NeighbourhoodsKevin Harris on neighbourhoods and neighbourliness, social capital, citizenship, space and place...Schools overwhelmed by parenting role- July 30, 2008 Some years ago a community worker was telling me about the children in her area - 'some of them lead such unstructured lives,' she said, 'it's amazing they turn up for anything.' Now I fear there is truth in this: "Schools are being required to take on more and more of the responsibilities that rightly belong to parents; and to provide more of the stability in children's lives which should be provided by families." The quote is from Philip Parkin, general secretary of the teachers'...http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/i-fear-there-is.html 'Relentless in their pursuit to make a difference'- July 29, 2008 It's now a year since my brother died. And here, appropriately enough, is one of those ways in which we seek to perpetuate some value - an announcement I received this morning, with a mix of pain and pride, from London Probation Service. It reflects him perfectly: rock-solid principles in the centre, and the rest is about people. The Mark Harris Award The award aims to recognise a member of staff who, like Mark, demonstrates the core ethos of probation through their work - not simply to punish,.http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/relentless-in-t.html Saggy pants- July 28, 2008 'Be careful if you have saggy pants in the south Chicago suburb of Lynwood. Village leaders have passed an ordinance that would levy $25 fines against anyone showing three inches or more of their underwear in public.' I'd love to watch the officials get their tape measures out on apprehending a suspect: or will there be surveillance cameras that accurate Meanwhile, Lynwood locals can look forward to contested definitions of underwear. I should point out for UK readers that this is about visible.http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/saggy-pants.html 'What really works is localness'- July 28, 2008 Just been speaking to an old friend who works in a college and is battling with the performance management nonsense of the educational establishment. She told them from her decades of experience in offering and organising courses for people who experience social exclusion, The only thing that really works is localness. Meaning - local contacts, learning delivered through community centres, supported by community workers and local volunteers, with established and trusted partnerships between the.http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/what-really-wor.html Celebrate- July 26, 2008 Today the NDNs celebrate a golden wedding anniversary. I will potter along to the party later, in ignorance of how many years that amounts to but out of certain celebration for being Next Door Neighbours to them. Regular readers of this blog will appreciate what I mean (eg) - but even today I had an instance. I was fumbling with my ladder this morning, huffing puffing and shuffling it about for some painting round the crumbling edges of my house where access was tricky, and out comes the govnor.http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/celebrate.html Why is this a strange idea- July 25, 2008 More play areas designed for older people, which I first came across about three years ago, are reported here, one of them to be located in an area very familiar to me. The Watford Observer reports that The planned facilities will offer a range of gymnasium-type machines designed to promote gentle and soothing exercise to problem body parts like the legs, hips and back. Not sure if I feel relieved that none of my problem body parts is listed. The CEO of Age Concern Hertfordshire is reported as..http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/why-is-this-a-s.html A compromise between children and motorists- July 23, 2008 Children and Young People Now have a short article about the first in this summer's series of street parties in London, organised by London Play. The event took place in Streatham, south London, on Sunday. A police officer is quoted: 'When children do come out and play on the street people complain about it... They can't go out and have a game of football any more, people have too little tolerance. It's all tied into people's fear of children, and the fear of what can happen to children when...http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/a-compromise-be.html Some parts of the public realm are more equal than others- July 22, 2008 Shelter have today published research into the social functioning of new residential developments in the Thames gateway area to the east of London. There were concerns several years ago that the market model adopted in these developments (see, eg) might not provide the infrastructure that helps people to establish local relationships, promote community cohesion and generate community activity. The Shelter report, Neighbourhood watch, by Penny Bernstock, seems to confirm these points: Community..http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/neighbourhoods/2008/07/some-parts-of-t.html |