What are Community Alliances?
A Community Alliance is an informal network of local residents, voluntary groups and businesses, who care about the place where they live and work.
As part of a Community Alliance, you want to help improve things, make it better for you and those you care about. You can do this through your everyday actions and with others who feel the same as you.
Community Alliances are being rolled out in a phased approach and, are currently being supported in the following 7 areas :
- Bradshaw
- Halliwell
- Horwich South and Blackrod
- Kearsley
- Rumworth
- Smithills
- Tonge with the Haulgh
Why should you get involved?
The everyday knowledge that you have, the things you care about and the things you are good at all matter.
Your life experiences, passion and skills can all help make a valuable and important difference each and every day without it being hard.
Your contribution, together with those other residents like you who care about your area, can make things better.
‘Your little bit, can make a whole lot of difference.’
How do I find other local people?
You can use your knowledge of your local area and local people but also seek out others by using things such as:
- Social media – set up a Facebook group for your new Community Alliance and invite people
- Get out and about and speak to people at popular community venues
- Ask friends and peers to spread the word
- Utilise local community notice boards
Where do we meet?
That’s up to you and the others to organise where and how you meet up from time to time.
It could be in a local library, community centre or sports club for example.
Basically, any community space that you and the other residents think is easy to get to and convenient.
When do we get together?
That’s up to you too. The Community Alliance isn’t about meeting up lots of times with no clear aims, it’s more about finding a couple of things you all think needs sorting out and something that matters to all of you.
You can then meet and chat through how things can be improved, explore how each of you can use your own knowledge, skills, resources and interests to make it happen.
Can we get support from the council and other organisations?
Yes absolutely. There is an Area Working Co-ordinator covering your community and they can be your ‘outside friend’.
Their job is to help people like you who care about things to connect with one another.
They will also know people in agencies and services who can support your Community Alliance to do the good work you do.
Your co-ordinator can help to make those links and you can then chat through your ideas and projects with these agencies.
There are many organisations who want to help the Community Alliances to deliver their activities.
How does all this happen?
The starting point is to have a think about who you already know in your local community that you can get together with to talk about local issues and improvements needed.
Make contact with these and have a chat, share info about each of your skills and resources and start to build an alliance.
You can then find your local Area Working Co-ordinator to make contact with. They can then help to make new links with others and organisations.