Bringing Cohesion to your Community!!
Introduction
A key element of building safer and stronger communities is to promote Community Cohesion. There are key issues for social landlords in terms of managing communities, whilst creating respect, breaking down social barriers created by concerns over diversity and creating a sense of belonging that respects difference, but rejects segregation.
Coastline Housing Limited (CHL) recognises the importance of understanding the tensions within society to enable them to be addressed and promote cohesion in neighbourhoods. A key to creating better, more cohesive places to live will be through learning from and understanding each other.
Social Exclusion often occurs when people or areas have a combination of linked problems, such as unemployment, discrimination, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime and family breakdown.
The Project
CHL is committed to offering you our customers a first class service, making you our top priority. By continuously improving what we do, we aim to give you real value for money, for your rent.
Not only do we aim to work to provide you our customer with an excellent housing service, we are also committed to working with you to look after your neighbourhood.
To improve Coastline Housing Limited's neighbourhoods, we began to implement a new development project called 'Community Cohesion' or also known as 'Neighbourhood Cohesion' in August 2007. This project sits within Neighbourhood Services as a new approach to estate management, but also links into aspects of Community Development/Involvement.
Definition:
The broad working definition is that a cohesive community is one where:
"There is a common vision of belonging for all the community. The diversity of people's different backgrounds and circumstances are appreciated and positively valued. Those from different backgrounds have similar life opportunities; and strong and positive relationships are being developed between people from different backgrounds in the workplace, in schools and within neighbourhoods". (Tenants' and Residents' Community cohesion Project. Bradford MBC. Good Practice Guide March 2005).
"In essence, community cohesion is about recognising, supporting and celebrating diversity. It is about creating an environment where there is mutual respect and appreciation of the similarities and differences that make people unique".
This project therefore aims to provide safe and valued environments in which our customers are happy and proud to live, and also works towards developing sustainable communities alongside customers. This project extends the provision of facilities and services beyond the prerequisite of bricks and mortar and beyond the landlord function.
The term 'Community Cohesion' refers to the togetherness exhibited by members of a community. A community that is cohesive is one that embodies four key characteristics:
1. a common vision and a sense of belonging
2. valuing diversity
3. similar life opportunities for all
4. strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds and circumstances in the work place, in the school and within neighbourhoods
To be able to do this we are currently working and consulting with our customers to aid us in designing a Cohesion Plan, which aims to:
. Create a neighbourhood where you are happy and want to live in
. Identify problems within your neighbourhood
. Tackle barriers that exist between different groups
. Avoid conflict and tension
. Promote greater knowledge, respect, and contact between various cultures
. Promote a greater sense of community spirit.
The Cohesion Plans
Coastline Housing prioritised four neighbourhoods to use as a pilot during 2007. These were:
. Collins Parc (Stithians),
. Trenance Road (Camborne),
. Grenville Gardens (Troon) and
. Montague Avenue (Redruth).
These have their own specific cohesion plan written up for them, identifying what amenities they already have and those that they lack, (please find leaflets to download at the bottom of the page). Each has been chosen because they illustrate a variation across the average spectrum of sub-categories that constitute socioeconomic deprivation. These areas have been identified as needing action from the 'Indices of Multiple Deprivation'. Cohesion Plans for the chosen areas have been put into leaflet form, and have been distributed so that all our customers are kept informed of what is happening.
This year we have planned to extend the project to four new areas. Following a stock tour that took place in June, Residents from across the sounding boards, area panels and Residents Associations identified four new areas for community cohesion to be developed. The chosen areas are:
. Euny Close (Redruth)
. Manor Road (Camborne)
. Trenant (St. Day)
. Illogan
These areas have been chosen for the following reasons:
. Euny Close has a strong and proactive Residents Association established that have already built a strong working relationship with Coastline Housing Limited. This means that due to a mutual trust and rapport already established it will be much easier for us to work together to drive forward the aspirations and common vision that has been identified by residents. Additionally there seems to be a real barrier between Euny Close and Trevingey so this project will really help both areas to begin to break down the barriers and to integrate.
. Manor Road currently has no active Residents Association or community group and the area lacks local facilities. It would be fantastic to see some good old fashioned community spirit brought back into the area. In addition to this the environmental look and feel of the area needs some improvement.
. Trenant is a small rural community that has been working hard to make a difference to their neighbourhood. They have an active residents association that already receive support from Kerrier District Council but would also benefit from extra help from CHL.
. Illogan is an area that has a lot of different agencies working within it. However the work is very disjointed and we thought it would be great to try and coordinate partnership working so that we are able to pool expertise and resources to shape better services and provide a more integrated approach to the delivery of services for users.
Future areas for cohesion
CHL now has the aim to develop community cohesion in four new areas on an annual basis. Residents either in a community group (e.g. residents association or collective body) or singularly will shortly be able to apply for funding to develop cohesion in their area. To make them eligible their reason for application will have to fall into one of the five categories listed below:
1. Rural area
2. Sub-urban area
3. Highly deprived/disadvantaged
4. In the initial stages of regeneration
5. Suffers from tension, conflict, barriers and a lack of understanding of people from different backgrounds or culture.
The Application Process
The application forms and guidance notes as well as the process for application are currently being devised and we hope to have this section updated with all the relevant material by the end of September 2008.
Please don't miss your chance to make a positive difference in your local area, so watch this space!!
Sustainability of the project
CHL also strives towards ensuring the long term sustainability of the neighbourhoods that we are focusing on at present. This will be achieved by building strong partnerships with other statutory agencies and with the voluntary and community sector. The reason we want to work with existing and new partnerships is because they play a key role in securing a core vision that will consequently build a peaceful, fair and inclusive community.
Coastline Housing will be working in partnership with;
. Residents (both CHL tenants and private)
. The Tenancy management team
. The Community Participation team
. New Connections
. Kerrier District Council
. Cornwall Cullet
. The Sports and Arts Outreach Project
. Local MP
. Cornwall County Council
. Local Residence Associations / community groups
. Local Businesses
. The Police, and PCSOs
. Green Fingers (Redruth North Partnership)
. CN4C
. Cornwall works
. Community Assisted Projects
. The Duchy College
. Cornwall College
. Community Energy Plus
. The Combined Universities of Cornwall
. Other agencies and organizations.
Achievements to date through partnership working
Montague Avenue
CHL and the Redruth North Partnership have been working together to help improve service at Montague Avenue. Funding was received to erect a fence and to flatten the green area to make it a safe playing field for the local children. This was a result from 'measuring community cohesion' consultation that we carried out, where local residents were able to tell us what improvements they would like to see.
In addition an amnesty on bulk items was arranged for a two day period in October 2007 by the Redruth North Partnership. Over 38 tonnes of material was removed from 126 houses. Support was provided by Coastline Housing, Kerrier District Council Neighbourhood Renewal Funding team and Community Assisted Projects who recycled 6 tonnes of scrap metal. The sustainability of this type of amnesty is not viable, so the Redruth North Partnership is working with Coastline and Kerrier District Council to develop a mechanism for removal that does not have a high cost to any of the parties involved. Kerrier District Council recycled 45 fridge freezers and 62 televisions, 74 Car tyres an wheels and 22 car batteries with residents helping by recycling each other's discarded items!
Trenance Road
The Neighbourhood Services team is closely working with the Community Involvement team and a group of proactive residents to set up a brand new residents association. Consultation has been carried out to measure how well equipped the area is for building cohesion upon, which has also identified certain aspirations that the local residents want to see implemented in their area. CHL hopes to help support the establishment of a new Residents Association here, and look forward to helping them achieve their goals.
Collins Parc
Measuring community cohesion consultation has also been carried out here. What was identified by the survey is that there is a high interest to set up a residents association; this will be looked at in the next few months. Another common goal identified by the survey was to increase the environmental friendliness of the area. Through partnership working with Kerrier District Council (KDC) and Cornwall Cullet we have arranged to implement several recycling bays into the area.
Grenville Gardens
By working in a close partnership with KDC's Community Regeneration Officer, we are beginning to see great change. So far the following have been achieved:
. Several recycling bays
. By working with Western Power distribution a new roof for the unsightly substation has been fitted, and will shortly be painted.
. A community action evening took place
. CHL, KDC and residents have worked together to identify a want for allotments. By forming a residents association in the future we will be able to help them to start delivering this project which will improve the environment and well being of the elder generation in the community.
. CHL and KDC have set up a consultation day with the younger children of Grenville to decide how some allocated money will be used to re-design the un-functional play park, ensuring that every member of the community has an influence over the design of the community space. CHL also have in storage a youth shelter seating area that will shortly be located on the green next to the play park. In addition a new gate will be fitted at the access point for the allotment area.
Community Cohesion Events
CHL have also been working with the KDC Sports and Arts out reach project that has developed a specific programme of leisure activities and events to directly support community cohesion. It aims to increase and sustain participation by young people in sport, while helping to improve health and well being, strengthening community relations and supporting community regeneration. CHL and KDC hope that this innovative and dynamic partnership will overcome the barriers that prevent people from participating due to suburban/rural isolation and deprivation. (To find out when street session events are coming to your area please see the below flyer).
Coastline look forward to developing further community development projects with your help very soon!
Your Role!
Community Cohesion is a brand new concept that is being introduced into Coastline Housing, and it is something that can only be obtained if you will pro-actively work alongside us. Together we can break this mammoth task into bite sized manageable chunks, and this will mean that ideas you have, if feasible, can be supplied at a much more efficient and effective rate, rather than if we are working alone. So please lend us your support and input during the course of this project.
Community engagement is extremely important to us here at Coastline Housing. Therefore we aim to empower our customers and want to give you every opportunity available to respond and be involved in the decision making process regarding your own neighbourhood and local services.
If you have any questions or queries or would like to know about how you can get involved with the development of community cohesion in your neighbourhood, please do not hesitate to contact Emma Hollingshead 'Neighbourhood Services Associate' on 08452 700 720 or email emma.hollingshead@coastlinehousing.co.uk.
