Othona Bradwell News

September 2026 

Dear Members, Friends and Supporters of the Othona Community Bradwell

Welcome to our September Newsletter!

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Dr Clare Gough – Member and former Chair of the Othona Community

It is with sadness that the Othona Community trustees announce the death of a long term member of the Community & their former chair, Clare Gough on 25th August following a long and courageous fight with pancreatic cancer.

Clare was a remarkable gift to the Othona Community, from her first stays as a visitor to West Dorset to her plunging into Bradwell life with her husband Andrew to counterbalance her initial experience of community in West Dorset. She had a real love for Othona which manifested itself when she willingly shouldered the responsibilities of chairing the trustees soon after joining the board in 2018. Despite debilitating illness she remained selfless in her support of the community and help to the trustees, long after most would have laid down all trustee responsibilities.

Before retiring Clare was a consultant in the pathology department of Salisbury hospital where she also acted as a medical director. She enjoyed singing in a local folk group and had an infectious laugh which brought joy. Her Christian faith was strong and she had a regular meditation practice which grounded her through good times and through difficulties.

Clare’s contributions to the Othona Community, as a supporter, member and chair were huge. May the Othona community always be blessed with individuals who ‘get’ both its practical, administrative and governance needs on the one hand and its spiritual identity and Christian heart on the other. She was an inspiration. Our sympathies go to Andrew and her family and friends who knew her best.

Her funeral was at St Thomas’s Church, Salisbury on Thursday 24th September. Donations in Clare’s memory are to Salisbury Hospice that cared for Clare so beautifully and PLANETs (pancreatic cancer and other endocrine and gut cancers) & can be made through I.N. Newman Ltd. Griffin House 55 Winchester St Salisbury SP1 1HL 01722 413136. People may ring and donate by card or send a cheque. If a cheque is sent please write Clare Gough and 24/9/26 on the reverse.

Jane Pearse, vice chair

80TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

“Gratitude for the past and hopes for the future”: inclusive Christian community celebrates 80 years of promoting peace and reconciliation.

Thus was the headline of our press release. During two weeks in August we remembered and celebrated the past – with some people who were actually there during the early pioneering days of the 1940s and 50s (when the community lived in tents and Nissen huts and water was from a standpipe. Lots of fond memories for many and lots to learn for newbies. 

After a number of important addresses, and activities laid on by our partner organisations, Trustlinks and A Rocha, the middle Saturday finished by partying with the Southend band, The Long Run. Sunday evening chapel was with the village and led by one-time warden, Colin Hodgetts.

The second week looked to Othona’s future and featured lively participative discussions and workshops about the value of Othona and what we take with us into the future, identifying how a younger generation wish to develop the community and encourage others to join and participate in a different way of living and relating to each other.

All the talks were recorded and will be available on-line in due course. The discussion notes were kept and will be also made available for future reference. The week finished with the Bradwell open meeting on Saturday morning.

Kathryn Brooks, Bradwell interim warden said: “The 80th anniversary celebrations were an outpouring of our gratitude for the past and hope for the future. They were a fantastic and happy time, allowing us all to reflect on the ongoing miracle of a diverse community which has stood the test of time and which still means so much to people of all ages and backgrounds.”

Mark Ringrose, chair trustees added: “When it was first created in 1946, Othona was very counter-cultural. In 2026, it still is. As opposed to our society with its values of selfishness, greed, anger, conflict and environmental destruction, Othona stands for communal living, respect for the other, support for all, a hope based on the Gospels and a love for nature. The 80th anniversary celebrations were a great way to show our gratitude for the past and hopes for the future and they will power us into the next phase of our witness to the world.”

PEOPLE NEWS

Wardens at Bradwell and recruitment

We’re hugely grateful to Kathryn for stepping in as Interim Warden at Bradwell these past few months. But she is soon heading back to West Dorset from where she was seconded. And of course, there is “no place like home”. However we have seen again how well and often the community rallies round and are pleased to be able to confirm that Debbie and Richard Sanders are returning over autumn/winter, to take up the mantle from October to February. After that, Tim Fox will step in, for a spell. 

This doesn’t mean we are abandoning our search for the next warden / centre manager, but that we are taking a period of reflection to think about the next steps and how best to manage the centre in the future. We are also actively recruiting community members to grow the team on site. We continue to benefit from fantastic support from a range of community members who have been stepping up to help fill any gaps both in holding the space and running the kitchen – thank you to all who contribute in this way. 

Job opportunities at Bradwell

We’re currently recruiting for core team members and if you think you might be interested in this type of role, please take a look at the advert here Residential Team Member – Othona  and please get in touch as per the advert.  We look forward to hearing from you. 

AGM

I (Steve) don’t know how many folk attended Othona’s AGM on Saturday 19th Sept but it looked like a lot. If it included you, thank you.  The video presentations are available here https://ln5.sync.com/dl/ad73922d0#tbm6x9ph-bmzcvj3y-833y9f6j-tyj8q2x4 and a report of the meeting will be made available in due course. Some people still have questions about membership, but 180 have signed up to the present scheme so far, and I encourage anyone who wants to participate more fully in Othona’s running and decision-making to jump in.

2026/7 PROGRAMME NEWS

Website – bookings now online! 

At long last we have the bookings operational online.  We’ll now be turning our attention to refreshing other parts of the website that need updating. If you spot anything out of date, or broken links, please let us know, In the first instance send to the office bradwell@othona.org

Autumn 2026 programme

Spaces are available for our regular community events – please book online using the links 

• October Half Term – Othona (26-30 October)
• A Time to Simply Be (02-06 November)
• Film Week – Othona (23-27 November)
• Advent Working Weekend – Othona (27-30 November) (bargain prices in return for your hard work!)

We also have a brand new winter weekend event (11-13 December) Christmas Music Weekend – Othona run by Simon Thompson. So if you like to sing Christmas songs, or just want to listen, then why not book in. Community Christmas is full, but our New Year Celebration – Othona is still open for booking. 

Maria, one of our Link Trustees, has recently started posting more on our Facebook Othona Bradwell page – if you use this platform then please help us by following us and sharing our posts, particularly those advertising spaces on events.

2027 Programme & Prices

We have started to create our 2027 programme – and the summer is already very much in demand. We also have a number of potential weekend bookings from spring onwards. We’re delighted that so many organisations who have been valued partners with us for many years, want to return to our community. 

Unfortunately, we need to increase our prices next year. Food and fuel prices have gone up for everyone, and we’ve faced substantial maintenance costs at Bradwell this past year which have exhausted our reserves (not a good position to be in!).  We’ll let you know more about what’s on offer and what events will cost, as soon as we can.  

Benefactor rates

While on the subject of money, please can we remind you about our Benefactor Rates? Bradwell has always aimed to be an affordable community. When compared to other places, our prices are extremely low. Please, if you can afford to pay more than standard rates, when you’re booking, can you select the “benefactor” rate? That extra funding will go towards helping us rebuild our reserves, as well as help with bursaries for members of the community that cannot afford to come and visit without our help.