A letter to the editor remembers David Hencke, a journalist who worked for the Guardian, recalling his early career. Before joining the Guardian, Hencke was employed at the Times Higher Education Supplement. In 1975, he learned about a new professional training course for community and youth workers at Bulmershe College of Higher Education, which later became part of Reading University.
Course and encounter
The prospectus for the course boasted that it would employ a community development approach and offer students a “self-generating curriculum”. Within two weeks of starting the course, the letter writer was part of a small group that spent a morning being probed by Hencke about the demands that would be placed on participants, and invited to offer opinions on how they would change the world.
Impact and legacy
That experience encouraged the letter writer to follow Hencke's journalistic career closely, learning a great deal over the ensuing years. The letter highlights Hencke's early investigative approach and his lasting impact on those he encountered.
