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Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

Wouldn’t it be great if the community spirit we saw in the first Lock-down could be recaptured for the long term?

It’s happening!  Discover how and please help the As One vision take root where you live!

Local communities have got together with local government, schools, charities, faith groups, businesses and others to put out a bold message: “Fill your street with friendliness” – and at the same time introducing a wonderful way of doing just that!

Imagine your street getting together for a Christmas party for the kids, maybe a picnic or BBQ in the summer, a quiz night or a curry evening or even a trip away. Loads of new friends, an end to isolation, help readily available to those that might need it and a wonderful sense of fun and belonging. Like the sound of that?

What brings neighbours together like that is a Street Association. It’s run by an informal core group of residents and they meet every so often and ask, “what shall we do next?” We have hundreds of comments from residents saying things like, “We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved”, or “the street now feels like a family”, or I’ve made so many lovely new friends”.

Find out how you and your neighbours could start a Street Association. And we could help you do it! Contact Paul at bcp@as-one.uk or on 01202 730626 and he will happily chat through with you what’s involved and how one of us will gladly come and do a presentation for your neighbours, just for your street!

The As One banners are helping to spread the message and look like this:

We’re thankful for funding support for this initiative from BCP Council, the Talbot Village Trust and the Diocese of Salisbury’s Adhelm Fund. We’re confident that, with community groups, faith groups, local councils and – most importantly – good neighbours, we can together take a great step forward and see our communities come together and flourish in a new way. We’d love to have your support in this endeavour.

In these days of fruitful partnerships between churches and civic authorities, I was delighted when the diocesan Aldhelm Fund awarded a grant of £5000 to the As One initiative for the BCP area.  As Christians, we obviously give a high priority to loving our neighbours, and an increase in the number of Street Associations can only lead to real friendships and a growing sense of community at street level. The prospect of neighbours, of all faiths and none, becoming friends in the road where they live has the prospect of leading to all sorts of transformative action.                          

 The Rt Revd Karen Gorham, Bishop of Sherborne, acting Bishop of Salisbury

I fully support the As One initiative.  BCP Council have an ambition to create vibrant communities where everyone plays an active role and feels a sense of pride in where they live and As One really supports that. We have seen a growth of friendships, mutual support, and a sense of community in individual community areas during lockdown and in responding to the pandemic, and As One across the BCP Council area will ensure that we maintain that for the long term. I would encourage every resident across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to find out more about Street Associations, and, with others in their road, to be involved in this simple way of bringing people together at the most local of levels.    

Councillor Jane Kelly, Lead Member for Communities, BCP Council

I’m always on the lookout for good ideas of increasing the level of community:  we are the tenth biggest urban local authority in England (pop nearly 400,000) and, though there may an economy of scale here, I’m determined this should NOT be at the cost of a growing sense of community and engagement. The As One initiative is a great idea to increase the level of community and friendship at street level, and I look forward to see this happening across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in 2022 and beyond.                    

Cat McMillan, Head of Community Engagement  Environment & Communities, BCP Council

Contacts: Julie Munson, for BCP Council, julie.munson@bcpcouncil.gov.uk; Paul Hockley, BCP local coordinator, bcp@as-one.uk, 01202 730626.

Rev Dan Chirnside, Cllr Jane Kelly , Paul Hockley (As One, BCP) and Rev Neil Houlton, with the first BCP banner

Sincere thanks to all the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole organisations that have so far actively supported As One in the borough:

  • Aldhelm Fund
  • Alderney Community centre
  • Boscombe Baptist Church
  • Boscombe Salvation Army
  • Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council
  • Bournemouth Town Centre churches 
  • Branksome Community Centre
  • Canford Magna
  • Christchurch 
  • Christchurch Baptist  
  • Christchurch council of churches
  • Churches Together in Poole
  • Diocese of Salisbury
  • God First
  • Holy Angels, Lilliput 
  • Immanuel Church, Southbourne  
  • J & Bs Plumbing Supplies & Boiler Spares
  • Lantern (The)
  • Mudeford Wood Community Centre
  • Ocean Academy
  • Parkstone Baptist Church 
  • Poole Missional Community
  • Prama
  • Richmond Park Baptist Church
  • Rosebury Park Baptist
  • Spire (The), Poole
  • St Aldhelm’s church, Branksome 
  • St Andrew’s, Boscombe
  • St Barnabas Merley
  • St George, Oakdale
  • St James’ Church, Poole 
  • St John’s Church, Ashley Rd 
  • St Joseph’s RC primary school
  • St Mark’s, Talbot Village
  • St Mary’s RC church, Poole
  • St Michael’s, Hamworthy
  • St Philips, West Howe
  • St Thomas, Ensbury Park
  • Slade’s Farm Recreation Ground
  • Talbot Village Trust
  • Twynham Church,
  • Christchurch University Hospitals, Dorset
  • Wessex Faithworks

Thanks for your support