers diary" detailing work on a local family farm.
The "Welney News" today
It's still a great community newsletter, full of news and reports on just about every aspect of
Welney including the activities of the "RUG" group at Sandgate Corner and the proceedings of the Parish Council.
Roll of Honour - The Editors, who all gave so much to benefit the community
