Devon

On 1st November 1960, a memorandum was circulated by H. G Godsall, Clerk of Devon County Council, which detailed plans for the formation of a new organisation ‘Devon Community Council’.

Led by a single co-ordinator (with support drawn from various departments of Devon County Council), Devon Community Council was to bring together the Devon Playing Fields Association; Devon Old People’s Welfare Committee; Devon Rural Industries Committee; and Devon Parish Councils Association. 

“The establishing of a Community Council would, I feel, provide for the continuance of all the good work which is now done, voluntary or otherwise, by these four organisations, and more important, make more readily and easily available the help and resources of the County Council’s services in their development. 

“It is clear to me that a grouping of the services of these organisations, which the Community Council will provide, will ensure that their work … will be developed even more effectively with the necessary freedom, combined with efficiency and economy.”  H. G. Godsall, Clerk of the Peace and Clerk of the County Council

Fast forward to 17th March 1961 and the inaugural meeting of Devon Community Council took place at Exeter Castle. Then, on 1st April 1961, Devon Community Council was officially launched, with an L.K Elmhurst of Dartington Hall installed as Chair (he would resign in May 1961 due to ill health and other commitments).

Devon Communities Together

Devon Communities Together (DCT) is this year celebrating our diamond anniversary, marking 60 years of supporting communities in Devon.

Established in 1961 as Devon Community Council, we became (and remain) Devon’s Rural Community Council, with a special care for rural communities in the county. Over the past 60 years Devon Communities Together has grown from a single coordinator to a team of over 20 specialist staff, but our underlying aims remain the same: supporting people in Devon to overcome a whole variety of challenges they might be facing and creating sustainable, thriving communities.

Supporting Devon’s communities

Over the past 60 years Devon Communities Together’s work has evolved to become hugely varied. Today, we run a number of programmes, from supporting older people at risk of loneliness to helping young people struggling to access employment; tackling fuel poverty to supporting local small businesses and social enterprises; supporting village halls and community buildings to initiatives to protect the natural environment. Despite being a wonderful place to live, Devon’s communities also suffer real hardships, and everything Devon Communities Together does is designed to help people overcome these issues and work together to maintain thriving, healthy, inclusive communities.

For more information on DCT’s own 2021 60^th anniversary celebrations, please visit: www.devoncommunities.org.uk/devon-diamonds-dct-60

Devon