The Cotswold Community near Ashton Keynes in Wiltshire has a rich history. It stretches back to a pre-war Cotswold farm, and its purchase and development by members of the Bruderhof Community, fleeing persecution in Nazi Germany, who then went in exile to Paraguay at the beginning of World War II because of British government fears of enemy aliens. The site and its buildings were taken over by the London Police Court Mission's Cotswold Approved School, the head of which was the charismatic warden, writer and broadcaster C.A. Joyce. The Police Court Mission transferred ownership to Wiltshire County Council, and in the late 1960s it was famously transformed into a therapeutic community under the leadership of Richard Balbernie. In more recent years it has been owned and run by NCH, now Action for Children, who are closing the site and moving the provision to another of their facilities.

On July 9th members of the Cotswold Community family - going back to members of the Bruderhof, at least one Approved School boy, early Community staff and children, and more recent staff and children - joined together to celebrate a remarkable site, community, and continuity. John Whitwell, who succeeded Richard Balbernie as Director of the Cotswold Community, and David Randolph, who began as a Governor when Richard Balbernie was Director, spoke on the occasion:

For John Whitwell, click on "play" arrow

For David Randolph, click on "play" arrow