We have found that Community Conversations are very helpful in building friendships between people from different communities and in raising energy and interest in joint activities for local people. This summer we held two events with the aim of bringing more people into the Dockside Neighbours group that our Community Development worker, Sarjoh, is supporting.
We run two types of Community Conversations: “Getting to know you workshops” and “Dialogue on difference or difficulties”. On 5th August we held a ‘Getting to know you’ event for local people living in North Woolwich at a local community centre that is under-used by local people. Andrew the volunteer manager sees so much potential for the Centre to be used and he gathered together some local people to recruit for the Community Conversation along with Ros and Halima. The title of the Conversation was called “Coffee and Chat: making community spirit in North Woolwich and Silvertown”.
At this event 6 people came along. Although numbers were low, there was real excitement by the end and great enthusiasm for the photo to record an important occasion. The excitement was around the contribution of the young people (11 and 14) and the delight that young and old had so many ideas and desires for the area in common.
Halima from the Muslim Mediation Service and staff member Bev both facilitated the event as volunteers. Halima says “It was really good. It got the young people to have their say about how the community centre could be used and the older people listened and were very interested in what they said. There was a real feeling of breaking down barriers between younger and older people – it was an intergenerational conversation where they held so much in common.”
Andrew was delighted with the event and has since been out with other local people to recruit for two more events with Sarjoh (Community Development Worker) and Hanin (volunteer).
