We here propose the formation of ‘Street Associations”, a town or Ward-wide initiative to group people together, street by street, to achieve meaningful community.

We believe that genuine community is one of the great needs of our time; and that the following proposals are both practical and relatively easy to implement.

SUMMARY

A meeting of leaders, to include the local authority, GP practices, head teachers, church leaders etc, creates a genuinely town or Ward-wide initiative.  Suitable ‘initiators’ are suggested by any of the participants, for different streets in the town, and these initiators are each then asked to put a stock letter through 70 doors where they live (perhaps 200 residents – small enough so that within a year everyone can get to know everyone, but not too small).  Letter says, “let’s meet”.

There is a really simple structure to put in place in each street, based on a committee of six, which gives heart and momentum to the idea of building community - and clear jobs to local people who want to join together to do it.  A ‘welfare co-ordinator’ has the privilege of visiting every home over a year (about one a week), asking, “What could you offer someone else in the street?"  And perhaps: "Could you go alongside a troubled teenager?  Could you help an elderly person with their lawn – or do English conversation with an immigrant, or help a disabled person with their shopping, or support a single mum?  And do you have any needs?”  Needs and offers of help can then be matched up, creating a tremendous 'do-it-yourself' boost to the neighbourhood!

Meanwhile, a social secretary could be organising a party for all the children in the 70 homes (bringing many of the parents together, too), a fun family barbecue, or ten-pin-bowling for the teenagers, or a weekly tea for elderly people… in a process of intentional community building, bringing heart back to the 'idea' of community.  An initiatives co-ordinator might find that 15 people from the street all drive to the centre of town at about the same time each morning.  Why not car share and make friends in the process?  Why not form a baby-sitting circle?  Why not get the arts and crafts people together?  Why not come together?

This is a transforming initiative for each street, and for every person in it, with a wonderful, positive and heart-warming impact within a year for the town as a whole.

1.            This can be done!

If community is so fulfilling, as well as vital to the welfare of millions of our fellow citizens, how can it be re-created in our day?  We want to say that, for once, the solution to this problem lies in our hands.  If community leaders work together and take forward the simple proposals below, genuinely supportive (and fun) community can be created in the most practical of ways – and without the need for budgets, for arduous effort, or for complicated formulas.  This is simple – please read on!

2.            The vision for street associations

Imagine a town street where, say, 200 people from 70 houses, had come together to form a ‘street association’.   This grouping had become a genuine grouping of friends.  Everyone knew everyone else.  They did things together.  They looked after each other’s needs.  They had fun together.  They addressed problems in the area and put them right.  The street was such a strong community that people didn’t want to move away, and others in-the-know would jump at the chance to move there if a house became available.  House prices had gone up.  Crime and antisocial behaviour were down.  Loneliness was non-existent.  Important birthdays were big.  People belonged – and felt like they belonged.

We are putting this ideal forward as a real possibility – and not just as an exceptional talking point, but as a model for any street in any town or area.

3.            What would a street association do?

Our suggested model is that every street association should form a committee of six people.  These would take on the following roles:

• president
• social secretary
• welfare co-ordinator
• initiatives co-ordinator
• communications officer
• treasurer

This may seem over-formal.  But a measure of formality gives a structure that helps people to feel comfortable – and also enables the role to survive even when an individual moves on.  The functions of these roles would (we suggest) be as follows:

a) Welfare co-ordinator

The person chosen would visit every home over a year and find out who could offer help (e.g. “Could you visit someone who is lonely, do gardening for an elderly person, child-minding for a single parent, shopping for a house-bound person, English conversation with an immigrant, mentoring for a troubled teenager, help with homework, etc?”) and “Do you have any needs?”  The ethos would be that everyone can probably offer something to help someone else.

b) Social secretary

The role would be to organise social events that bring people together, e.g. a children’s party for all the children from the 70 homes, a barbecue; a trip somewhere (car-share and take picnics); something for the teenagers (e.g. go 10-pin bowling together); a family games day at a local sports field, and so on.  The point of these social events is to build community and, in particular, to make sure that there is a focus that can draw in lonely and isolated people, of which there are many in most communities.

c) Initiatives co-ordinator

The role would be to come up with ideas for improvements of any kind.  These could include car-sharing to and from work; organising to get rid of a local eye-sore; form a baby-sitting circle; get the arts and crafts people together; organise to deal with local problems (e.g. crime, nuisance, noise, parking issues, litter, etc.); building an adventure playground (raise funds, involve councillors, combine with other streets etc); organize support for local facilities (e.g. shop, post office, pub, church, bus route, chippy).  Again, remember that doing things together in itself builds community and creates community spirit.

d) Communications officer

The role would be to keep residents informed about events, consult, collect ideas, perhaps do an occasional newsletter.

e) Treasurer

The Treasurer, as well as being part of the team, would handle the money side of events, bookings, subs (if any), tickets – and ideally take a lead role in any admin that needs to be done.

f) President

The President’s job would be to hold it all together, to trouble-shoot and resolve problems or conflicts, to act as MC at events and to liaise with outside bodies (e.g. other street associations, local councillors, the police, schools, etc).

Clearly, flexibility is important and different models may evolve to suit different situations.  But we believe this is a workable model to run with.

4.            How can towns get going with this?

Following the success of our first Ward-wide initiative (in Harborne, Birmingham, where Street Asscoiations have been formed and are growing beautifully - and making a huge difference), we are crystallizing what it takes to get such an initiative going.

The key is to create a Ward-wide or town-wide initiative and then to identify one person in each street who can take the local initiative in calling a meeting.

Our suggestion is that the ‘baton’ of this idea would first be passed to a group of  church leaders at the town level (or area of a city – e.g. King’s Cross in London, or Edgbaston in Birmingham).  Local councillors have told us that it is helpful if the initiative comes from the churches, as they are neither ‘left’, nor ‘right’, but just community!  And they also gather large numbers of people who might be motivated to take an active part.  They then speak to local council leaders and together call a meeting of key players in the town or Ward, including local MPs, councillors, school head teachers, heads of GP practices, the police, other faith leaders, other community groupings, representatives from local businesses, etc.

If the principle of Street Associations is agreed on, the next step would be for this wide grouping to suggest individuals known to them who could take the initiative in specific streets.  For example, head teachers will know capable and appropriate parents, church leaders will suggest individuals they know, as will GPs and others.  The key is to choose, not self-publicists, but ‘servant-hearted’ people, who will be widely trusted, to set the ball rolling.

It would not be a matter of trying to allocate someone for every one of potentially hundreds of streets.  If 100 street initiative-takers could be identified at this meeting, even if not all of them went forward, it would be a great start!  One is looking to institute a process that will gradually spread as the word gets out that some streets are onto a good thing!

What should be noted is that one meeting of the local leaders should be enough to get the ball rolling, handing over to initiators at the street level.  These initiators might be able to stimulate more than one street association.  It is suggested that one person be appointed as the ongoing local co-ordinator for the initiative in the town or Ward as a whole, keeping tabs on what is happening and in particular noting gaps in provision of street associations and working with the initiative’s partners to identify new ‘initiators’ at the street level.

Time will tell what is the best size for a street association.  In our view, typically 200 residents from 70 houses is a good compromise.   A grouping much larger than that could be too large for people to get to know everyone and individuals could still be lost in a crowd.  On the other hand, a smaller grouping could risk being dominated by one or two difficult people (!) and lack sufficient numbers to make events ‘swing’.  Thus a long street might be divided into ‘XXX Street North/Central/South’ etc and a small close might combine with a neighbouring street or close.  It can all be very flexible and non-bureaucratic!

We propose that a presidents’ group should be formed at the town or Ward level.  This would be able to reflect the concerns and needs of the ‘grass roots’ to those in authority.  Thus, this group could meet annually with the leaders of the local authority, police, schools etc.  It could help spawn street associations in other areas of the town.  Finally, as part of a national network of street associations, it could reflect upwards the values needed to sustain community and shine a light on aspects of the culture that diminish it.

5.            How does it get going at the street level?

One person from that street, contacted by the town-wide group, could call a meeting of the other residents (putting a letter through each door – Uturn UK has ‘stock’ letters for this) and see who came.   Whether 10 or 50 people turned up, that would be fine – a nucleus for further activity could be formed.

It would be helpful to the person taking the initiative to be able to say that:

• they had been asked (e.g. by leaders at the town level) to do this;
• this was responding to a town or area-wide initiative;
• this was part of something happening in many parts of the country and it seemed to be catching on.

The great thing about a street is that there is something clearly in common; there is already the concept of ‘neighbourliness’ in existence, making the idea easy to grasp and like; there is clear definition of ‘reach’ – every street has a name and a defined ‘membership’ (with no-one missed out); and proximity makes increased contact easier.

At the initial meeting of residents, nominations should be received for people who others feel would contribute well to the committee, and in what roles.  Those not present could then be contacted (probably by the person who suggested them) and asked if they would be willing to be nominated.  In a couple of weeks it should be possible to put forward a list of nominees who have the confidence of others.  A letter could be sent around inviting further nominations and announcing a second meeting, where a vote would be taken wherever there was more than one candidate for a position.  A committee would in this way be relatively easy to form and the street association would be ready to start doing things to bring the neighbourhood together.

6.            Things to avoid

a) Commercial exploitation

There should be clear guidance that no money-making activities should be allowed to muscle in on street association activities.  For example, at a street party there should be no commercial food-sellers or drink sellers, no paid-for ‘rides’ or bouncy castles or anything that is there to make money.  All charges (if any) should go into street association funds.  Commercial exploitation greatly changes the ethos from being one of mutual support – and tends to take over.

b) Self promotion

Not everyone who wants to ‘serve’ really wants to serve!  People should be chosen, not for their impressive leadership skills, but for their servant hearts and their ability to inspire trust.  This should be emphasised again and again.

c) Distrust and division

Nothing breaks up community like distrust and division, with its consequent resentments.  There must be absolute clarity that this can only work if people behave well towards one-another.  Uturn UK is creating a ‘code of values’ (as schools and some business often do) to guide members.  In this way, street associations can become a seed-bed for rekindling values in our communities.

d) Cornering shy individuals!

Not everyone will want to be part of something like this!  The worst thing would be to try and force them.  Joining a street association must be an invitation, not a requirement.  But the focus of that invitation should be on meeting the needs of others.  Conversely, when one is asked what one’s own needs are, it should be perfectly OK to say “I’m fine, thanks”.

e) Rejecting difficult individuals

A key value, for this to work at all, must be that it is for everyone and that, just as a screwed up £20 note is still worth £20, so everyone has value – however ‘screwed up’ they may have become.  There is a tremendous pay-back that comes from welcoming all: that it will quickly establish an atmosphere in which all know that they are accepted (as opposed to an atmosphere in which a remarkably high number feel insecure and marginalised); and in which the most needy get the community they so much need.  Counting everyone as having value requires that ‘code of values’, since gossip and back-biting will tend to emerge, unless specifically discouraged!

f) Keep it non political!

While local councillors and candidates for council will want to be involved and can be immensely valuable in helping to get street associations going, it is suggested that others should take the positions of officers in the committee, to avoid associations becoming politicised in any way – which can make for division, rather than unity.

7.            Uturn UK’s role

We want to offer the following input to help this initiative forward:

1. Vision-setting We have develloped and are now working to communicate the vision for street associations, creating materials that promote the idea, nationally and locally.
2. A catalyst We are liaising with church leaders and others at the Ward or town level and are happy to assist in shaping the initiative in each locality, helping to steer the initial meeting or meetings and seeking to act as a catalyst in ‘piloting’ the initiative in a variety of situations.
3. Provide models We have created (and are refining) models for how best to get started, drafting relevant letters (e.g. an introductory letter to local leaders, another to residents at the street level), offering a code of values, suggested activities and events – and so on.
4. Best practice Based on our pilot projects, we are keen to learn the lessons drawn from practical experience and build those lessons, and excellent new ideas generated locally, into the ‘model’ of what comes to be suggested for elsewhere.
5. Promotion As the first street associations mature, we hope to create a video showing what they look like in practice, collect stories that help promote the concept and field media enquiries.
6. Liaison We will keep contact, at the town level, with the nominated local-co-ordinator, who in turn will liaise with the association presidents in the town.  In time, conferences, nationally and perhaps regionally, could be offered for those involved at the local level and those thinking about it.
7. Contact We offer a website (www.streetassociations.org) on which street associations can register their existence, amend their contact details, with a unique section for each participating town and street.  Local leaders have access codes to be able to draw down local information, email lists etc.
8. Public liability insurance We have negotiated national cover, making it easier and much cheaper for street associations to stage local events.
9. National impact A grass roots movement to rekindle community and communal values to be reflected at the national level, helping our culture sustain, rather than hinder, the growth of genuine community.

8.            Conclusion

In a society in which there is extensive isolation, struggle, endemic loneliness and in which nobody seems to “care a toss for anybody else”, pretty much everyone recognises that community is something we have to a large degree lost – and that we need it back again!

A caring, integrated, loving, supportive community can draw the best from each one of us and give the best to each one of us.  It can ‘make the world go round’, put a smile on people’s faces and meet real needs in an era in which many publicly-funded support services will have to be withdrawn.  And we believe that it is very, very do-able – by us!

All that is needed is for a group of local leaders to come together, incorporating churches, schools, medical practices, police, councillors and local businesses at the town level; that they embrace a simple model and set out to identify people who can start making it happen at the street level.