● Wincanton Community Imaginarium

Opening space for a town to imagine its future

Wincanton is a rural market town in South Somerset facing many of the same pressures seen across rural Britain — changing high streets, housing pressures, limited transport and stretched community infrastructure.

At the same time, Wincanton has a strong community spirit and a growing number of local organisations working to support wellbeing, culture and connection.

Working alongside the Balsam Centre, we helped create a space for residents to come together, reflect on the town they live in, and imagine what could come next.

What is a Community Imaginarium?

Community Imaginariums are our flagship participatory gatherings designed to help communities explore their future together.

Rather than starting with plans or proposals, the process begins with conversation, reflection and imagination.

Using inclusive facilitation methods, residents are invited to:

  • reflect on the challenges their community is facing

  • share lived experiences of their town

  • explore what a thriving future could look like

  • begin identifying collective priorities and opportunities

The aim is to create a space where people feel able to contribute ideas, connect with others and see themselves as part of shaping their place.

  • The Balsam Centre is a long-standing community hub in Wincanton, supporting health, wellbeing and social connection across the town.

    As the town continues to change, local leaders recognised a need to create more spaces where residents could come together to reflect on their shared future.

    Rather than launching another programme or consultation, we worked together to design a participatory gathering that centred residents’ experiences and ideas.

    The Community Imaginarium became an opportunity for the town to pause, listen and imagine together.

  • Working with the Balsam Centre, we designed and facilitated a Community Imaginarium that brought together residents, community organisers and local leaders.

    The process included:

    • a participatory World Café-style gathering

    • facilitated conversations around key questions about the town’s future

    • creative and reflective activities that helped people share experiences and ideas

    • a dedicated focus group with local teenagers, ensuring young people’s perspectives were included

    More than 50 residents (aged 9-97 years old) took part in the gathering, contributing their experiences, concerns and hopes for Wincanton.

  • The event used a World Café facilitation approach, which allows people to move between small group conversations while exploring shared questions.

    Participants were invited to:

    • discuss what makes Wincanton special

    • reflect on challenges facing the town

    • imagine what a thriving future could look like

    • identify ideas and opportunities for collective action

    This format helps surface the wisdom that already exists within the community, while creating space for people who might not normally speak up to contribute.

  • One of the strongest insights from the Imaginarium was that many residents care deeply about the future of Wincanton but do not always feel they have spaces to come together and shape it.

    When those spaces are created, people quickly begin to share ideas, build connections and imagine possibilities.

    The event demonstrated how powerful it can be when communities are given time, facilitation and encouragement to reflect collectively on their place.

    These conversations are now helping inform how the Balsam Centre and local partners continue supporting community-led activity in Wincanton.

  • Rural towns often lack spaces where residents can come together to think collectively about their future.

    Community Imaginariums create those spaces.

    They help build the relationships, confidence and shared understanding that communities need to respond to change together.

    In places like Wincanton, this kind of civic space is a crucial part of rebuilding the social infrastructure that allows communities to thrive.

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