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Kingsmere Community Association
So what exactly does the KCA do apart from provide community events? Did you see Panorama, taking back the streets? If not then you will be asking, what is social capital and how can it really help our community? Social capital is exactly what the KCA is doing right now on this estate! ‘All that you need are people who are passionate about their community to set up an Association. Then you can use the networks that bind communities together and improve the quality of life for everyone – this is social capital.’ Social capital is not about close knit communities intervening to stop serious crime; it's about people getting involved in their community as a way of preventing crime. As quoted on Panorama ‘It never ceases to amaze me how a minority can control an area where a majority of people live... all because of the fear factor. If you stick together on an issue they can't intimidate you’ This is something that Zoe Newlove agrees with: "Because of my dad's death people need to buck-up their ideas and want to have community spirit - not just two or three people on the street - but everybody grouping together." Anti-social behaviour thrives because of people's fear to deal with it: "In a neighbourhood where people know each other better, they are more likely to intervene in the precursors of crime.” "High social capital communities are likely to organise together to get the police, landlords and council to do their job and finally they tend to make better citizens." Our Key Partners include: Your three landlords, PFP, Raglan & Southern, your local councillors, county councillors, the police, the KCA & the Youth Development Service. We meet every month at the Neighbourhood Partnership to discuss ways to make social capital work. What we need is to hear from all of you what you think, how you would like the estate to be improved, your positive thoughts and even your negative ones. Your ideas for community events, for our young people, for you! We all need to engage with our young people, they are our next generation, talk to them, do not fear them, get to know them and what they want and think. Mutual respect grows from this helping to reduce crime and Asb.
Our Goal is to:1) Make Kingsmere a place where existing and future residents can enjoy their homes, schools, facilities and environment free from crime and the fear of crime.2) To improve the skills and employability of Kingsmere residents, enabling them to access work and connecting them to new opportunities. 3) Improve the quality of the natural and built environment, making places accessible and ensuring that improvements are sustained into the future.4) Build the ability of residents and young people to influence the issues that affect them and the confidence to use their influence.Some of the things we are doing include:
Providing a programme of activities to get young people (11-19 year olds) involved in youth clubs to help reduce boredom and prevent vandalism and crime. Working closely with Amicus Horizon with the ‘Get it on’ project, a programme to help residents with training, advice, CV’s etc so they can get back into the job market. Also we have recently opened the IT suite at Conqueror Hall for basic computer skills courses for adults and a homework club for young people. Providing community led events to bring the whole community together. We are working with our partners ensure that public open spaces are improved and managed in a way that can be sustained in the future. We would like a
third of Kingsmere residents engaged in community groups. Supporting
and encouraging the development of neighbourhood groups, and
enabling individuals to be involved in what happens in the
community. Working with local groups and residents to develop events that will benefit the whole community. Using our community hall to house activities for young people in the area.
So as you can see, the KCA does more than just put on community events. But to make this estate a real success story, like those featured on Panorama, we need you, the residents, to be as passionate about this community as we are, to get involved to improve the quality of life for everyone. What can you do?
Please get involved or the estate could easily go down hill very quickly. This does not mean you giving up hours and hours of your free time, just an hour a month can make a huge difference. Please get involved or we could loose all the clubs that your children currently either enjoy or have access to. Please make the effort to come to our regular open meetings and have the confidence to have your voice and opinion heard. The problem is always about getting residents involved; it is too easy to close your door and hide behind it, keeping yourself to yourself may seem the easy option. But what happens when the problems are not just down the road but are on your door step, what will you do then? To get involved call the KCA on: 07767357376 |