Small gestures reap big rewards
In a small corner of Nottingham, a surprising amount of community activity is taking place.
Most of it happens below the radar and would receive little recognition where it not for the Big10 awards, now in their second year.
Run by local charity the Partnership Council, Big10 is not your average awards ceremony. There are no sponsors or corporate logos and all those nominated are volunteers based in and around Radford in Nottingham.
At the ceremony last night Farrah Farooq was awarded young person of the year for her work helping local people who don’t speak English as their first language. The entire Pearey family took home the award for skills exchange of the year.
One nominee had organised a local food project to which almost 2000 people turned up. ‘The whole thing started inside my head,’ she said.
What’s amazing is the number of people in such a small area doing things to make their neighbourhood better.
A local bar won the business of the year award for allowing community groups to use its space for free. It’s just a small gesture but it makes a big difference to the level of community activity taking place.
The Partnership Council was the catalyst for much of the work that was rewarded at last night’s ceremony.
It puts in place the means for community activity to happen, setting up forums for children and older people, organising skills exchanges and local projects. It brings people together, waits for the ideas to roll and then steps back and lets things happen.
Perhaps similar levels of community activity are taking place in small corners all over the country. But sometimes small nudges are needed to make big things happen.
For this year's winners see: http://www.partnershipcouncil.co.uk/index.php?
Posted on Friday, 27th November 2009 | This entry has 0 comments
