Community Digs & Peppa Pigs Emma Brown Carlisle
Community dig and picnic with Peppa Pig Living in the North West I hadn’t heard much about the Community Organisers programme until I saw the job advert in the local paper. There hadn’t been any previous CO’s in Carlisle before we’re almost off the map so to speak….
It’s great to see how the members have evolved from exploring their options with a professional facilitator to realising they
I attended the residential knowing only that the job advert had
have the capacity to run things themselves. They have monthly
ticked all the boxes to something I was looking for, and I came
meetings and although they still feel they need the support of
away intrigued, wanting to learn more, to listen and to begin
the CO’S they will get there!
inspiring and motivating local people. There’s also Speed Watch - Operation Storm Cloud. When I And so West Carlisle Community Organisers was formed with
went door knocking along the Moorehouse Road area - which
myself and my team-mate Sky. We really are chalk and cheese,
is a main road in a built up area, with a 30 mph speed limit and a
we’ve supported each other throughout this past year and I don’t
primary school at the end - lots of residents told me how
think I could have done it without her.
speeding and the noise of fast cars was a concern for them. This was a big issue! At least 15 people (I lost count) attended our
It’s been a fab year which began by knocking on many doors.
first ‘heated’ meeting, where there were lots of angry residents
From here I identified a need for ‘community togetherness’ and
who were sick of nothing being done about the speeding traffic.
from this, ideas for events came to light, such as our Picnic in
We’ve teamed up with local police who are offering free laser
the Park with Peppa Pig, a bee inspired coffee morning and a
training to the group, who will go out and conduct speed checks,
Christmas Social—all aimed at bringing the local people
record vehicle details and forward them on to the police officer
together, and providing something for those who were
helping to support this project. Training takes place on the 14th
interested to really get involved in.
and 15th April … I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Bigger projects went on to form… I did a listening with a lady
Community Dig is a project which came about after I knocked
named Jo who originally didn’t have much to say. It wasn’t
and knocked on doors in the Raffles area and spoke to residents.
until we caught up a second time that we really got down to
Time after time they told me about the land between the houses
the knitty gritty; Jo has a son with complex needs and it wasn’t
which was being used as a dumping ground, with people fly
something she’d usually discuss with anybody and she hadn’t
tipping and attracting rodents —it really was a horrendous area!
really fitted into the criteria for support groups in her area.
We’ve had two meetings bringing people together to discuss
Jo wouldn’t off-load to friends because she felt they couldn’t
ideas collectively and the real focus now is around building a
understand, and she felt there was a real need for a group that
community team. Unfortunately people have heard broken
offered support to families such as hers which fell through
promises time and again and want this to change. The project is
the gap – those with children who have ongoing medical
about what they can do and this has been slow and challenging.
complications and as such don’t necessarily have a diagnosis.
I am working to support local people to change opinions and
After reflecting on this listening with my team mate Sky
really help get them on board to become involved in their
who’d done a similar listening with another parent, we
community – it is a massive project and without this it would fail.
decided to bring these two people together.
I will continue my work with local residents, helping them to pull together and really move this project forward. Watch this space…
We also formed the Bee U group which continues to grow.
It’s been a great adventure so far, here’s to the next challenge!