The Cookham Plan People and Places Group Organisations
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Looking across The Cookhams there are some very long-standing organisations, symbolic of any village with a good record of active community life. They vary from local churches and their related groups, schools, sports and outdoor activities; special interest groups and those providing a voluntary service, or fellowship, and fundraising.

A survey of organisations was carried out. Some 70 organisations were contacted and replies were received from 42 of them. Including schoolchildren, the total number involved is approximately 5000 – about 30% of whom live outside Cookham, but who are committed to these organisations every bit as much as the indigenous members.

In many cases, the organisations involving sports and recreational activity are described as growing or thriving, while others such as churches and their "sub-groups" are maintaining steady numbers, and working hard to involve in particular, younger family groups.

Some organisations which provide services within the Cookham community are dependant upon volunteers, and their success over many years is indicative of the quality and commitment of a caring "retired population" who have seen Cookham as a desirable place in which to live. The dependency on volunteers in these groups will always be there. Many of the organisations expressed a concern that their future depended on continuing to attract new members.

Cookham’s organisations meet in a wide variety of places. Apart from the churches and Pinder Hall there is no one large venue for village-wide events, however, the preponderance of smaller venues enables a wide variety of groups to exist and to be financially viable. Nearly all organisations are self financing.

It is recognised that changes to provide for the future are inevitable, and expansion and improvement of facilities and building must be focused upon now if the needs of the increasing population (particularly that of the elderly and children) are to be met successfully.

These will be the challenges for the Cookham organisations.