Letter: With More Remote Democracy, Local Organisations Need New and Younger Members

Published on: 18 Jan, 2026
Updated on: 18 Jan, 2026

From Barry Williams

recent member of the Guildford Society’s Executive Committee

Change is afoot in local politics whether we like it or not and our community voices are in danger of getting lost within what could be a remote West Surrey Unitary Authority

There are numerous local non-political groups who need new and younger members in order to carry forward their work and to hold our political servants to account

I urge Guildford Dragon readers to check out such groups and sign up for what they believe best represents their aims, interest and desires, including such as:

GSOC Guildford Society
GRA Guildford Residents Association
GBUG Guildford Bike User Group
GHF Guildford Heritage Forum
Zero Carbon – Guildford

There are plenty of other worthwhile local special interest groups. Perhaps The Guildford Dragon NEWS could run a short profile on these for the benefit of its wider readership.

Editor’s comment: Good idea Barry. Perhaps you would like to volunteer to write the profiles? Our small team of volunteers is already very stretched to produce the news it does.

But our extensive Community Websites section does already give a lot of information about local community groups.

Responses to Letter: With More Remote Democracy, Local Organisations Need New and Younger Members

Jim Allen Reply

January 18, 2026 at 9:05 am

During the development of the Burpham Neighbourhood Plan our residents’ survey was distributed to every household in Burpham, but we only received a little over 300 responses from a potential pool of over 2,000.

When I asked a delivery driver why he had not completed and returned the survey, his explanation was insightful.

The driver, an early 60s former bank manager, who, like me, had “retired” early, explained his situation. He was still working from 6.30am to 7.30 pm daily “to pay the bills”. His reason for not participating in the community survey was simply that he was too fatigued to engage.

If a retired bank manager finds it necessary to continue working such extensive hours, it highlights the immense pressure on individuals working 30+ hours to make ends meet. Such individuals often lack the time to participate in local political matters and local affairs.