What is a World Café?
The World Café is a creative way of facilitating conversations among larger groups. Developed by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs, it is based on the principle that people generate collective wisdom when they talk about issues that matter to them.
- Conversations take place in small groups, often around café‑style tables.
- The relaxed setting encourages everyone to contribute.
- Ideas are gathered, shared, and distilled into practical actions.
This approach has been widely used in community engagement, and at the Mayor’s Reception it provided the perfect format to explore the future of Finham Brook.
The Clean & Green Reception
On 25th September, the Mayor hosted a “Clean and Green Kenilworth” Reception. Using the World Café style, residents, councillors, and environmental representatives came together to share experiences, concerns, and ambitions for Finham Brook. The atmosphere was lively and collaborative, with contributions ranging from practical suggestions to ambitious visions. Follow‑up emails added even more ideas and links, showing the depth of community interest in this much‑loved feature of the town.
Key Suggestions from the Community
The discussions produced a list of ten possible projects,
- Walking Trail – Create a new trail along the brook, similar to Kenilworth’s existing town trails.
- Bridge Signs – Add signs to bridges naming the brook.
- Book of the Brook – Research and write a book for adults and children.
- QR Codes – Apply codes to signs and trail guides linking to stories and wildlife interpretation.
- Citizen Science – Launch school and community projects to monitor water quality.
- Dog Health & Water – Explore ways to reduce harm from flea medicines entering the brook.
- Access Management – Restrict access in Abbey Fields to specified spots.
- Invasive Species – Develop a Himalayan balsam strategy for the full length of the brook.
- Brook Charter – Explore creating a charter to safeguard the brook.
- Beaver Readiness – Investigate how the brook could be made suitable for beavers.
Council Resolution
On 23rd October, Cllr James Kennedy presented a proposal to Town Council:
- Working Group – Establish a small group of councillors and residents to take forward the ideas.
- Member Nominations – Agree councillor participants in the group.
- Community Involvement – Invite resident volunteers to meet, agree terms of reference, and report back to Council.
This resolution was agreed, and councillors Alan Chalmers, Alix Dearing, Zoe Leventhal, Alex Randall, Mark Stevens, and the Mayor will form the core group.
Next Steps
A Teams meeting will be held on Monday 24th November at 7.00 pm to review the project list, invite amendments, and ask for volunteers to help lead or support specific projects. Already, Cllr Alix Dearing has offered to lead on a new walking trail along the brook, building on Kenilworth’s existing town trails, while Cllr Alan Chalmers is keen to explore beaver readiness to support biodiversity. Ideas from Jon Holmes will help shape plans to restrict access in Abbey Fields to designated spots, balancing recreation with conservation.
Kenilworth’s councillors work on a voluntary basis, and community involvement is warmly welcomed. Working together, we can make Kenilworth an even better place to live, work, study, and visit – with Finham Brook at the heart of our shared commitment to nature and wellbeing.