21 May Welcome to our neighbourhoods

Here at Si, lots of our work revolves around neighbourhoods. These are the small, local areas in which we live out much of our lives. Throughout our work, we have shown that so many of the factors which most influence people’s outcomes, whether health, employment, or educational, are found in the neighbourhoods they live in. Working with 3ni, Local Trust and OCSI we’ve shown statistically significant improvements in social capital in neighbourhoods with strong community working.

But neighbourhoods are, at their heart, personal. So we thought it might be nice for a few of the Si team to show us around their own neighbourhoods.

Claire (Programme Director)

I live in Huntingdon, in Cambridgeshire. It is well known as the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell, as well as the home of the man that got the “sandwich” trending (genuinely!) – John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The town’s history can be seen in many places. On top of Commemoration Hall, you will see a statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, a reminder of the building’s past as the Literary and Scientific Institute. And of course, the black benches and bins that scream “Oliver Cromwell” in red writing!

But my favourite place is Portholme Meadow, one of the largest ancient water meadows in England. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of conservation due to its rare plant-life. And in the early 20^th Century, crowds stood here and watched as early aviation pioneers leapt into the sky.

Zaynah (Consultant)

I live in Poplar, in East London. My go-to fact about my neighbourhood is that Call the Midwife is set there. But aside from the history, there are many wonderful initiatives happening there right now.

Every weekend, the smells of different cuisines from Cotall Street Market waft into nearby homes. I recently visited an exhibition at the market for International Women’s Day, showcasing female leadership initiatives. On the Limehouse Cut, there’s a monthly Canal Waterways Clean Up where participants collect litter as far as they can paddle. It’s a great event which tackles plastic pollution and reduces access barriers to paddle sports. Here’s a picture of me at one of these events.

Community is really important in my neighbourhood, and the Leaders in Community host community gardening sessions. Even in a built-up area like Poplar, there’s great care taken to support the greenery around us.

Matt (Consultant)

I live in Walworth, South London. This area of London has seen a huge amount of change over its history. We’ve gone from the flagship post-war housing developments like the Aylesbury Estate which borders Burgess Park, to the modern, shiny flats replacing them today. Near my house you can also find the Pullens Buildings, which are examples of Victorian social housing, largely not built by the state. These have survived beautifully, and today house traditional artisans, an anarchist bookshop, and a community food shop where I volunteer.

Another wonderful thing about my neighbourhood is the music. We’re close to the legendary Corsica Studios, which has sadly shut down following the redevelopment of Elephant and Castle. The jazz is fantastic, whether the bi-weekly jam session at the Cable Café, or the more up-market Toulouse Lautrec.

The old headquarters of the Labour Party is just up the road from my house.  A building which saw its fair share of Labour Party infighting and factionalism (can you imagine?!) has become a backpacker’s hostel. It’s opposite the beautiful Italianate old Walworth Town Hall, which has become a co-working and community space. It’s fascinating to see how these physical pieces of social infrastructure have been repurposed, and it always makes me smile when I walk past a dance class in the old town hall. Joy and community seem to find a place, even when designated spaces are taken away.

So what’s this got to do with us at Si? Well, despite the uniqueness of each neighbourhood, we can and do draw out consistent themes and similarities across them. These are the trends which we read and write about in our day-to-day lives, trying to think about how social capital and community infrastructure changes in the places we work. But when we go home from our jobs, we live in neighbourhoods too, and so we wanted to share some of the pride which colleagues have in their local neighbourhoods – the ways in which they are excited by the history or eccentricities of the places they spend their days and years. We look forward to showing you round some more Si neighbourhoods soon.

First featured image by Omar Aboud on Pexels (Creative Commons)