Our plans to support and sustain Community Action
Early 2020 has been a reminder of the way in which people will pull together to help each other when it's really needed. But it has also seen inequalities widen as an effect of coronavirus. These inequalities won't go away as lockdown reduces, and we now need community action more than ever. If we are to sustain and support some of this new community activity, we need to act now!
We are now facilitating a coordinated offer of support, particularly to informal Community Support Groups unsure of their futures. The goal of this coordinated offer of support is to sustain - at town or district level and in coordination with existing local community organisations - a network of ‘Community Champions’, in a way not dissimilar to the excellent work of Oxford Hub in Oxford City. This network of Community Champions will connect with and complement existing community action in local areas, helping us to share best practices, connections, and a sense of shared purpose across the county.
We are calling all organisations who can offer concrete, practical support - particularly in the voluntary sector - to work with us. We can help you to make your offer known as widely as possible, and work together to ensure that community support remains joined up across the county in useful ways.
It is only together that we can properly support people and communities make their own decisions on how to continue, with all possible resources at their fingertips. Let's get to work!
