BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY BY BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

Community groups, clubs and associations are the lifeblood of our Community.  They bring people together, sharing things, talking to each other and helping each other out. It is what makes life worthwhile.

Community spirit can’t be imposed from on top. It has to grow from the grass roots. Communities grow from small groups of people getting together.  This is what makes communities work. 

The challenges of modern life, pressure on volunteers, lack of places to meet, bureaucratic, legal and insurance constraints are making it tough.  The cost of living crisis, and the after-effects of Covid isolation have made things worse. 

 It is now crucial to take action to bring our community and its people together.  It’s time for local government to see that their ‘core business’ includes actively supporting community groups. 

As Lord Mayor, I will aim to direct the Council to focus on actively supporting the local community groups that we already have in our great city. These groups need to be nurtured and to grow. 

Rather than spending millions on bringing expensive events to Newcastle, I will expect the Council to grow what we already have.

Council can do this in five key initiatives:-  

Firstly:-  Recognition and Publicity.  

Council has disbanded official Local Sports Committees and Local ‘Trusts’ that helped manage local sports grounds, advised on maintenance and coordinated the various users.  These need to be re-established and supported.  Rather than control by Council bureaucracy, the local users should manage their own issues.

Similarly, local business associations should be officially recognised and empowered to make their own decisions about footpath furniture, decorative enhancements, local events and so on.  These groups should cut through bureaucratic red tape.

Local social, sports and interest groups should be recognised and publicised by Council.  It should be ‘easy’ for newcomers to Newcastle to make connections with the community.    

Second:- Venues.   

Council can assist by identifying and supporting access to venues such as meeting rooms, playing fields, rehearsal spaces, and active spaces for community groups.  Whether owned by Council or by others, Council can help by not tying them up with redtape and bureaucratic controls that make it impossible for small groups to cope.  Council-owned facilities should be used to support the community,  They should not be seen as ‘commercial assets’ to be turned into restaurants and the like.

Third:- Logistics and administration.   

Council should help small community groups to cope with the requirements of establishing and maintaining their organisation. This includes administrative training and advice about regulatory, legal and insurance issues.  It needs to be easier for groups to cope with red tape. 

Fourth:-  Funding

Council should help with accounting and financial management systems so that clubs dont get into strife with money.  Council can also help by assisting finding sponsorship appropriately.  Volunteers shouldn't feel scared of taking on a treasurers role. 

Five:-  Volunteers.   

Council needs to provide a city-wide advice to help find groups for volunteers, and volunteers for groups.  Our vision is that large employers would support their permanent staff to become ‘active citizens', involved in the community such as through roles in local sporting or social clubs.  Community groups should not be dependent on retirees. 

Communities grow from the ground up. They can’t be imposed from the top down. And Communities don't grow by spending millions bringing in people from elsewhere.  

For music, for sport, for landcare, for business, for art & craft groups and for all types of community groups, we need to nurture what we already have.  

As the old saying goes, ‘If you want tall trees, nurture the forest.” This is the approach that we need to take if we want to make this great community of Our Newcastle even better in the future.