‘Commonplace’ is a unique platform capturing community feedback interactively with, information, news and ideas posted anonymously or publicly. It can be shared amongst friends and neighbours across North Somerset through social media channels. It is also a hub for local COVID information which will be updated by a number of community resilience partners. It is envisaged that by learning from the local community of North Somerset we can make a real positive change in how the community is served moving forward.
There’s no denying the pandemic has changed our lives. There have been positives as well as negatives, with communities coming together to help one another and a renewed sense of helping those less able. Many organisations and areas across the Country are focussing on ways to keep the positives, whilst still balancing the needs of communities.
However, the pace of change is making it increasingly difficult to identify the best ways to deal with the challenges ahead, as the pandemic progresses. Information has an increasingly essential role to play, and that’s why we’re asking for your thoughts. We want to ensure that Weston and North Somerset can emerge from the pandemic as a stronger, happier, healthier and more inclusive community. We want to know what worked well, what didn’t go so well, what were the benefits and how lives changed? From the stories of volunteers, those who were helped and the organisations and community help delivered we can learn so much.
Paul Lucock, VANS said: “Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations are currently facing the same challenges as major businesses, only with far fewer resources. The VCSE sector has played an essential role during the pandemic, providing help and support to those who need it most, and the data gathered during this survey will be invaluable in helping organisations plan ahead, helping them to work in the most effective ways and helping them to focus their efforts where they are most needed”.
The Commonplace interactive platform that enables conversations and feedback is for people living in North Somerset and we are very grateful to everyone who takes the time to respond. Please share the link across your networks to help us reach as many people as possible.
Your views on what has happened, and what you think is needed, will help VANS, and our partners, to plan the best way forward.
Commonplace will be live until the end of June 2021 and responses will be analysed on receipt and used to inform ongoing work with a number of COVID response organisations.
Join the conversation