From Strangers to Neighbours: How do we weave new members of the community into our Social Fabric?

Foreword by Harry Hobson

Welcome all to the 2nd edition of our Newsletter.

In a world brimming with bustling communities, the ability to extend a welcome to those who are new to an area becomes an art form in itself – an art form we at Neighbourly Lab are dedicated to perfecting. At the heart of our work lies the captivating theme of welcome.

Welcome is a big theme for us in our work right now, and we’d love to hear from you with your ideas about it. Our interest in this is prompted by the fact that most people who are new to a place face this “catch-22”:

They tend to have many unmet needs but lack the social-capital and know-how to fulfill them easily. That lack of social-capital is simply because they’re new, they haven’t been socially-integrated and are yet to find all their friends or fellow-parents, meet their neighbours and settle into a workplace. The process of adapting to something unfamiliar, whether it be a new home, school, or job, can be a difficult and costly journey for individuals and their communities.

The transition from newness (i.e.; a family relocating to a new suburb, an asylum-seeker arriving in the UK or a nurse moving to a different hospital) to being settled,can bring pain and suffering for the individuals and families, resulting in a high social and economic cost (borne by the public purse).

The questions we’re asking are ‘How can places be set up right to enable newcomers to settle fast and flourish fully? What’s the “recipe” for a good welcome? what elements of “good welcome” can be put in place by the environment-into-which you arrive, vs what elements have to be brought by the person arriving?

Neighbourly Lab, alongside our brilliant partners at 英国伦敦大学学院 /together coalition and Good Faith Partnership have been in touch with the Labour party to suggest incorporating some of this thinking into their Manifesto for the election later this year.

To find out more or share your thoughts on ‘Welcome’ email us at [email protected]

Article of the Month by Chioma Wuche

The Importance of involving Communities in the Future Neighbourhood Policing

Safety is a crucial element of thriving community life. People need to feel like they can get involved in what their area has to offer without risk of harm or crime. Police are an important actor in making our areas safe places to live. However, there has been much discussion lately of differential policing in communities, with not all communities being treated the same.

We recently attended the ‘Differential Policing’? Protest, politics and partnerships’ event which spoke about these differences in how community demonstrations and protests are police and more notably of course, The Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police in 2023, highlighted a culture of differential treatment with reports of misogyny, racism, homophobia within the Met.

Community policing suggests a potential avenue to help bridge this differential approach, getting to know and understand communities more deeply. However, the Casey Review also noted that London’s voice is missing in policing due to the loss of neighbourhood policing and the “de-prioritisation and de-specialisation’’ of public protection... Click here to read more

Past Progress, Present Power: The Enduring Impact of Our Work

Neighbourly Lab's dedication to improving communities has been widely recognised and celebrated. Whilst the completion of each project is certainly a cause for celebration, we also understand the importance of assessing the impact of our work so you can see how important the funding we recieve is and also so we can all gain valuable insights into the long-term effects of our efforts on the people who need it the most.

This month we look back at The Essential Mix project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. Following the success of our initial partnership and our engagement trial, TfL has expanded our bus staff appreciation campaign further to reach and impact more drivers and customers across the network.

The campaign will feature the stories of 9 drivers and 3 TfL staff which will be displayed at North Greenwich, Finsbury Park and Stratford bus station, highlighting the role of bus industry staff in keeping London moving with a spotlight on who they are outside of work and their passions.

Click here to read more on our campaign with TFL

Neighbourly Lab Events

From supermarkets in Birmingham to the offices of the Greater London Authority we’ve been busy participating in a host of insightful and change-making events...

COMMUNITY CHAMPION SESSION WITH ASDA IN BIRMINGHAM

It was a pleasure to exchange insights with The National Lottery Community Fund Learning Network regarding our involvement with Shops - specifically supermarkets.

By repurposing vacant areas within supermarkets for community initiatives, we are confident that we can help rejuvenate these unused spaces. Our strategy for success involves implementing various formats and templates, coordinating events and timetables, and harnessing the enthusiasm and capabilities of store personnel. We plan to test this hypothesis in Glasgow, Yarmouth, and Birmingham in 2024

'CLD TALKS' WITH GRAINNE O' DWYER

In the first episode, season 2 of CLD Talks, our Head of Growth Grainne O'Dwyer delved into the realm of leadership, recounting her personal and professional voyage thus far, whilst also shedding light on the various undertakings spearheaded by Neighbourly Lab throughout the U.K.

CAMPAIGN TO END LONELINESS CONFERENCE

The annual conference for The Campaign to End Loneliness is a much-anticipated event for us every year, and we were thrilled to be present once again, surrounded by remarkable and motivating speakers.

Attending the conference allowed us a valuable opportunity to not only ponder our organisation's role in preventing and comprehending loneliness but also to consider the significant influence it has on us as individuals and as a community.

Do you have an event you’d like us to attend or participate in? Get in touch at [email protected]

Community Spotlight

In our first 'Community Spotlight,' we’re focusing on those involved in developing spaces that are designed with and for the community.

LITTLE BIG HOUSE

We’re shining a light on Little BIG Foundation, an Australian beacon of community connection. Funded by property developers, they tackle loneliness by fostering meaningful interactions. Like Neighbourly Lab, their unique approach to tackling loneliness aims to redefine development by advocating for community integration from the ground up.

Through grassroots efforts, they empower volunteers to organise over 2000 events annually, weaving the fabric of togetherness. Little Big Foundation exemplifies the transformative power of collective action, envisioning a future where community cohesion is a top priority in development projects.

Would you like to feature your organisation or an individual in our next newsletter? Email [email protected]

Neighbourly Lab Loves....

We round up this month’s newsletter with a few of our favourite things we’re loving this month....

?? Fancy a documentary for a rainy day indoors...

The award winning documentary “The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" explores how communities can come together to address challenges and build resilience, offering insights into grassroot organising and community-led initiatives.

...Or how about a podcast instead?

People Fixing the World by the BBC world service trust - 'Brilliant solutions to the world’s problems. They meet people with ideas to make the world a better place and investigate whether they work.'

Do you have an area of interest you'd like to discuss with us?

We are always looking for new opportunities to connect with our friends - old and new and would be delighted to hear from you!

Please send your requests to [email protected]