Social Context

Henley-on-Thames (population around 15,000 and home of the Royal Regatta) is situated on the north bank of the River Thames in the extreme southern portion of Oxfordshire. Parts of both Berkshire (Portsmouth Diocese) and Bucking-hamshire (Northampton Diocese) touch on the town’s boundaries. Henley is approximately 35 miles from London (with Birmingham approximately three times as far). The town figures as a dormitory suburb and weekend retreat area as well as an inland resort, before considering more local aspects of community life in the area.

Henley was, according to a Halifax Building Society survey, “the most expensive town in the country in which to buy a house” in 2003 and many inhabitants are wealthy or very wealthy, although there are also some areas of comparative deprivation within the town. Additionally, long-term residents (who moved here before house prices became astro-nomical — say 20 years ago) may live on quite modest incomes.

Because of the very high cost of housing, it is difficult for young families of average means to make a home in Henley, and so the average age of the inhabitants is comparatively high, with correspondingly high incidence of “retirees.”

Local industries include financial services, software, engineering, printing and leisure/tourism, with the first two areas suffering a significant reduction in recent years, along with a quite significant local brewing company. There are numerous hotels in the town, several primary schools (including Sacred Heart RC School), one secondary school and one further education college. The small hospital has been threatened with closure, although a local campaign to keep it open appears to have been successful. The majority of residents of working age leave Henley daily — working in London, Reading and the other larger towns within commuting distance.’

Henley attracts overseas visitors readily, both for the short-term (Regatta participants and holidays in summer) and for the medium term (e.g. overseas executives on secondment). Vacancies always seem to exist locally within the caring and hospitality professions and there is also consequently a steady stream of temporary parish members from just about all members of the United Nations. However Asian (Indian /Pakistani) and West Indian families in Henley (certainly when compared with neighbouring Reading) are notable by their absence.

The average weekly congregation at Sacred Heart Parish numbers around 300, of whom approximately 200 are “long-term locals” with the remainder visitors or temporary residents, many from outside the UK. At the latest count, people from more than 42 nations regularly attend Sacred Heart. Around 50 per cent of the congregation is retired, with some 10-15 per cent aged under 12. Like many other parishes, few attendees are in the 15-25 age group.