In 2022 The Ipswich Society looks into a murky future and wonders where the next generation of Ipswich devotees will come from. The members of the Executive Committee, the bods who keep the ship afloat and make things happen for the members and the wider public, is composed of Ipswich residents who love their town and want to see it enjoyed; to see it flourish despite uncertain economic times. The Society has valued Trustees who keep an eye on the organisation and have its best interests at heart. We also have two stalwart Vice-Presidents: Chris Wiltshire and Bob Allen – well known to members who have attended our Awards evenings – both of whom have been Chair of the Society in the past. Of course, our President has a rolling occupancy, dependent on whoever is elected the Mayor of Ipswich.

Our membership numbers are reasonably good, considering that, for the two years of pandemic restrictions, our Society couldn’t carry out many of its regular activities. We use these to promote membership, often through giving away spare copies of the Newsletter and leaflets. 

Below: The Ipswich Society peers through the keyhole of an uncertain future.

So far, so good. Now, it is quite understandable that as people mature and move towards retirement, they might well find themselves with some spare time on their hands during which they might volunteer with the Society – we are 100% a voluntary body; no sponsorship, no paid advertisements. They might even be moved to come along to a committee meeting as an observer. Eventually, they might like the cut of our collective jib, and decide to join the Exec. and even stand for election as one of our officers (Hon. Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Membership Secretary for example). When a society like ours is doing well, these often unseen roles could be taken for granted; however, we do know that the membership values the work which goes on behind the scenes.

All this is fine, but one can’t help wondering whence the next generation of Society members, Exec. members and officers will come. Given that an average 18 to 30 year-old can spend seven hours a day in the virtual world – the same period of time they spend sleeping – is it possible for The Ipswich Society to occupy a small part of that world? For several years we have run a successful Facebook page which is positive about Ipswich, because we feel that there’s enough negative opinions of our county town in print and on-screen. It reaches many followers and does its best to respond to points and questions in the comments section. It is a part of the digital lives of many, but many of those posters and browsers may mainly be interested for nostalgic reasons.

In addition, we have a popular Instagram presence. All this takes time and effort to run for the benefit of the public and for the Society. In the meantime, we run an ever-expanding Society website and online Image Archive. If this isn’t breaking into “the TikTok generation” should it worry us? Surely there will be teenagers, young adults and middle-aged people living in Ipswich who will want to support and promote the town: to get involved in planning and the future of the Ipswich? Will they pay their modest annual subscription and join us so to do? A cynic might ask whether they will they be able to break out of the 280 character text limit, to escape from shallow instant gratification of the 30 second video to immerse themselves in longer-form, thoughtful texts about their town and its environment.

Needless to say, this is a dilemma faced by many voluntary organisations throughout the country, including civic societies. This includes our sister historical, cultural and heritage societies in Ipswich. Inevitably, key players retire from regular activity or die; the same goes for members. When the membership dwindles and isn’t replaced, so does the vigour of a society.

Perhaps we should just carry on doing what we’re doing until we drop off the twig one-by-one. As in all things, we do what we can, providing opportunities to become involved in our Society and issues in our town when we can, spreading reliable and, often, authoritative information about the rich story of Ipswich, its present and its future. 

  • Tourism in its broadest sense is the economic lifeblood of the town because of:-
  • its enviable rivers and waterfront/historic harbour,
  • its wealth of wonderful listed or locally-listed buildings, many of great architectural interest,
  • its status as the earliest, continuously-settled town in the country and the first Anglo-Saxon town,
  • its medieval street layout, preserved and celebrated through the efforts of The Ipswich Society,
  • its excellent railway links to London and other parts of the country,
  • its range of quality shops and restaurants,
  • its cultural life of clubs, societies and individuals who practice and celebrate the arts in Ipswich,
  • its museums, galleries and other attractions; its wonderful public parks,
  • its proximity to the beaches of Felixstowe and the Suffolk Heritage coast,
  • its excellent sports facilities, swimming pools, its famous football club and speedway stadium,
  • its place as the business and commercial beating heart of Suffolk,
  • its excellent planning system which curates our housing and business developments,
  • and so much more…

So, let’s prove the internet trolls wrong when they continuously run down the town. Most individuals and families are in for a tough economic time in the immediate future and this is already dealing yet another blow to town centres. But Ipswich is doing better than many – just read our Street scene column (page 18). It’s about time that Ipswich celebrated its unique story far and wide and, surely, embraced a remarkable future instead of keeping it to ourselves.

RG

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