Healthy Start Julianne Simons Hartlepool
Taking the community organising approach to better health
association who provided equipment and prizes. Families took part, more than in the past but we were still not reaching out to as many as we had hoped, but by then we had a core group as well as our ‘local whirlwind.’ We arranged meetings in a local community room but we didn’t get the same feel as when it was over a cuppa in a kitchen, so as the weather perked up we held back garden meetings. The group agreed to call the police or local authorities each time there was
I guess a good place to begin would be the assessment day.
an incident at the waste ground and conducted follow up with
So many characters… It was loud, and competitive, interesting
the council and the police.
and intense and it completely exhausted me! I thought… how do they select candidates? What are they looking for?!
They started to discuss ideas for the summer and thoughts for a street party. Fundraising and organising took place, volunteers
In true trainee form, I think you take in learning, wonder why
went door-to-door collecting items to sell, raffle prizes, selling
on earth… then you get out and it all clicks. During my training
football tickets and taking up stalls at local fayres. There were
time I have met and worked with many interesting people, who
over 60 people involved on the day and highlights included
have opened up their homes, told me their stories and gave time
old-fashioned street games, singing, magic and a table brimming
towards making a difference. A special mention must go to VCO
with home-made food. The attendees worked on a letter to the
Khan who I have worked with throughout training. He offered to
housing association and since then the residents have managed
volunteer for the programme before I had even told him what it
to contribute towards securing the wasteland and are working
was about! Wow! I thought….. yeah like it’s always that easy. I lost
on a plan to fund a communal gardener for the area.
touch for a while when I moved areas, which taught me another lesson about going to someone and asking for forgiveness
These are just a few of my stories which I think highlight some
and another chance. These special people are what makes
of the small but positive connections that were made and
community organising work.
sustained throughout my training.
In the first half of my training time I listened in a community
Other community achievements included:
local to me, this progressed into dividing my time between a
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One man becoming a tenant representative for his landlord
local social housing estate and some urban street houses.
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A meeting with the council which resulted in a consultation on traffic
Residents on the social housing estate spoke about missing
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a sense of community and the possibility of having a tenants’
An underused community room being made available for local people to use free of charge
association. There were a couple of locals who had enjoyed
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People making a stand on noise pollution
getting involved in events in the past and were pro-active about
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A voting awareness and educational event
the area, yet there were others who felt left out and didn’t
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A group of people organising a training event
experience any sense of belonging or community.
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A walking and swimming group
House meetings took place and similar feelings came out.
I have also been involved in developing a CIC and the company
People’s concerns included feelings of having lost a good
aims to use organising to deliver projects which encourage
relationship with their social landlord; an area of wasteland which
people to become healthier and more active. Our pilot has made
was being used as a hangout on the edge of the estate; adults
a positive start, and we are looking at health from many angles;
taking drugs and drinking nearby; vandalism; speeding cars and
members are coming out door knocking and learning to organise
children being bored and misbehaving.
themselves and encourage others and the community are developing activities and mini projects. We were introduced to a
A key community member offered us her home to meet in and
local organisation who have embraced our outlook and we will
began to look into ways of bringing us together… A big clean-up
be community organising and delivering the project in another
was agreed and residents got in touch with the housing
area in our second year!