Neighbourhoods
Our neighbourhoods can be the building blocks of change. They are places we can connect and engage across multiple communities, services, businesses and citizens. We did a deep dive into Barne Barton and St Budeaux led by an engagement process that brought together over 25 local people that resulted in the community designed and implementing initiatives themselves.
Wanting to be of service, we responded to a need from health colleagues to see what could be done to reduce winter pressures at our local Emergency Department. The data showed attendance was very high from one neighbourhood in Plymouth. We recognised the need for deep engagement in this fractured community - it had "death by services" syndrome as so many initiatives had been there before us and local people said they were "sick to death of consultation."
After a lot of conversations with community organisations and a spot of theatricals at local fun days we were able to bring together a cohort of over 25 local people and a smattering of services to co-design and co produce some interventions to help people find the right person to talk to at the right time.
Simon Sherbersky designed a co creation process starting with the Map of Belonging whereby residents came up with ways of helping each other combat social isolation and loneliness lasting 16 weeks which residents were paid to attend.
This process has been mapped and is available to share, although we recognise the way it was delivered, going one step at a time, bringing in resources and toolkits only as local people took the steps themselves cannot be packaged as it relied on the relationships built between the members of the group.
After this process delivered solutions a smaller group of volunteers worked to implement these. They organised themselves as a community organisation with a bank account and are producing a minimum of four printed newsletters which they deliver to local homes and businesses called The Buzz (issue 1 March 2025, issue 2 July 2025). They have delivered 2 mobile drop in sessions using a Mobile Health Research Van and have booked one using Plymouth Citybus' community vehicle.
They are also delivering games nights suitable for anyone in the community to attend as well as drama and musical workshops and events. They have unique experience of neuro divergency and disability and are using this expertise to design genuinely inclusive sessions.
The group meets together regularly to continue this work and is applying for other funding to help them with further projects as they grow in confidence as a living laboratory of Asset Based Community Development.