Neighbours4u
Neighbours4U is a project managed by Hope in the Community Ltd (see below). The project is part of the Guide Neighbourhoods Programme. Primarily operating in the Thames Gateway areas of Medway and North Kent, the aim of Neighbours4U is to assist residents in implementing regeneration and renewal projects. Its belief is that residents are the best people to control the regeneration of their neighbourhoods. The project links residents in neighbourhoods that have been through the process of regeneration with those starting out, allowing them to share successful experiences and to encourage and inspire other residents to become involved.
Neighbours4U employs a full-time Community Development Worker to act as a mentor to residents who become involved in neighbourhood regeneration. It uses experienced trainers to deliver courses in Community Development as well as running seminars on relevant topics. It encourages and facilitates networking between residents and sharing of experience and best practice, both locally and nationally, providing ongoing support to neighbourhood, residential and community development groups. The project arranges and funds visits to and from other Guide Neighbourhood projects, hosted by experienced Resident Guides who have “got the T-shirt”. The project also operates a grants programme, awarding seed-corn grants up to £10,000.
Neighbours4U, unlike most other Guide Neighbourhoods, is not focused on one community or estate. It spreads expertise across a range of resident-led projects. The project is managed and supported by the expertise and experience of the staff and network at Hope in the Community Ltd.
Hope in the Community Ltd is a registered charity, established in 2004 to provide an umbrella of support for faith and voluntary sector groups engaged in community regeneration. These sectors have been hampered by a number of issues, which Hope in the Community seeks to address by providing and supporting:
- the expertise or access to resources so often needed by a small group;
- an understanding of project criteria, funding targets and outputs;
- information and frameworks for developing partnerships
Hope in the Community is affiliated to or represented within a number of faith and voluntary bodies and statutory agencies. It currently operates predominantly in the Thames Gateway development area of Medway and North Kent. The area comprises both traditional urban and isolated neighbourhoods around and within which significant residential, commercial and industrial development will continue for many years. Hope in the Community is involved in projects in many of these neighbourhoods, empowering local residents to ensure sustainability through management by the people, for the people, amongst the people.
Neighbours4U supports an increasing number of projects. The variety of these client projects is astounding, but each seeks to benefit its neighbours and each has a story to tell of how Neighbours4U and Hope in the Community have provided efficient, effective and timely support. A few examples illustrate this:
Activities Programme Service for Adults with Learning Disabilities - A venture set up to develop programmes tailored to the individual needs of participants and carers. The project is operational, stimulating much interest from the private and statutory sectors. Neighbours4U provided funding, initial set-up support and training.
Hope Street Centre - An underused church building is being extensively redeveloped to create a multi-functional community-centred facility to enrich a deprived community. The £1m programme is in progress, with project management, training and funding support provided by Hope in the Community and Neighbours4U.
Friends of Hillyfields - Residents close to a recently refurbished park have joined together to continue improving the park and local area, to promote it, and to create community cohesion. The park is being further developed and the group intends to provide a “park watch” scheme to help maintain its beauty. Neighbours4U is providing support and advice on establishing the group as a constituted body, and has awarded a seed-corn grant.
Cyber Café - An established and yet underused Internet Cafe sought to improve and expand its services to create a more accessible environment that is welcoming to a greater range and number of local residents. The café has now introduced new machines, increased the number of seats, and improved monitoring and access through support and funding from Neighbours4U.
Computer, Library and Information Centre (CLIC) - A redundant chapel received a thorough and sympathetic internal refurbishment to create a useful community facility for the local residents of a rural village. The facilities included the installation of new kitchen and toilet facilities, an IT training room and the provision of the local council library facility, along with a "drop in" centre for coffee/tea and local information. Project management and funding support were provided from Hope in the Community and Neighbours4U.
Neighbours4U has created a resource library for use by associated projects. It contains a range of reference material and equipment to assist in furthering their aims. Hope in the Community has established a training and conference centre and a new office at the heart of the Thames Gateway. This centre will be available for use by our client projects.
For further information, visit www.neighbours4U.net.
Contacts
For more information regarding our Guide Neighbourhood Programme or to arrange a visit please contact:
Chris Walker - Project Development Officer
Tel: 07768 790609
E-mail: chris.walker@hitc.org.uk
Kevin Jennings - Community Development Worker
Tel: 07867 524247
E-mail: kevin.jennings@hitc.org.uk
Alison West - Project Administrator
Tel: 01634 899937
E-mail: alison.west@hitc.org.uk