Strengthening Local Networks, Neighborhood by Neighborhood

We’ve always known that social isolation and loneliness are local issues. So we began thinking: what would it take to build neighbourhood networks that actually connect people?

Karen Pilkington proposed an idea: a series of neighbourhood networking events—not just service fairs or meetings, but relationship-building spaces across sectors.

We invited statutory services, community organisations, and residents to come together and listen to one another. No agenda. Just a shared commitment to care.

It wasn’t about creating new structures. It was about revealing the ones that already exist—and weaving them more tightly.

One participant shared: “I didn’t realise how many people were doing this kind of work just around the corner.” That’s the kind of insight that changes things.

This work is ongoing. But the goal remains the same: to build local ecosystems of trust, where people know who to turn to—and feel confident offering help themselves.

Because when networks thrive, people do too.