Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Helen Keller
What is community?
Whatever our own definition of community might be, or the various communities that we might be part of, they could all collectively be considered our “personal community”; those people that we know.
These might range from old school friends, work colleagues, school gate contacts, business networking groups, religious communities, sports clubs, knitting circles, book clubs, camera clubs, bridge clubs, the list goes on, and there are 100’s of thousands of them right across the country.
With this vast range of options and ways to connect with others you could be forgiven for wondering why people are lonely or struggling to find community.
What we do
Since 2012 Link4Growth has been providing opportunities for people to come together in their community. The idea being that if people wanted to talk to others and just have conversations with other people local to them then they could do that, easily and with minimal, or even no cost. These took the form of Coffee events, Drinks events, even Sunday breakfasts. Typically these were hosted in independent locally owned businesses which was another way to support the communities we live in.
These events are totally inclusive, anyone is eligible to attend and there is no agenda. No cost to attend, except any refreshments that you might choose to buy at the venue (not applicable if online).
Moving forward in the 2020’s there is likely to be an even greater emphasis on the use of technology in our “communities” and so flexibility and adaptability is essential to support those that want to participate in some way.
The Link4Growth Association now has people with years of experience in bringing people together and this has culminated in a set of 7 principles, 16 values and behavioural guidelines that supports the creation and sustainability of community groups.
For those people who want to initiate their own local event, or even start a Link4Growth styled event itself, then simply aligning with the principles, values, and behavioural guidelines will enable it to be to connected with other groups in due course.
