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© Copyright Harleston Grapevine 2008
The History of the Harleston Grapevine
In 1996, the Harleston Town Council were asked by Norfolk Rural Community council if they were interested in undertaking a ‘Town Appraisal’. The idea being that a questionnaire should be designed and distributed to everyone in the town so that people were then aware what the residents thought about the town and what changes they would like to see. Some of the Town Council felt this was a good idea but felt it should be undertaken by a representative group of people from the town rather than by the Town Council.
A team of people volunteered to undertake this task and the job of compiling a questionnaire was begun. This proved to be the most difficult part of the whole operation – what did you ask, and how did you word the questions? It had to be kept simple but we needed to get information that was going to be useful in shaping future policy. We also wanted to ask everyone over 14yrs for their personal thoughts rather that limiting it to one per household.
With help and support from the Rural Community Council we decided to opt for multiple choice questions but give people room for comments if they wanted to make them, and this worked well.
One of the questions asked, was about getting information concerning what was going on in the town. Generally people felt they wanted more information and most wanted it from a local newspaper. It was felt that the local newspapers available had little information specific to Harleston so the idea of a town newsletter was born. It was also clear from the Town Appraisal exactly what information people wanted (bus times, Town Council plans etc.)
So a flier was put out asking if anyone was interested in starting up a town news letter. Everyone was also asked to suggest what it should include and what it should be called.
This resulted in about 20 people getting together and choosing a name from those suggested, electing an editor, a proof reader, a typist , an advertising manager etc. and deciding what form the newsletter should take – and so the HARLESTON GRAPEVINE was born!
The first issue came out in April 1998 and since that time it has gone from strength to strength, attracting praise from both inside and outside the town.
A team of people volunteered to undertake this task and the job of compiling a questionnaire was begun. This proved to be the most difficult part of the whole operation – what did you ask, and how did you word the questions? It had to be kept simple but we needed to get information that was going to be useful in shaping future policy. We also wanted to ask everyone over 14yrs for their personal thoughts rather that limiting it to one per household.
With help and support from the Rural Community Council we decided to opt for multiple choice questions but give people room for comments if they wanted to make them, and this worked well.
One of the questions asked, was about getting information concerning what was going on in the town. Generally people felt they wanted more information and most wanted it from a local newspaper. It was felt that the local newspapers available had little information specific to Harleston so the idea of a town newsletter was born. It was also clear from the Town Appraisal exactly what information people wanted (bus times, Town Council plans etc.)
So a flier was put out asking if anyone was interested in starting up a town news letter. Everyone was also asked to suggest what it should include and what it should be called.
This resulted in about 20 people getting together and choosing a name from those suggested, electing an editor, a proof reader, a typist , an advertising manager etc. and deciding what form the newsletter should take – and so the HARLESTON GRAPEVINE was born!
The first issue came out in April 1998 and since that time it has gone from strength to strength, attracting praise from both inside and outside the town.
The GRAPEVINE Team are proud of the fact that almost everything in every issue is provided by members of the local community, and each issue is supported by local businesses. It is truly a community newsletter, to provide information rather than news for the people who asked for it in the first place and have since made it happen.
