Good neighbours mean good communities - playing our part
Amidst complex problems and multiple solutions, there is a simpler way of restoring community spirit that we can all be involved in – and all it takes is a chat!
Ruth Smith, one of Livability Community Mission’s Advisors shares her conviction that building relationships with our neighbours can have more of an impact than we think.
For most of my adult life I have lived and worked in areas of urban deprivation, and with people who in one way or another face the hardships of poverty, incapacity and marginalisation. I have seen umpteen initiatives for economic, neighbourhood and community regeneration come and go: millions of pounds poured into job creation, training and enterprise, housing improvement programmes, youth justice, environmental, school and community projects – you name it!
But, as an urban vicar recently said to me, “What difference has it made? Poverty has been turned into an industry,” he added. “All these ‘suits’ making a living out of other people’s misfortune.”
This may just be the voice of disillusion, or desperation perhaps; because of course, there have been significant improvements in many areas.
I have seen major environmental works lift the whole atmosphere of an estate, as well as improving road safety and providing play equipment. Elsewhere, the introduction of a Community Warden Scheme has proved a positive step towards alleviating petty crime and youth offending.
But does the vicar have a point? Despite these millions, the problems associated with poverty perpetuate, and not just in urban areas.
It seems logical and appropriate to begin with the outward and visible signs of deprivation. It is also inevitable that most social challenges are met with market-centred, economics-based ‘solutions’. We mustn’t underestimate the positive effects of financial investment, whether from public or private sources. Urban regeneration undoubtedly has its benefits. It improves the landscape and environment. It creates wealth and prosperity, jobs and minimum wage incomes – even if only for some.
But let’s be honest, as we all know, money can’t buy everything!
The decline in community spirit
In 2008, BBC Breakfast commissioned IBM to carry out some research to find out how much people on the same street interact with each other.
Amongst other things, the survey discovered:
- More than a fifth (22%) of Britons believe that the UK's neighbourhoods have become less friendly in the last 5 years.
- Half of Britons said hello to fewer than six people in their street during the previous week - and one in ten of those questioned had spoken to no-one
- Some now think there is a serious decline in everyday interaction - and argue that this leads to needless disputes
- 36% of us would not trust anybody on our street with our keys - among 25 to 34 year olds this figure is almost half
Interesting findings; even more so when combined them with research by by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation1 who asked people, “What are today’s social evils?”2
Top of the list comes a decline of community, expressed in terms of isolation from neighbours and a weakening of social responsibility: people no longer know or look out for one other. ‘Community spirit’ has broken down, as people retreat into their own homes, taking care of their own interests with little reference to the needs of their wider community.
Could it be that our emphasis on the physical and material, however necessary that is, simply misses the point?
What would it take to begin to reverse the relational deficit at the heart of our communities? These are complex issues, but the good news is we can all be part of the solution – there’s no money involved and all we have to do is talk to people!
Good neighbours share their journey
A year ago, I moved on to a small estate on the edge of a northern city, which has its share of the problems typically associated with social housing. My intention was to get involved with the local community. But I am a single mum. I have other responsibilities. I work full time. In truth I don’t have much time or energy to do very much.
What I have been able to do, however, is chat to my neighbours. They are a young couple who grew up on the estate. They had a baby together when they were seventeen. Now, aged 24, they have four children. The youngest has Cystic Fibrosis. Fortunately they have family nearby and good support. He has a steady job, and they have a stable and happy life.
But it was not always so. As a teenager he was often in trouble. He suffers occasional periods of anxiety, which are debilitating. She experienced abuse as a child, victim to her stepfather’s sexual perversions and her mother’s neglect. They are hopeful survivors in a difficult world.
I found all this out when I was off work with depression. I had time to talk with them, and told them why I was at home. As I shared with them something of my struggles, they told me something of theirs. It hasn’t brought us close, but it has opened up the opportunity to grow a friendship – and they have invited me to their wedding!
This experience has challenged me about what I am doing to get to know my neighbours. Do I take the time to do more than just say hello? What else could I consciously do to build relationship and become a good, friendly and helpful neighbour?
Bringing your perspective closer to home
For those of us who take integral mission seriously, getting to know our neighbours is a great opportunity. It’s so obvious, why haven’t we noticed it before? Maybe we too have been bogged down in the social, physical and material problems (and the funding sources they provide for our projects) and have overlooked personal needs in our community. Bringing our perspective closer to home, we might discover exciting possibilities and witness the beginnings of real transformation.
Ask anyone: good neighbours are essential to good community. And being a good neighbour is something we all can do.
Ruth Smith, March 2009
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1. Summary published April 2008 – see Summaries at
www.jrf.org.uk
2. For more information visit
www.socialevils.org.uk