The Rowlands Castle Association
The aim of the Rowlands Castle Association, as stated on its website, is to conserve the character of Rowlands Castle, to provide a channel of communication on matters of local interest and to enhance the life of the village.
The RCA was formed in 1972 to represent the interests of the population of Rowlands Castle, with Eugene Billam as its founding chairman. All residents over the age of 18 residing in Rowlands Castle, Finchdean, Dean Lane End and Forestside are members of the Association. There is no official membership fee although donations are always welcome to support the activities of the RCA.
The Association is managed by the RCA Committee of some twelve eligible residents elected annually, but volunteers are encouraged to get involved in any of the activities as and when they can. Contact chairman@rowlandscastle.com if you would like more information on volunteering opportunities.
The RCA publishes a Village Magazine three times a year which is distributed free of charge to all residents. The Magazine contains a variety of articles, parish reports and items of local interest. The ‘Grapevine’ is an email list managed by the Rowlands Castle Association for the circulation of urgent news and information of interest within the village. Villagers who wish to take part must first register and can then send messages via the Grapevine co-ordinator. Please see the RCA website for details on how to register.
A highlight of the year, the Fireworks at the village Recreation Ground are organised by the RCA on the Saturday closest to November 5th. It also organises other social events throughout the year such as Quiz Nights, a Christmas Party for children and a Mayday picnic on The Green to raise funds for Rowans Hospice.
The RCA donates its surplus funds to support village clubs, groups and societies that need extra money for specific projects. The committee always welcome funding requests.
As a relatively informal organisation, the RCA is free to initiate new activities. For example, in 2013, the Committee created a Rowlands Castle branch of the u3a which has proved very successful. In addition to its monthly meetings, the u3a also has a number of groups studying topics of interest to its members and is now run independently of the RCA.
The RCA has always supported the Rowlands Castle Heritage Centre-initially in its purchase of the Model Railway and latterly in the proposal for creating a ‘virtual museum’ or website.