THE editors of a charity community magazine in Crowthorne are stepping down after a combined 27 years at the helm.

Lindy Johnson and Amanda Pharez, joint editors of The Villager, a publication chronicling the lives of more than 100 people with learning disabilities who live at Norwood’s Ravenswood, are stepping down from the role which has seen the magazine grow into a must-read for residents’ families, allowing them to keep up to date with their relatives’ surroundings and achievements.

Norwood is now seeking dedicated volunteers to take over the reins at the much-loved publication, covering events such as birthdays, royal visits, parties and fundraising events.

Lindy said her personal highlights from the last 21 years have been the Norwood Challenger, which see people the charity supports travel across the globe to cycle or trek in a number of locations, including Nepal, Kilimanjaro and Kerala in Southern India.

Lindy said: "The Challenges are fantastic because when people from Ravenswood go, there’s a real buzz around the place. And then when people come back from Israel and all these exotic locations, you write about it and you feel like you’ve been yourself.”

Amanda said: “I remember cycling in Iceland and just being in awe of the people on the tandems, with people who live at Ravenswood teaming up with volunteers. It was just so inspiring and I knew I wanted to get more involved with Norwood.

"When I started it was all in black and white. We used to stick the photos on to the stories and it was a challenge trying to remember who was who! But it’s great that we can send it out electronically now, and to the families of the people we support too. Each month we get at least three or four people email us back and tell us how much they enjoyed reading it and how much they appreciate it, so that’s fantastic.”

If anyone is interested in writing for The Villager, email villager@norwood.org.uk.