Conversations, ideas and community spirit – whatever the weather.
We recently hosted our very first Our Future pop-up event outside the Hampton Hilton and Upperbanks. It was a brilliant start to our summer of conversations. A huge thank you to both businesses for kindly offering their facilities as a backup. The weather was looking unpredictable and their support made all the difference.
Throughout the day, Jet and Killian had some fantastic chats with local people about our borough. We talked about what’s going well, where we’re facing challenges and what we’d love to see in the future.
Our Future’s trusty ideas box is already filling up with colourful cards, brimming with suggestions and sparks of inspiration. Some ideas came from social media posts showcasing great work happening elsewhere. Others were suggestions brought along by residents who care deeply about where they live.
Some common themes are starting to emerge. These include how we engage young people, how public money is spent, how we listen (really listen) to residents and how we develop a joined-up plan across sectors. People want variety, choice and meaningful opportunities to get involved.
We’re excited to keep the conversation going in the weeks ahead. We’ll be connecting with more small groups and communities across the borough.
