I received a call this week form a chair of a community centre. She was at her own and a representative committees’ wits end and no idea where to go with their local dilemma.
Classic college, 1st year seminar discussion point.....the local community worker has been told, it’s claimed, that they must not give any support to the community group and others to challenge the proposal of the development of an independent trust for community facilities. “It’s going to happen so what is the point?” say the officials.
So, she asks, what do we do, who do we go to for support? What about the position the community worker is put in? Can we get someone else, even pay them, to support us through this?
So the discussion points are many here – roles, responsibilities, principles, actions, commitment, loyalties, Machiavelli and all....and that’s just the local authority officials...what about the continued ranting regarding empowering communities, sharing responsibility, taking responsibility?
With so many and probably too many cooks for this particular recipe of devolved authority this will always masquerade as a real idea but with no soul or rigour to it. Senior officials, elected members of all levels, political views and of course the marvellous range of community and citizen views... will inevitably make it a mess to be involved with.
Chaos isn’t always bad, so time to ask some tough and challenging questions. Live with it, get in about it and move it on. Every player need to take responsibility for that.
The community worker? Well, time to work out where the commitment is and play clever....happy to discuss.
The kernel of the issue seems to be around consultation...the local authority claim they have consulted, the community claim they haven’t. How does this appear to go wrong so often with amazing consistency?
Though community groups need to brace themselves for not getting their way all of the time, public bodies really do need to “see themselves as ithers see them”. In the context of citizen involvement and consultation at least.
From here it doesn’t always look bonnie!!
