Jude Simmons is the head of Community Links’ Children, Youth, and Community work.
Our new report, Strengthening Communities, outlines the achievements co-ordinated over just two years by Cecilia Jaros, our part-time community development worker.
We start from the belief that everyone has potential to play a part in their local community themselves, and make things happen. Sometimes people need a little support to identify the right places to get started, people to contact, available sources of funding, or just the confidence to have a go.
Community Links provide the catalyst; we encourage people to organise their own activities. Starting off locally and small scale – holding an event where people can get together and begin talking about the issues that concern them – is sometimes all that is needed to ignite a spark that leads to new community activity. Just filling in a few gaps can ensure the enthusiasm for shared action becomes contagious.
From outside, our area might be identified as one experiencing multiple deprivation, child poverty and a range of other negative issues, but we take the view that our community has tremendous assets. Key amongst them is the energy, enthusiasm and enterprise of people who live locally and, given a bit of support, can make things happen.
Whilst much of our work is intense and at a micro level, often our input will be for only a short time as we put people in touch with each other and watch things take off. However we are equally happy to support people on small scale activity or far bigger more ambitious ventures. One young lad at one of community hubs was really interested in Street Dance and also concerned about young people on the estate where he lived.
Cecilia talked with him over a period of weeks introducing ideas to him – maybe teaching dance to the very young people he was concerned for. He now has his own street dance group, has fundraised for rehearsal and studio space, performs at events and is going to university to study music. The difference in this quiet young boy is incredible.
We also helped seven different communities in Newham organise Big Lunch events this Summer, where neighbours get together one Sunday to have lunch outside. This is part of a national event and once the idea was aired with local people they just took over, coming up with a whole load of ideas to get people involved. This event happened with four groups last year and next year I’m sure it will expand again. It has now gained its own momentum with local people, streets, and clubs already planning events for next year.
Our centres or “hubs” house a number of different activities under one roof so progression from one thing to another is easy, organic and not forced. Our approach at all of our centres is to have an open door and welcome visitors just to come in and have a look at what is happening. Often in the remote isolated estates where we work what little activity that does take place is restricted – just for pensioners or just for teenagers. We take the view that any activity is available to all who want to participate, and we’d encourage everyone to take part in setting up something new.
Our centres are also places where we connect with other local agencies and organisations, schoolteachers and heads participate and Police Community Support Officers are likely to be sat across the table and engaged in the same project – not a demanding authority figure. So if a parent needs to speak to the school about behaviour or attendance, it’s likely that one of our staff can make the introduction directly, passing on the connection from one trusted professional to another and widening the circle of social contact.
it is an approach to community development that permeates all we do at Community Links.
Amid the din of election coverage, it’s nice to be reminded that most of the world is carrying on as normal – working, volunteering, even dancing. Today, for example, is Community Links’ annual pensioners’ tea dance and karaoke party, organised by a group of volunteers from one of our corporate supporters. The hubbub emanating from the hall, right in the middle of our office, is a nice if distracting reminder that the good society is being supported every day, and no doubt will continue whoever makes it in to government.