Bristol Community Organisers

The website Fix My Street is an interesting idea. It enables individuals to type in their postcode, click on a map and to report a problem like flytipping or rubbish, abandoned / burnt out cars, potholes, and of course dog doo. From their help page

FixMyStreet is primarily for reporting things which are broken or dirty or damaged or dumped, and need fixing, cleaning or clearing

It then fowards this to the council, who are then publicly held account until the issue is fixed. When it is fixed it is marked ‘fixed’ on the website. See this page for Easton : http://www.fixmystreet.com/reports/Bristol/Easton

or for Lawrence Hill:

http://www.fixmystreet.com/reports/Bristol/Lawrence+Hill

Job done. But how empowering is it? It makes good use of the web, and citizens with smartphones can even download an app to do it there and then from the streets.  But I wonder if the title sums up what might be an issue: ‘My Street’ is the point of view of an individual. When an individual reports an issue and it is solved , this is good for sure, but how does this feel? No one in the community has any sense of who did this or how this happened. In short the activity itself does not build community.

But what about if it was ‘Fix Our Street’ ? Groups of citizens hanging out for an afternoon, on a leisurely stroll around their area collectively reporting to the council on all the things that need to be sorted on the way. Then collectively following up to see if they are being sorted and if not why not?

The group activity could also open the possibility that whilst on their leisurely stroll they could ask some questions and listen to residents on what else needs to be sorted, and what ideas and solutions they as a community have. If anyone wants to organise a group wander then please invite me too

Fix My Street is part of a really interesting and valuable set of online tools produced by http://www.mysociety.org/ more here: http://www.mysociety.org/projects/

I went down to the Crypt youth club in Barton Hill last night. I spoke to a really insightful Somali thirteen-year-old who said he loved Barton Hill but hated racism. I asked him if he’d ever experienced racism and he nodded, explaining that people had said hurtful things to him and his family. I asked him, “What would stop racism?” He thought and then said, “You know, when people come here from another country, like Somalia, they just wanna relax cause they’ve seen people killed and dead people and that. But other people, they don’t really know that so they just say, like, ‘go home’ and stuff.” He suggested that when racist incidents happen, both people should sit down and hear each other’s stories. I said, “You know what? That’s a really progressive idea that is already being used in some places and it’s called ‘restorative justice’ and you came up with that all by yourself!” I was so impressed with his thoughtful response. And best of all, he looked so pleased to have his idea listened to and respected. For me, this is the best part of community organising: encouraging people and showing enthusiasm for their ideas and building people’s confidence – reminding them that THEY know how to solve the problems in their communities.

Sharing stories can build empathy and understanding, helping to 'heal' racism.

I am currently working on gradually listening to all the residents of Barton House. Barton House is interesting to me, because although it was due to be demolished, in the early 2000′s its tenants campaigned to save it from demolition.

Opened in 1956, Barton House was developed in accordance with the ‘neighbourhood unit’ principle which was fashionable among planners at the end of the Second World War. Along with several other tower blocks in the area, Barton House was built in order to preserve’ a sense of community’. The Council was clearly very proud of them: their opening ceremonies were formal affairs attended by the Lord Mayor and other official guests.

Today, people have strong and very mixed feelings about the blocks. Often when I ask people what their vision for the future is, they say, “I’d like to see all the blocks torn down.” Poor maintenance, filthy or malfunctioning lifts, laundry conflicts, damp, asbestos, lead water pipes… these are just a few things people mention when they discuss living in their blocks. One tenant showed me how he can scrape thick asbestos from the walls of his kitchen. He’s been trying for 5 years to have his kitchen replaced, with no luck.

One tenant told me he’d been trying to get the Council to deal with his asbestos for five years.

In fact, a housing and community safety ballot in 2001 identified high-rise Barton House and low rise Chetwood and Hartland Houses as suitable for demolition.So why did tenants fight to save Barton House?

Perhaps the answer lies with what people imagined would happen if demolition took place. I asked the staff at Housing Solutions TMO what would have happened to tenants had Barton House been demolished. They told me that people would have been relocated outside the area, ideally with some kind of priority-status for moving back into Barton Hill once more housing had been contstruction. However, not everyone displaced would have qualified for housing. Anxiety around where they might end up living in the future and whether they’d be able to come back to the area seems to have been what prompted tenants to save Barton House.

However, the story is actually a little more complicated.  At first, the ballot in Barton House was actually 71% in favour of demolition, but at a New Deal for Communities board meeting, a further group of residents asked for the decision to be reversed. The minority who wanted to save the building had formed into a more organised group. After fuller debate some people decided to change their minds, so the board agreed to retain the building.

Now the opportunity for demolition seems to have passed. I wonder how most current residents would vote if they were asked today?

Today I stopped off at the Marka Cafe on Morton Street, a small locally-owned cafe serving coffee and Somali snack food. I like to go in there from time to time, as the coffee is cheap and the cake (Somali style sponge cake with cardomom) is YUM!

I chatted with the owner about how the first time I visited, a couple of months ago, I wasn’t sure if I’d be welcome. That’s because I knew there are some differences between Somali and English culture, and I had wondered if it was a kind of ‘men only’ place. He assured me that was not the case and than everybody is welcome. That’s when another customer and I came up with the idea of putting up a sign to let people know that a diverse range of customers is welcome.

I spoke to the mananger and we came up with a sign for the cafe:

 Looking back at the window as I left the cafe, I felt that it created a totally different sense of ‘welcomeness’ which was really appealing. I decided to visit Abdul at Qudus stores, who I’ve listend to before about loves and concerns, and he loved the idea as well. He took me round to three other shops and met with the owners who agreed they’d like to do something similar. One of the shop owners has an internet cafe and offered to print the signs there for free. I worked with each of them to come up with the wording and images and then we printed them at the internet cafe.

Later, I saw them putting up the signs and felt really pleased. It’s a particularly exciting step, as 4 years ago there was a notorious incident in which a shop (which no longer exists) briefly put up a “No Whites” sign (terrible idea!) which many people still remember and feel angry about. I’m really hoping this simple action might change how people feel about the shops on Lawrence Hill and create a feeling of all being welcome.

If you like this idea or have any ideas you’d like to try in Barton Hill, just get in touch!

Last Tuesday, I headed out to the Netham to hang out and watch kids from the East Bristol YIP ( Youth Inclusion Project) play football. Despite the freezing temperatures, fifteen teenagers ran red-cheeked around the pitch, sprinting for the ball and shouting to each other to pass. The whole time, they are watched and encouraged by two dedicated coaches, Luis from the charity Catch 22 and a volunteer coach from Bristol City Rovers. On the sidelines stands Julie, mother to two of the players. I ask her what she loves about Barton Hill. Turns out she loves a lot about it – the people, the friendliness, the community spirit. When I ask her what her concerns are, she says, “They’re going to close the YIP!” She tells me that without the YIP, which works with 50 young people aged 13 to 16 from Barton Hill and Easton who are deemed to be ‘at risk’ of offending, crime rates will go back up to where they were six ago before the project started. The young people I speak to share her feelings. One young lad, 16, tells me, “This project made me who I am. I’m disappointed other kids won’t get the same chance I had. They’ll get in trouble instead.”

It’s sad, because this is a repeat of what happened in 2011, when the YIP was threatened with closure in 2011. The kids worked together to save it – they even made a short film – but this time, with the country reeling after massive public spending cuts, there is a sense of disillusionment in the air.

What are you experiences of the YIP? Do you want to help save it? What do you think about youth services in Barton Hill? Contact me on 07791-141905 or rebecca.cant@corganisers.org.uk.

I’ve spent the last few month listening to people in Easton about what they love in the area ,what their concerns are, and what plans for action they have to sort it out. Here’s a summary:

Easton Loves: Diversity, parks and green spaces, people, community, neighbours helping you out, street parties, pubs and local shops, the cycle path, people getting along even if they’re different, it’s safe here for new people, lots to do for young children, Easton Community Centre

Easton Concerns: There doesn’t seem to be anything for young teenagers to do, no jobs, cuts in services, rubbish, dog poo, flytipping, housing benefit cuts, public transport is too expensive, segregation, gangster culture, housing allocation policies, maniac car drivers not listening to the 20MPH limit especially near schools.

Easton Visions and ideas:

Resident food co-operatives to help us get access to cheap food, front garden allotments, resident-led arts and crafts to bring different cultures together, neighbourhood safety groups, more open-access drop-in cheap facilities for youth so they have no time for mischief,  a young professional footballer to come from Easton, jobs for youth in local business (supported by community buying schemes), more street parties and events for people to get to know each other in a relaxed way, residents associations, community art projects that deal with all the waste,a competition for the tidiest street, the council to do a proper ‘deep clean’ of Easton to get it nice looking (alongside a community litter pick), community mediation to help resolve neighbourhood disputes, more sports facilities, a gym that’s affordable, turn the chocolate factory into allotments or green space or a swimming pool, the twenty mile an hour speed limit needs to be stuck to as it’s dangerous for parents and their kids going to school, more rubbish bins, publicise the fact that you can get dump rubbish at the tip 12 times a year for free, make sure people new to the area understand how all the services work, a shop on stapleton road by and for young people.

What Next? My plan for near future is to keep on knocking doors but if anyone wants to discuss a idea that they want to develop, or has a burning issue that they want to sort out (especially if it is listed above!) then please get in touch to arrange a visit. Likewise if someone is thinking ‘I know a few people who feel the same way as me about this issue’ then get in touch and we can arrange a house-meeting to get things moving. If we’ve already met but you now want to move on an issue then all the better.

Any Questions? Get in touch – everything we talk about is confidential, and your information will not be shared unless you say that’s ok. I will occasionally write about issues and ideas on this blog but they will be anonymous.

Steve Crozier in Easton:
steve.crozier@corganisers.org.uk

Mobile: 07891 066 108

It’s been a great pleasure meeting & listening to the people of Southmead. It’s been approximately 2 months now & I have met an amazing array of different people in the cafe’s, the local pub, on the streets around Arnside/Greystoke shops & in their homes, all of whom have had fascinating things to say about what matters to them & those closest to them. As one resident explained to me, “you can’t build a house overnight, it must have solid foundations for it to be able to stand, which takes time & effort to create”. In the future, I am hoping to be able to support local people in the community to turn dreams into reality. I am looking to build a team of volunteers & some interesting & interested people are already starting to emerge, if anyone would like to know more about community organising, its unique way of engaging people & volunteering opportunties that will lead to extremely exciting initiatives for future development, then please don’t hesitate to contact me as I’d be really excited to hear from you. Call: 07891 066 158.

I really enjoy walking past these colourful characters on Netham Common. It made me think about a young man I met who had some great ideas about art projects for young people. It made me wonder if other Barton Hill folk would love to see more artwork around?

If you have ideas about art or anything else, just get in touch with me. I’d love to meet you. You can email me on rebecca.cant@corganisers.org.uk.

For six weeks, I’ve been chatting with people on the street, in the park and in shops. I’ve been knocking on doors in buildings such as Phoenix House, Ecclestone House, Cashmore House and others. It’s been a pleasure to meet so many people and hear about the things that matter to them.

Each time I listen to someone in Barton Hill, I ask them about what they love about where they live, what they’re worried/angry/sad about, and what their vision is for the future. I’m really enjoying hearing what people have to say.

What’s more, many people are sharing their specific ideas of how to turn their visions into a reality. They’re also telling me their project ideas, business ideas and campaign/action ideas. Some people are even volunteering to help with the process of community organising here in Barton Hill. Exciting stuff!

But what makes community organising different is this: rather than rush to start up new projects, businesses or campaigns that could fizzle after a short time, community organisers build strong networks within communities to ensure that new projects/businesses/campaigns are truly community-led and sustainable. At this stage, I’m looking for more volunteers to help extend the network and build more trust and respect here in Barton Hill.

I’m looking forward to meeting more people. If you’d like to chat about concerns, aspirations and ideas, just email me on rebecca.cant@corganisers.org.uk or call me on 07791141905.

Hello! I’m pleased to have a website – somewhere to keep people informed about what we’re up to. More coming soon!

There is also more information here: www.cocollaborative.org.uk