The Birth of the West of the River Magazine

By Amy Jones (St Thomas Community Builder)

It all began in August 2024, when Benji, a recent arrival to St Thomas, approached me with an idea. Having just moved to the area, he was struck by how difficult it was to find out what was happening locally—there didn’t seem to be a central place where community events, stories, or opportunities were shared.

As a newcomer, Benji was full of energy and ideas. One of his strongest was to start something similar to a Community Association that could support local initiatives. He was especially passionate about launching a community magazine—something that had been discussed for years in St Thomas, but which had never quite come to life, partly due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We sat down to talk through his vision and quickly began to put together a plan. I introduced Benji to several local contacts, including my colleague, the Exwick Community Builder, who had been supporting a resident in Exwick for many years to produce the Exwick Magazine. In a stroke of serendipity, the long-time editor of that magazine had recently decided to step back, but generously offered to share their knowledge, resources, volunteers, and even advertisers with Benji to help bring his idea to life.

With support from the Community Builders, Benji began to recruit volunteers. He put out a call for writers, editors, designers, and anyone else willing to lend a hand. The response was incredible. He organised a launch event, and around 50 local residents turned up—each offering their time, enthusiasm, and talents.

And so, the West of the River Magazine was born.

I was able to advise Benji about applying for local grants to help fund the project. The Community Builders shared group listings and volunteer opportunities for the area. Volunteers stepped up to help with delivery and distribution. The first edition was a lot of effort but incredibly rewarding.

In total, 7,000 copies of the first edition were delivered to homes across St Thomas and Exwick. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive:

• “Thanks to the magazine, we've seen a marked increase in people attending our over-60s bus trips!”

• “Thank you—it’s brilliant, and there’s so much happening!”

• “This area deserved its own magazine. Thank you!”

Encouraged by this success, Benji and his growing team are now preparing the second edition, due out in July 2025. This time, the magazine will reach 9,000 homes, expanding its coverage and hopefully its impact. It’s a celebration of local voices, stories, and spirit—and it's just getting started.