Building a Network: Inside Our Neighborhood Pilot

What happens when you try to connect a neighbourhood without putting one person in charge?

That’s exactly what Belong in Plymouth set out to explore with its one-year pilot in Stoke. Instead of a traditional “hub-and-spoke” model, the team aimed to create a truly networked approach—bringing together everyone from local publicans and church leaders to businesses, councillors and volunteers.

Matt Bell explained the thinking: “We don’t want to create yet another hub-and-spoke model. We want to try a truly networked approach that emphasizes the strength of relationships.”

Karen Pilkington led early outreach and admitted, “I’m both excited and anxious—I don’t know if folks have the time or interest.” But that honesty was key. The pilot didn’t assume engagement; it invited it.

What made this pilot special was how it centred trust. No single organisation held the reins. Instead, the project invested time in creating space for people to show up, speak honestly, and build together. From mapping informal networks to experimenting with collaborative facilitation, it was a test of slow-building, sustainable change.

And in doing so, the pilot challenged more than neighbourhood design—it asked all of us to think about how power, care, and connection flow when no one’s at the top. The work in Stoke is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: when we prioritise relationships over roles, new possibilities emerge.