The Society is a voluntary organisation, set up in 1972, originally to look after the amenities, landscape and historic heritage of this 1200 year old village.

Most neighbourhoods now have a residents' or conservation society but WOTSoc can claim to have beenone of the first to be set up in the Bristol area, over 35 years ago. Most meetings of the Society are held in the victorian Village Hall which was saved from the threat of demolition and redevelopment in 1972. The Society was a key player in the campaign which preserved this jewel for the Village.

The Village Hall

 The Village Hall was financed, built and endowed to the Village by Henry St Vincent Ames, a local benefactor, for the promotion of 'recreation, social and moral improvement, including lectures, music, reading, exhibitions of art, science, industry, agriculture, horticulture and public instruction'.

It is now managed as a voluntary organisation and is available to hire for events, weddings, meeting etc. For more information on its history, facilities and hire charges visit the Village Hall website at www.wotvillagehall.org

 The Society is a registered charity (number 265486) and exists entirely on voluntary help and membership subscriptions. There is an elected committee (see Contacts) and a formal Constitution. The Committee meets monthly to discuss current business and organise activities and campaigns. Elections and formal matters are dealt with at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. There have been four formally elected chairmen since the Society was founded (John Lodge, Prof Brian Pickering, Roger Smith and Hilary Long). Currently we have no elected chairman the role being temporarily fulfilled by committee members operation on a rotating basis.

The Society relies heavily on volunteers for example to help at events, clearing planters in the village, and distribution of newsletters etc. Volunteers are always welcome and if you would like help then please contact us.

The Society's activities include,

- Organising six open meetings per year in the Village Hall, on the last Monday of the month between September and March, each with a speaker on a different and interesting topic.

- Constantly working to ensure that Westbury remains a pleasant place to live, work and visit by the provision and maintenance of the flowers in pots around the village centre, by managing arrangements for the hanging baskets and maintaining the Packhorse Gardens. The Village has won various categories of Bristol in Bloom for a number of consecutive years.

- Monitoring planning applications including significant new build or redevelopment, change of use for shops etc and responding if necessary. We support and try to shape those which enhance the character, amenity and future vitality of the village and oppose those which we consider to be detrimental to the village character or the amenities and facilities available to residents and visitors. For more information on our approach to planning see the Planning page.

- Supporting other campaign and village interest groups where appropriate and encouraging (seed) the formation of new groups.

- Publishing and distributing to members a Newsletter 3 times each year with articles on local events and history.

- Commissioning special projects such as the recently completed DVD on Westbury's history made for us by the ex-BBC Producer Keith Sheather.