Enabling people to take an active part in stronger local communities
Our goal is to strengthen the sense of community and give people more opportunity to take an active part in local life.
Why this issue is important
A strong, respectful and vibrant community life is important for all of us as individuals and for our local democracy. We all benefit from a greater sense of community and decisions are better if they are based more closely on people’s needs and experience of the borough.
To achieve this sense of community, everyone’s rights need to be valued and respected. It helps if we all have relationships that cross boundaries of neighbourhood, faith, ethnicity and other aspects of identity. People also need to be able to take an active part in local decision-making and in a strong, vibrant and sustainable voluntary and community sector.
Camden is a particularly diverse borough. People also need to be able to take an active part in local decision-making and in a strong, vibrant and sustainable voluntary and community sector.
Almost a third of residents come from black or minority ethnic backgrounds, one in 10 of the population is Muslim, and there are significant new and refugee communities, including from Somalia. Over 90% of residents say that they enjoy living in such a culturally diverse place.
We need to continue to foster a sense of respect, integration and community among our residents, and enable as many as possible to become active in our local community and democratic life.
What is already being done
Camden has a vibrant local voluntary and community sector of more than 1,500 organisations, many of which are run by volunteers.
Many residents are active members of local community life through local organisations, associations, networks and partnerships, although formal volunteering rates are still below the national average. The borough bucked the national trend in 2006 by having an increase in voter turnout at the local election.
People’s trust in institutions, such as the Council and police, is increasing. Residents say that there is an increasing sense of community in their neighbourhoods.
There are a range of forums that work to support and promote the interests of particular groups.These groups include the Camden Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Forum and the Camden Faith Communities’ Partnership. There are tenants and leaseholder groups, neighbourhood partnerships and a Refugee Forum that works for the inclusion of refugee communities.
Education on citizenship is provided in all our schools and school premises are becoming available to the wider community outside of school hours. Young people are also involved in school councils and the UK Youth Parliament.
Here are some of the specific aims we are working towards:
- more people volunteering for at least two hours a week
- more residents feeling that they can influence decisions affecting their local area
- more people feeling that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on together
- residents feeling a greater sense of connection to Camden
- more people voting at elections
What people have told us
People showed a lot of support for everyone having a role to play in making Camden a better place to live. People also wanted to have more influence over local decisions and for there to be some form of youth council. People also told us that everyone should be able to participate not just the vocal minority.
We were also told that the English language is important to hold our diverse community together and that cultural differences need to be recognised at the same time as promoting understanding.
What the Council and its partners will do
- bring decision-making closer to residents through area forums across the borough where people can influence decisions and public services on a range of local issues
- increase volunteering in Camden to above the national average, foster community self-help and increase opportunities for intergenerational mixing
- set up new Social Cohesion Advisory Forum to promote more integrated and harmonious communities in the borough
- improve access to public and community spaces and buildings to facilitate greater interaction between diverse communities
- integrate new arrivals, including refugee communities, into local communities and democratic life
- develop a Youth Council to promote the participation and engagement of young people in civic life and also explore options for younger children
How local people can contribute
- volunteering or joining a local group, service or society and encouraging them to reach out to all sections of the community
- voting in local, London Authority, national and European elections and getting involved in political parties
- giving your views to your local councillor or MP on issues that matter to you
- talking to your neighbours
