By John Whitwell, March 2024 I worked with Mrs D (as she was known to most people and Pip to her friends) in her role as Consultant Child Psychotherapist from 1972 when I first arrived at the Cotswold Community as a Residential Social Worker until She retired in 1990. In my opinion, Mrs D was […]
The forge at the Cotswold Community was restored by Chris Phillips. It hadn’t really been used since the Approved School days. In these photos Mark and Frankie (1993) are using it. Careful supervision was essential.
The following photos were taken at the gathering to mark the closure of the Cotswold Community on the 9th July, 2011.
The work of the Cotswold Community would not have been possible without the hard work of these people. Whatever difficulties were being faced, these are some of the people who ensured that the day-to-day jobs were taken care of. These people are the real heroes.
Every morning, 365 days a year, the Cotswold Community held a management meeting. It was an important mechanism to ensure that there was good communication between all parts of the community. On the 27th July 1998 a photo was taken to mark Angus Burnett’s last morning meeting. From left to right was Patrick Tomlinson, Jim […]
Twice a year the Cotswold Community held a Study Day for staff and in the afternoon session we invited a guest speaker to present a paper. It amazed me that such eminent people agreed to do this. The photos of the guest speakers are: Peter Wilson (then Director of Young Minds), Dr Anton Obholzer and […]
The following photos show the consultants working with The Cotswold Community in 1993. Dr Faith Spicer advised on medical matters. Paul Van Heeswyk was the Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist who succeeded Barbara Dockar-Drysdale. He worked at the Community for two days a week. Dr Eric Miller was the management and organisation consultant from the […]
By John Whitwell | Published in Young Minds Magazine, Issue 113, August/September 2011. This is an obituary for the Cotswold Community in which I try and summarise the main achievements of this pioneering therapeutic community. It was a training ground for many generations of staff who went on to use this apprenticeship in many branches […]
Taken by Bill Douglas in the early 1970’s. This photo was taken by at the Cotswold Community. I remember this man, whose name I don’t know, coming every year. I’m sure he would get a meal from the kitchen as well as plenty of business. I think by the late 70’s he stopped coming. If […]
Photos taken at Barbara Dockar-Drysdale’s leaving party, in the main square of the Cotswold Community, in the summer of 1991.
In 1992, a Russian delegation visited the Cotswold Community. This photograph was taken at Kemble railway station. Linda Frost (third from the left) and John Whitwell (extreme right) met the Russian delegation at the beginning of their fact finding mission. The Delegates Mr Sanal BADMAIEV – Deputy Minister of Education. Mr Murat Petrovitch BIZIEV – Principal of […]
At the Cotswold Community, from the word go, training groups were an important feature of staff support and development. In the early days these were largely run by Barbara Dockar-Drysdale and Richard Balbernie. We then gradually introduced the idea of keeping the groups together by the year of entry. When Patrick Tomlinson joined the senior […]
This entry contains a number of photographs of some of the many cultural events that formed part of the life of The Cotswold Community. Throughout the year there were a variety of celebrations in which the Cotswold Community village came together. The most popular event was the celebration of May Day. We started the tradition […]
This entry contains a number of photographs taken of the buildings at the heart of the Cotswold Community.
An Oxford conference to celebrate the 80th birthday of Dr Isabel Menzies Lyth. Applying psychoanalytic concepts, especially those derived from Klein and Bion in relation to individuals, Dr Isabel Menzies Lyth has sought to explore and help modify those anxieties – and associated defenses – which develop in institutions; and which prevent them from optimally […]
In the mid 1980s we were seriously worried by the reduction in the number of referrals for the Cotswold Community from local authorities. We had previously taken the view that our good work would speak for itself. This was no longer enough so we embarked on a marketing campaign which included inviting Community Care to write an article about the Community. This was the result.
By Duff Hart-Davis | Published in The Independent, Saturday 6th February 1993. What Price an Island of Sanity? Just south of Cirencester, in Wiltshire, a chain of flooded gravel pits collectively and euphemistically known as the Cotswold Water Park, sprawls for several miles; and in the middle of them lies a unique enclave; the 350-acre […]
By John Whitwell | Published in NEWSLETTER: ATC, Charterhouse Group, PETT No. 5 July 2002. A Tribute to Eric Miller I first got to know Eric personally in about 1980 when he became a consultant at the Cotswold Community, taking over the role of organisational consultant from Isabel Menzies-Lyth, both from the Tavistock Institute. The […]