Building Strong Communities

This consultation is an excellent initiative, thank you. Don't be discouraged by moaning and partizan comments, they who make them need sympathy.

One of the best local community models appears to be the Transition Town Movement. It is a well structured cooperation between local government and local community groups who become empowered by the association from the transfer of some local decision making on environmental and social improvements. 

Many boroughs in the UK have successfully adopted it, and it could be more widely adopted in London. Queens Park has become a Transition Town a few years ago. It has the capacity to create groups of responsible community members who are motivated to improve many aspects of their community from the grass roots up.

https://transitionnetwork.org/transition-near-me/   [289 towns have joined the movement in the UK at present.]

 Our parks and green space have been a life saver during lock down. Most people are clean and respectful of the environment but I saw quite a few people going out daily to pick rubbish up from Hounslow heath and crane park voluntarily. Leaving rubbish has got worse. We used to have adverts and school programme s about litter. I Japan there are no public litter bins _ people learn to take rubbish home. It's not a big problem compared to unemployment housing and knife crime but it would be something positive to get people to be more considerate of the environment.  We need to have free big item disposal so people don't dump mattresses and furniture etc but come down hard on fly tippers . More play rangers to introduce children to outside activities . And free after school activities locally for children. Some parents have the money and ability to give them lots of opportunities but others don't or won't.

I think that's a pretty robust mission statement; if Londoners were to see evidence of real progress towards it's fulfilment in practice, it could even begin to dispel cynicism about politicians & politics in general.

Policing is always the biggest concern- for example the huge increase in the use of bikes and bike lanes, now one can be knocked off the pavement by someone riding a bike and they feel they have total impunity to do so. I have even seen cycle officers riding on the pavement making pedestrians get out of their way- pavements are for PEDESTRIANS. It is an offence to ride on the pavement and supposedly subject to  a £30 on the spot fine- but this is never done. Because of improvements in battery technology mobility scooters run faster than anyone who is walking- they are a menace, it is now incredibly dangerous to be  a pedestrian in London- this is wrong. Bikes and scooters should not be encouraged to use pavements  and on the spot fines must be implemented if walking in London is to remain a viable option.

Housing, housing and housing is important. Affordable homes for people to buy, and good quality regulated rentals with properly secure, longer term contracts where renters are not always one month away from homelessness at the whim of their landlords. Most of my communities of friends, and local community involvement and connections have fallen by the wayside due to me, neighbours, friends, volunteer friends and colleagues constantly having to move house. How we can we have a strong society when so many younger people don't get to stay in, and invest in their streets, neighhbour and community relationships and local areas?

More visible communication for how one can volunteer in various public projects. Unfortunately, I am finding it difficult to both find and communicate with charities for volunteering, and am hoping for more clarity in this. More people may feel encouraged to volunteer if the opportunities are more visible for them.

Many good ideas already in the below. My observation, for what it's worth, is that this is an opportunity for those who call London home - those who can't or don't want to move to the countryside, for instance. What could make the biggest difference to our little community right now? The estate owners (love council) not using COVID as an excuse to delay essential and urgent repair works to our dwellings, when it could be done COVID-securely. I'm sure there are other projects to improve community spaces that are being unnecessarily delayed with the current situation sites as the excuse to do so legitimately. Clearer messaging that this is not acceptable would be really helpful in empowering us residents to push back when our landlords stall.

Like to see bike paths and renting of bikes in all parks in London. Cafeteria in all parks too with play areas for all children. Interactive play areas ran by and organised by the councils. Families getting together and also a safe place for teenagers to meet up. Computer development cafes for smaller children. 

What does this all actually mean? You cannot make communities come together and do things from the top. Funding is important, but it puts power in the hands od the people at the top and actually creates division between voluntary groups and elected reps when funding is not given or is cut.  I am old and the elderly must be listened to, but so do young people and those who do not have the time, because of work, kids, family caring,or health issues to join political/lobbying, or other groups, to get their voices heard. Health, education and development policies are increasingly being determined centrally by the government. The space for ordinary people having a say is going down and down. The powers of the London Mayor are appallingly small. The Mayor has to get the agreement of Priti Patel on decisions about Met Police. The Government now have a number of Government people sitting on the board of London's TFL and telling the Mayor to increase fares etc. Planning decisions taking by local councils and the Mayor concerning Londoners are overruled by the multi-millionaire Government Housing Minister, who has four properties including a country house outside London. How can Londoners have more involvement in their communities and own lives in that environment? Citizens Assemblies are well-meaning, but a distraction to cover up a lack of power for citizens

Support this mission. Could London lead on using Citizens Assemblies to influence and support local and city-wide decision making? Would be a terrific move. 

The existing situation of landlords exploiting their tenants is almost unbearable. By gradually introducing a tax on land values, to collect a proportion of the rent for municipal use, the sites that are being held out of use will be put to proper use. Then the high rents due to the present shortage of accommodation will become reduced, because of the greater competition between landlords.

TAX LAND NOT PEOPLE; TAX TAKINGS NOT MAKINGS!

I strongly favour this mission statement / initiative, its objectives and the ways of achieving these - well done and please go ahead with this as it stands.

I think we should use technology to organise local mutual aid such as apps to match people who can help each other in the same area, similar to apps for matching riders and drivers, hosts and tourists, delivery, etc.

We could also use apps to get trends on what are the most pressing issues people struggle with every day, in various parts of London, by asking for instance of londoners, every day, what are the 3 most pressing issues that society could help them with. Then we can aggregate all the answers and make impactful data-based decisions on how to best increase opportunities and where to deploy funding.

Clearly there are some National Front sympathisers on this forum (Livepeanuts being one). Their view is that "this land really belongs" to white people. Non-white people are accused of attacking "our culture" - a culture which is far more vibrant now than it was in 1960. I would advise reviewing the photos of all the NHS workers who have given their lives to save everyone in this pandemic. These are the "undue advantages in jobs" that Livepeanuts talks about? Does this bigot have enough brains to become a doctor like these hard-working people did?

If the goal is to build a community, one key step should be to stop the distribution of hate-mongering publications that divide rather than unite. That means ALL hate-mongering publications, including the Daily Mail and the Daily Express. They have been allowed to spew hatred only because the politicians are afraid of them and the unintelligent people who read them.

The surge in people stepping forwards and stepping up to the plate is one of the hopeful things from the whole experience. Individuals and communities have also been empowered and found a voice, however expressed and sometimes not to all our liking, the fact is that's what happens when people get to speak: it's loud, messy and a bit chaotic. And that's fine by me. I live in a world city to which the people of the world come and long may this be the case. I like this about London. 

Yes, let's not lose it. Yes - offer some central organisational support, an umbrella and touch point, and then stand well back. Don't get in the way. It's messy and not always efficient. So what. Let a million flowers bloom. Efficiency isn't everything. 

I think there are many willing people in the communities but they are not fully utilised, probably because there are too many organisations, too many charities, too many inexperienced people trying to run them. A more professional approach is needed too for funding /grants for them which all seems pretty random. That aside, local communities shouldn't have to financially support local initiatives such as art classes for kids, youth clubs, OAP clubs etc - what do we pay our taxes for and why isnt the Mayors office ensuring its citizens are well catered for in all aspects of their lives - there are plenty of people willing to give their time but all that good will needs to be harnessed properly.

The biggest issue for a civil society is law and order, and addressing growth in youth violence and disorder. 

Local government does not need to "increase opportunities" to make social connections.  Apple, Google, Samsung and others have done far more to enable this than any local politician could dream up in their wildest imagination.

"Increase funding" is just empty, and only means something if you say "X should pay more tax so that..." There is no extra funding and community led activity should be led by FUNDRAISING and DONATIONS.  Civic society is based on people spending their own time and money supporting others, not government taxing people to pay for chosen charities.

I think more funding for a more robust police presence would greatly improve the city. The mayor should concentrate on supporting the police and encouraging all communities to do the same. The lawlessness on the streets making it dangerous or threatening to go out is the the first thing to deal with to promote a strong civil society.