What are communities
Promoting community cohesion (bonds between different individuals and groups) involves removing barriers to interaction and encouraging positive interaction between different individuals and groups. Good community cohesion can build communities where people feel confident that they belong and are comfortable mixing and interacting with others.
The value of the relationships between people who work or live together and the knowledge and skills that they have, and share is sometimes referred to as ‘social capital’.
“Community connectedness is not just about warm fuzzy tales of civic triumph. In measurable and well-documented ways, social capital makes an enormous difference in our lives…Social capital makes us smarter, healthier, safer, richer, and better able to govern a just and stable democracy.” - Robert D. Putnam[i]
The Community Help Hub was set up by Gloucestershire County Council in March 2020 to facilitate connections between local people, businesses, and groups who could offer support to those with immediate needs but did not have established support networks of their own. Set up during lockdown, the Hub has now closed, but during 2020 and 2021 it offered four ways to give or seek support:[ii]
- ‘I can offer help’ – to allow individuals to sign up to support neighbours with tasks such as collecting prescriptions, dog walking, shopping etc
- ‘I need help’ – for anyone looking for support
- ‘My neighbour needs help’ – a nominated person could indicate the need for support for friends, neighbours or families to ensure this was inclusive where there are barriers to using the online referral forms
- ‘My business can help’ – businesses could indicate the skills and resources they have available that may be useful to others
As of 01/03/22, the Community Help Hub facilitated 7,443 requests for support (Gloucestershire County Council, 2022).
The Community Help Hub was set up by Gloucestershire County Council in March 2020 to facilitate connections between local people, businesses, and groups who could offer support to those with immediate needs but did not have established support networks of their own. Set up during lockdown, the Hub has now closed, but during 2020 and 2021 it offered four ways to give or seek support:[ii]
- ‘I can offer help’ – to allow individuals to sign up to support neighbours with tasks such as collecting prescriptions, dog walking, shopping etc
- ‘I need help’ – for anyone looking for support
- ‘My neighbour needs help’ – a nominated person could indicate the need for support for friends, neighbours or families to ensure this was inclusive where there are barriers to using the online referral forms
- ‘My business can help’ – businesses could indicate the skills and resources they have available that may be useful to others
As of 01/03/22, the Community Help Hub facilitated 7,443 requests for support (Gloucestershire County Council, 2022).
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) organised two safety days for refugee families that were welcomed to Gloucestershire over the last seven years via the UKRS Scheme (formally the Syrian Refugee Programme). The events were held at SkillZONE and Gloucester Fire Station on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 August, including lunch provided by a business set up by the refugees themselves who successfully settled here.
The two safety days went really well; many families from the UKRS Resettlement Scheme (mainly Syrian families) attended and thoroughly enjoyed it. Around 100 people attended each day which included all ages from babies to adults. Members of Gloucestershire County Council also attended over the two days.
Each day consisted of different safety aspects. The families were given a tour around SkillZONE which consists of different scenarios showing safety issues such as fire hazards in the home, hazards at a rail level crossing, safety on a building site and many more.
The fire station personnel at Gloucester gave demonstrations of extricating people from road traffic collisions, water hose displays and let everyone have a sit in the emergency vehicles. They also supplied uniforms for the refugees to try on, including children. Everyone joined in and a few teenagers asked about joining the fire service when they are older, which was one of the goals for the days.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) organised two safety days for refugee families that were welcomed to Gloucestershire over the last seven years via the UKRS Scheme (formally the Syrian Refugee Programme). The events were held at SkillZONE and Gloucester Fire Station on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 August, including lunch provided by a business set up by the refugees themselves who successfully settled here.
The two safety days went really well; many families from the UKRS Resettlement Scheme (mainly Syrian families) attended and thoroughly enjoyed it. Around 100 people attended each day which included all ages from babies to adults. Members of Gloucestershire County Council also attended over the two days.
Each day consisted of different safety aspects. The families were given a tour around SkillZONE which consists of different scenarios showing safety issues such as fire hazards in the home, hazards at a rail level crossing, safety on a building site and many more.
The fire station personnel at Gloucester gave demonstrations of extricating people from road traffic collisions, water hose displays and let everyone have a sit in the emergency vehicles. They also supplied uniforms for the refugees to try on, including children. Everyone joined in and a few teenagers asked about joining the fire service when they are older, which was one of the goals for the days.
Gloucester Community Building Collective – “We bring people together to take action in their community”
Gloucester Community Building Collective (GCBC) work with people in Gloucester to encourage them to make meaningful connections with one another and in their communities, to discover and pursue their passions and interests, share their skills and to be valued for their contribution. This helps to build resilient and strong communities where everyone can thrive and have a good life.
Gloucester Community Building Collective have a team of Community Builders who build connections within communities to bring about people-led action. They take a strengths-based approach to enable people to realise their dreams and passions for themselves, their neighbourhoods and communities.
In the following video, Matt and Rae from Gloucester Community Building Collective explain more about the work they do:
Gloucester Community Building Collective – “We bring people together to take action in their community”
Gloucester Community Building Collective (GCBC) work with people in Gloucester to encourage them to make meaningful connections with one another and in their communities, to discover and pursue their passions and interests, share their skills and to be valued for their contribution. This helps to build resilient and strong communities where everyone can thrive and have a good life.
Gloucester Community Building Collective have a team of Community Builders who build connections within communities to bring about people-led action. They take a strengths-based approach to enable people to realise their dreams and passions for themselves, their neighbourhoods and communities.
In the following video, Matt and Rae from Gloucester Community Building Collective explain more about the work they do:
[i] Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (ed. Simon and Schuster, 2001)
[ii] Gloucestershire County Council (2020) Community help hub launched to support residents: Press release (available from https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/gloucestershire-county-council-news/news-march-2020/community-help-hub-launched-to-support-residents/) [accessed on 01/10/2022]
[i] Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (ed. Simon and Schuster, 2001)
[ii] Gloucestershire County Council (2020) Community help hub launched to support residents: Press release (available from https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/gloucestershire-county-council-news/news-march-2020/community-help-hub-launched-to-support-residents/) [accessed on 01/10/2022]
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