Know Your Neighbours?

Posted by: Amanda Walker on: September 21, 2010

• In: Observations
• Comment!

Last week I presented a workshop at a day called Women Ahead that was organised by Leeds Voice.  Now I know that Leeds is a pretty big place, but I was surprised to discover how much goes on in this city that I call home.  There were all types of people telling us what they were arranging and when it was happening, from Feminism evenings to Addiction awareness to Refugee integration.

I suppose it isn’t a surprise to hear that these things happen, but it was eye-opening.  The BME groups (Black, Minority Ethnic) that are all contributing to the Leeds community really made me think about what actually happens in and around the streets that I merrily make my way through on a daily basis.  I go to different parts of Leeds without batting an eyelid as that is a normal day, but there are things going on to help and support people with their daily lives and I felt privileged to be a part of it, if just for one day.

This has inspired me to be a part of it for longer and why not?  Looking at my own immediate environment, I live in a street that must have at least 28 households and I know 6 of them, streets that I have lived in before I haven’t even known that many.  This got me to think about the groups that I am in, has that taken the place of the local community?  I look at networking, how many of the people who I meet there do I see outside of the networking environment?  Not many!  Knowing that it is a place for business to grow may seem like a separate entity to my personal or non-business life and that makes me wonder whether it should be separate.  If I was to know my street full of neighbours they may tell others what I do, this is in fact networking – can you see me scratching my head?

At what point did community split into business and pleasure?  At what point did we lose community?  Are there sections of community that are much more dedicated to community than I actually realise?  Do you know I think there are.  What do you think?

Tags: Coaching, community, growth, inspiration, Life Improvement, neighbours, Self Development