Is Thetford Fighting Fit?

Common Purpose took us over to Thetford last week. So what’s special about Thetford one might ask? Well, as I have driven past it so many times on my work to work or to business meetings I should probably know, but for whatever reason I have never been drawn to Thetford!

Thetford seems to have many different themes and appearances depending on who you talk to. Does it have a large community of foreign workers, is it a historical place, is it a beautiful backdrop to forestry, farming and rivers, is it struggling with low quality public sector services, or is it the home of Dads Army. Is it an opportunity for the region to develop, or is it a monument to previous government intervention failures.

The interesting thing for me, is that whoever you speak to in Thetford seems to have a passionate view and perspective about some of these issues. Yet ask who is to champion positive change, and there is confusion or no answer at all. Thetford perhaps needs some kind of leader to unite people and move things forward, but without authority they will not be credible, and this is recognised by the community. In some circumstances, yes one can lead beyond authority, but in others this may simply be a step too far and an appointment is required.

For Thetford to move forward, it will require all the stake holders to work together for positive change, but it will also require all the people of Thetford to encourage and support it. I wonder if they realise this?

In a recent post I wrote about the challenges involved in marketing Norwich and how a community can come together to promote its benefits. I think Thetford needs to appreciate just what its benefits are and what they could become to realise its true potential.