Let the Light Shine In

We have all driven from Billericay to Chelmsford and, as we passed the last roundabout before the A12, wondered what lay behind the high brick walls and iron gates of the JW.org site.  ...We certainly had.  So we were delighted when club member Peter Strong used his contacts to arrange for a tour of the facility.  We weren’t prospective converts, but we were intrigued by the size of the site and very interested in what was there.

Peter had assembled a group of about 20 members and partners for a tour. on May 1, when we were shown into Reception in the main building, to be greeted by Jessica, our guide for the visit, and a few other Jehovah’s Witnesses.  The impressive reception area also connects a large multi-purpose building to the main offices, from which many of the organisation’s activities are coordinated. 

Eco-friendly and Low Maintenance

How had the organisation arrived here in Chelmsford?  It was originally spread around approximately 15 different sites in a 10 mile radius around Barnet, and it was believed that it would be a much more efficient, environmentally friendly operation, by consolidating all activities onto one site near the A12. During development a lot of care was taken in designing buildings which were eco-friendly, from solar panels to high insulation, rain capture and recycling, and low maintenance structures.

All the permanent inhabitants moved in from January 1, 2020, until March 2020,  There are approximately 350 full time volunteers, and approx. 700 volunteers part-time.  Another 1800 volunteer remotely.  All are over 18.

The Tour

After a short welcome video, and free drinks, we moved out onto the eastern Terrace.  It was a gorgeous day, we could not have had better weather as we stood in the sun as Jessica told us something about the history of the site, and pointed out the landscaping and the landmarks around the grounds.

She explained that all the people on the site were volunteers, either full-time and living on-site, or part-timers who commuted in for the days they wanted to volunteer.  Everybody enjoyed free lunch and drinks at the cafeteria, full-time, part-time and invited guests.  Full-time members had kitchen facilities in their flats, using free food from the “Pantry” in the shop, while luxuries such as chocolate had to be purchased.

The site includes two production buildings, offices, and six residences with accommodations for over 400 people.  The multi-purpose building can be configured as an auditorium or event space, but is usually set up as a very large cafeteria. The reception space also houses the Shining Out of Darkness Museum which holds many old Bibles on display.  This complex supervises the preaching work in a number of territories, including the Falkland Islands, Guernsey, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Malta.

With our back to the main buildings, we could see four of the six residential blocks of flats for the full-time volunteers on our left, with colourful balconies and landscaped gardens.  There was a large pond and landscaped walks in front of us, and the two production buildings on our right.  The large pond was very impressive, but one of twenty-four ponds dotted throughout the site.

We walked down the path through the gardens, around the pond, stopping for a group photo, and then back to reception for drinks, and to give us a chance to ask questions, before it was lunch time and we were hosted in the cafeteria for a free lunch.

Jehovah’s Witnesses were on hand to accompany us, show us where to get food from the buffet, and escort us to a reserved area of tables where they were available to answer any more questions we had.  There was Gammon, Egg and Chips, and a help-yourself salad bar.  You just took what you wanted.

After lunch we were free to see more and some of us visited the Heritage Museum to look at the collection of Bibles, while others took up an offer to visit the flat in which some of the full-time volunteers were living.

Impressive

We were very impressed by this huge facility running the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Great Britain and Ireland.  Its inhabitants are all Jehovah’s Witnesses and all volunteers - some part-time (like Jessica, our guide) and some full time, living on the site in six dedicated accommodation blocks.  There are on-site dentists, nurses and two “production” blocks housing engineers, architects, plumbers, gardeners, etc - all the trades and professions needed to keep the facility running.  All partake of free lunch and full-time residents cook remaining meals in their apartments.  

At no time did any of our guides push their religion on us, nor were we ever asked for donations.