AN injection of lottery cash has brought Bream something – or rather somebody – unique: its own full-time community worker.
Sarah Brown, 27, who is also supported by the South West Regional Development Agency, has spent the first month of her new post finding her feet and making contacts.
She hopes the post, the first of its kind in Gloucestershire, will enable her to help develop and expand existing facilities in Bream and drive forward new community projects.
"I am really enjoying working in the Forest of Dean. I grew up here," said the qualified community and youth worker.
She said her job, community development, was all about the active involvement of local people in addressing issues that affect their lives.
It meant drawing on the wealth of knowledge, experience and skills of local people and turning these to the benefit of the community as a whole.
For a number of reasons communities have become fragmented with less cohesion then there used to be when most people spent all their lives in one place.
One of her first tasks is getting local children to build a three-dimensional model of the village so that residents can have a bird's eye view of their home area, take a fresh look at it and make suggestions about projects which will enhance the surroundings.
And a community radio project next year will be a great opportunity for everybody to participate and have some fun.
Sarah, who holds the post for three years, can be contacted on 01594 560257.