Wouldn’t it be great if the community spirit we saw at the height of the Covid pandemic could be recaptured for the long term?
It’s happening! Discover how from this website and what it could mean for your street!
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. It’s worth investing in and the comment we’ve most often heard from residents hosting a meeting of neighbours is, “I was surprised how nice everyone was!”
Hampshire banners, helping to spread the message, look like this:
We’re thankful for funding support for this initiative from both Hampshire County Council and from the Faith New Deal Pilot Fund, of the Department for Communities. 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.
Hampshire’s As One initiative started in Basingstoke and Eastleigh in the autumn of 2022. 14 As One events closely tracked in between then and March 2023 had an overall attendance of 439 members of the public, plus an estimated 170 volunteer team members. 39 Street Associations were started as a result, covering a total of about 3,136 homes and an estimated population of 10,000! Further As One events have continued to be held since then.
For further information on the Hampshire As One initiative, please contact hampshire@as-one.uk.
Sincere thanks to all the Hampshire organisations that have so far actively supported As One in the County:
- Action Hampshire
- Anchor Church, West End
- Basingstoke Voluntary Action
- Basingstoke C of E Deanery
- Basingstoke District Council
- Bishopstoke Parish Council
- Bursledon Parish Church
- Chineham Village Hall
- Christ Churh, Chineham
- Churches Together Hedge End, West End & Botley
- Community First
- Hampshire County Council
- Eastleigh Churches Together
- Fair Oak Family Church
- Fair Oak & Horton Heath Parish Council
- First Chineham Scouts
- Great Binfields Primary School, Basingstoke
- Hedge End Salvation Army
- Highway Solutions
- King’s Community Church, Boorley Park
- King’s School, Fair Oak
- Main Road Methodist Church, Tadley
- New Life Church, West End
- One Church Basingstoke
- Salvation Army, King’s Furlong
- Salvation Army, Tadley
- Sherborne St John Parish Council
- St Andrew’s Church, Sherborne St John
- St Boniface & St Martin’s, Chandlers Ford
- St Bridgid RC Church, West End
- St James’ Church, West End
- St Luke’s Church, Hedge End
- St Mary’s & St Paul’s Church, Bishopstoke
- St Mary’s Church, Tadley
- St Michael’s RC Church, Tadley
- St Nicolas Primary Academy
- St Nicolas Church, North Stoneham Park
- Stoke Park Junior School, Bishopstoke
- St Paul’s Church, Tadley
- St Peter’s Church, Boyatt Wood
- St Swithun Wells RC Church, Fair Oak
- St Thomas’ Church, Eastleigh
- Tadley Churches Together
- Tadley Common Methodist Church
- Tadley Community Church
- Tadley URC
- Wellstead Primary School, Hedge End
- YMCA Eastleigh