Making and Taking the Time: The Unsung Hero of Neighbourhood Co-Creation
As we draw this series of learning blogs to a close, it feels right to reflect on perhaps the most significant challenge and opportunity in neighbourhood co-creation: making and taking the time.
Our journey in Barne Barton and St Budeaux has spanned weeks and months, a testament to a learning process that prioritizes deep engagement. But this commitment to time often highlights a fundamental disconnect between two parallel worlds.
The Tale of Two Worlds
On one side, we have paid professionals working within organizations. Their world is typically structured by management directives, funding cycles, contracts, and predefined outcomes. Their time is a commodity, allocated and measured against specific deliverables. This system, while designed for efficiency, often struggles to adapt to the nuanced realities of community life.
Then, there are the people living in the community. Their lives operate on different rhythms, driven by personal needs, relationships, and the organic patterns of daily life. The "norms and patterns" of their interactions are often informal, fluid, and deeply relational.
The challenge of co-creation lies precisely at this intersection. To truly co-create, we need to build relationships grounded in trust. We need time to share and deepen our understanding of each other's contexts. This isn't a transactional exchange; it's a relational process.
The Commitment Gap: A Stark Reality
Our experience in Barne Barton and St Budeaux brought this challenge into sharp focus. While there was initial interest from a wide range of practitioners and professionals, the commitment required – around two hours a week for 14 weeks – proved to be a significant barrier for many. The vast majority simply couldn't commit.
Why? The immediate answer points to the rigid structures of their work. Time is scheduled, targets must be met, and existing processes leave little room for sustained, informal engagement. But there's a deeper, more cultural challenge at play: our collective understanding of what "work" truly entails.
Reframing "Work": Towards Human Systems
Across the country, there's a growing recognition that traditional, hierarchical, and often siloed approaches to public service delivery are no longer fit for purpose when addressing complex societal challenges. Human beings, and the issues we face, are inherently complex. Yet, our systems are designed with a linear, triangular logic.
We strongly advocate for more human systems of working together. This means moving beyond market forces, commissioning processes, and rigid practices. It means embracing an approach rooted in learning together, building trust, and fostering deep insights through genuine relationships.
This shift requires a fundamental re-evaluation of how time is valued and spent. If we don't dedicate the time to exploring these complexities together, if we don't invest in these relationships, we simply won't be able to address the profound challenges facing our communities.
The Forgotten Lands and the Power of Valuing Contributions
Barne Barton and St Budeaux are referred to by local residents as "the forgotten land" – areas on the edge, often overlooked. If we, as a society, are unwilling to spend time valuing the contributions of local people, truly understanding their context, and building trust, how can we ever hope to address the systemic inequalities and inequities that persist?
How can we co-create a future where everyone flourishes, feels included, and is valued as an active contributor to the world we all wish to see?
The answer is clear: it takes time.
While we saw incredible commitment from some practitioners, particularly from the voluntary sector and a few from the public sector, more is needed. More time, more collaboration, and a greater willingness from service providers to genuinely reframe their relationships with communities and embrace a strengths-based approach.
The ultimate learning from our journey is this: making and taking the time isn't a luxury; it's the essential ingredient for fostering deep relationships, unlocking community strengths, and driving sustainable, human-centered change.