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Herald and Post article : Community

All too often people in positions of power appear to take the view that a community can be created out of bricks and mortar. That if you build new homes and provide a centre to be used by local people then this will in itself create a sense of identity and community spirit.

This point of view is fundamentally flawed. Of course, providing people with good quality housing has to be a top priority. The provision of community facilities can also make a positive contribution. But such action will not lead to the establishment of a strong community.

The reality is that a community is made up of people and not buildings. In our modern world with the ties that bind people together rapidly disappearing it takes people to make the effort to work together with a real sense of partnership to create the strength that comes from a community.

That is why I was pleased last week to give my support to an exciting new initiative which was being launched in Longbenton.

This is an area which has undergone major changes in the past few years. Thanks to the excellent work of the Longbenton Community Action Team, a sense of community is being created. They are now involved in a project to transform the creative ideas of 16-25 year olds into positive action. The aim is to get these young people to think about how they can turn their ideas into a sustainable business, providing jobs for themselves and benefiting the wider community.

The project is also backed by Social Enterprise Europe; KeyFund and Justiceprince which is a new Community Interest Company set up by Karen Clark and Julie Cruddas who have really good experience of assisting and advising community organisations.

This is a terrific example of partnership in action. It has the potential to benefit not just the young people in Longbenton but throughout North Tyneside.

When it comes down to it this is what community is all about.