Street Connecting is a partnership between Open Door Community Foundation and Firs & Bromford Neighbours Together. We started in the summer of 2016, but it was building on intentional community building in Firs and Bromford for over 10 years.
The project is facilitated by our Street Connector Mentor, Paul Wright. Paul’s role is to be an animator (Defining a Community Animator). The connecting itself is led by an amazing group of local people in and around Firs & Bromford.
(Our street connector mentor during a family fun day, summer 2017)
The 4 key functions of the project are:
- Connecting with people out and about, through door knocking, being in community spaces and what we call bumping places (school playgrounds, outside shops, the park). In these spaces we are ‘present’ offering a welcome, a hello, a conversation, and most importantly there to listen.
- Connecting the connectors. Coming together as a team to share with each other, learn from each other and encourage each other.
- Training and development. Specific learning together and supporting each other
- Developing street level events and activity. Across our whole neighbourhood finding new and create ways to bring people together in our neighbourhood for one off events (street parties) and new groups/activities (e.g. sewing group, stay & play and many more!)
We hope you enjoy reading the stories from our Journey.
(One of our first street events on Shawsdale Road, summer 2016)
(The street connectors in action)
Welcome to our street connecting story 