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How to Foster Community Spirit
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How to foster community spirit in Swiss Cottage.
Hi. My name is Tony and I live in Goldhurst Terrace, Swiss Cottage. I recently ran a successful petition campaign to improve street lighting on my road and since then have been looking at different ways in which residents can work together to keep themselves and each other safe.
After discussing the issue with several of my neighbours, there seems to a consensus that a series of informal networks of neighbours, as opposed to a more formal neighbourhood watch scheme, working together to keep an eye out for any signs of trouble on their road would be the best way forward.
However, this requires a spirit of community to exist where neighbours are also friends who care about each other. In my road, like most in and around central London, most residents have no idea who their neighbours even are - myself included.
So, I am looking for ideas from like-minded people on how to rectify this.
All comments welcome
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You'll find this a struggle - I promise you. I tried to do something similar a few years back on a housing estate in west London, it was like banging my head against a wall. We had a gang of kids wrecking the place and intimidating people- I had to move away in the end. The neighbours just did not want to get involved - as long as they could close their doors to the world, thats exactly what they did. Hope you have better luck.
Mr Simmonds -
I cheer you on - although its not where I live I'm on Adelaide Road, I wholeheartedly applaud you!
My advice is to write a short summary of what you aim to achieve and hand deliver to the neighbours, see what sort of response you get back.