Blog #001 - Getting the Site online

First, a Happy New Year to you all and welcome to this new website for the Essex village of Howe Green!

This blog post is actually being written before the site goes 'live'. This will not be a blog that is updated every month; but it will be updated when something useful, of note or relevant to the residents of Howe Green needs to be online for all to see.

Thus, in this first post, I aim to outline why a new web site has been created and what the hopes are for it. The previous web site was a useful resource but at a recent HGCA Committee meeting we took stock of the state of many of our endeavours - the events we run, the Newsletters we produce, the online yahoo groups, the forum and of course, the website.

The BBQ that we were going to run in 2017 had to be cancelled due, if truth be told, to the lack of response from villagers. Like any volunteer group organising events, we need a certain number to attend to ensure that we 'break even' and if we do not reach that number, it would not be wise to go ahead. Although we advertised the BBQ and were all ready to go; not enough tickets had been sold with only two weeks to go, so we had to cancel it.  The Sunday Lunch event we run has often just the same (fairly few) faces attending, and we are acutely aware that more families with children are moving into the village.

This is something we welcome with open arms. New families, new generations of villagers and the energy and enthusiasm they bring; are crucial to any community if it is to grow. During our discussions, we realised that it might be beneficial to adjust what we do and the way we do it, in order to hopefully entice more of you - the community of Howe Green - to join in.

We want to appeal to as many of you 'out there' as we can; we want you to engage with us, become part of a growing village community that meets and mingles and - dare I say it - even become friendly with more than just your immediate neighbours.

Therefore, we thought we would re-design and relaunch the website, invite thoughts and ideas to come from you to tell us what you need and want from your Association. If it transpires that all that you want from your Association is to keep in touch and to be there when new developments or potential 'threats' to village life come about, then we can be that.

If, however, - and this would be our preferred way forward - you want an Association that tries to bring people together at events and gatherings which can appeal to a wide age range of those living in our village; then that is what we really want to do! 

​Finally, we are looking to refresh and update the photos on the site - if you have any you'd like to contribute, please send them to the webmaster using the Contacts Page so we can show the best of our village to the outside world!

And remember that, even though the nights are cold and the days still short, and we all go into a 'hibernation' type mode at this time of year (returning home at the end of the day and closing our door to all outside); why not visit the website every once in a while, join the forums if you haven't already, share your thoughts, views and ideas with us so that, come Spring 2018; we can start to create events that you might like to come along too!

Until then, every blessing and stay safe.

Alan Mitchell
​Web Master