Neighbourhoods: Call to Action
The first Innovating Redbridge theme focused on Neighbourhoods and was an opportunity to work together to identify, explore and develop new ways of approaching the challenges we face as a community. The aim was to bring people from across our diverse borough together to identify how we can collaborate to make great neighbourhoods - where everyone feels valued, included and inspired.
This began with a number of events. As we knew not everyone would be able to come along and be part of the conversation, we have added video clips, speaker presentations and blogs about each event to the event pages. Get in touch to tell us what you think about the future of our neighbourhoods.
Some people who attended are already taking innovation into their own hands. For instance, following on from the exciting conversations at the Dragons Den event, a group of residents are setting up the borough’s first “Community Think Tank”. This will see people come up with ideas for working together to make change locally. Equally exciting, following year 6 students from South Park Primary coming in to talk about what neighbourhood means to them, the school is planning an inter-generational urban design council. This will see some of our oldest and youngest residents come together to debate community, commission street art, or even see their vision for energy systems realised. Lastly, following a conversation at our Women Inspiring Social Action event, we are working with schools to find out whether they can make their kitchens available as community assets.
These are wonderful examples of what is happening already. But neighbourhoods present many challenges and opportunities. These will need more thought and bigger teams of changemakers - including, but not limited to, us at the council.
From the events so far, we think there were three obvious areas which need more attention. These are listed below, with information about how you can get involved to help us define the opportunity before we can co-create and build solutions.
However, we don’t want to restrict the conversation to these themes. If you have ideas or want to work with us to make change for your community, please get in touch with us by emailing us at innovating@redbridge.gov.uk.
Using neighbourhood space more creatively
To be part of the first conversation about how we can encourage more activity in our parks and streets, please get in touch with us by emailing innovating@redbridge.gov.uk with 'using neighbourhood space more creatively' in the title.
Valuing our older residents
The events suggested that we need to start seeing our older residents as assets. Working with our local AGE UK and their 'Voices of Experience' team, and the social enterprise GoodGym we want to plan a session which brings residents together to talk about this in more detail. If you want to be involved, please let us know by emailing us at innovating@redbridge.gov.uk with 'valuing older residents' in the title.
Improving community networks
The need for different community groups to be able to talk to each other came up again and again in the events.Redbridge CVS plan to host a conversation about how we can improve community networks, within and beyond the formal third sector, at one of their Voluntary Sector Network Meetings. These take place on the second Wednesday of every month, in Redbridge Library. If you want to be involved, please email colin@redbridgecvs.net to find out when this conversation will happen, and stay tuned here.
Redbridge Council has also launched a Community Network for all community groups and community leaders, which will meet three times a year The focus of this group is to help each other understand our communities, and work together to tackle community-related issues. If you would like to be added to the mailing list or find out more information, please email communities@redbridge.gov.uk.
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