We are attempting to facilitate gatherings of the community where local people can meet those who work in our community (we think of this as Stoke and Morice Town) to share and support each other and those we know who would be deemed vulnerable.
The First meeting (Safer Stoke) is focussed around increased feelings of safety for residents and we are warmly supported by Police and local councillors. It is on Wednesday 24 Jan 12.30 to 2pm at the Stoke Youth and Community Centre in Blockhouse Park.
The Second (A Sense Making Workshop) has come about as a result of our Health Chats and from a citywide initiative, Belong in Plymouth. On February 20th 2-5pm, again at the Stoke Youth and Community Centre, we are experimenting bringing the wider Stoke and Morice Town community together to discuss how we can support health and wellbeing based on real conversations from Plymothians around what they feel helps them belong. We know social isolation and loneliness are as bad for our health as smoking. Learning and sharing what we feel are the contributing factors to loneliness is a good place to start thinking about solutions.
Both of these meetings are expressly designed to build constructive, respectful dialogue between local residents of Stoke and Morice Town and people who are working to improve our communal quality of life. The Village Hub believes local residents can be an active part of the Community, not just passive recipients and have seen this in countless examples through the years where local people have championed life in Stoke, St Levans and Morice Town to great effect.
It would be great if you can attend one or both of these meetings.
We would like to facilitate more of these gatherings, to get to know each other as people, empathise with the difficulties we experience and look to finding solutions together rather than shifting blame or expecting someone else to fix everything.