A recent Guardian article reminds us that social enterprise in deprived areas needs to be encouraged. On the whole, I agree with this article for 3 reasons:
1. Mixing of networks; bringing people outside the community into the challenging community is important to changing perceptions and creating real opportunities for those living in the community.
2. Raising of aspirations; bring the economy home. Stop making people travel to experience nice environments.
3. Change from inside out. If we work to add value to challenging areas, we are likely to bump into a few neighbours who then might bump into some more neighbours and everyone begins to realise they do give a damn about what happens around the block. This tipping point is likely impossible to reach using targeted, but not in situ, projects or social businesses.
In the end, location does matter.
Related posts:
This is the modus operandi of the missionary…the cultural imperialist. It is a model deeply embedded in deficit based development. We need to bring in smart, inspirational and aspirational people – because frankly that is what local folk in this ‘challenging community’ are missing.
We invade a poor community who could benefit from learning our worldly ways. Poor folk who deserve to be inspired by our nice cars, pretty pictures, smart clothes and sophisticated ways. We decide what they need. What should be done. We set up a mission to educate the locals and give them something to aspire to. We give them access to business mentors, creative workspaces and filter coffee…
Are we really ‘mixing’ networks? Are we being invited to participate respectfully in local development? Or are we imposing ourselves, our values and our cultures based on a belief that we have ‘got it right’ and that we can teach what we know? Who are we to tell people that their aspirations need to be raised?
I am not sure what it means to ‘bring the economy home’. But I do know that Shine is surrounded by businesses that are generally and gradually getting bigger and better. They are extending onto pavements, into neighbouring houses, building extensions and seem to be doing it using local resources rather than public funding. An economy is being built. Now it maybe that they are benefiting from the big spenders attending conferences and workshops, or office workers who pop over the road to buy a lassi or three – but I doubt it.
The line about stopping people travelling to experience nice environments is a cracker. Many folk have travelled half way across the planet to live in this part of Leeds. ‘Niceness’ is in the eye of the beholder. If you mean that Shine provides a ‘nice environment’ for local people in their community I would suggest that you have failed to really appreciate local criteria for ‘nice’. I am no expert but I would guess affordability, cultural sensitivity and conviviality would matter much more than large atria and exposed beams.
It is not location that matters as much as invitation to come to that location. When people invite you into their community to help with their development – that is when you know that you have a chance….
Perhaps if Shine were to just run a damn good conference centre and managed workspace and participate in the local community rather than aspire to ‘fix it’ then progress may come along. Because although points 1 and 2 of this post make little sense to me, point 3 is close to, if not bang on, the money.
Mike Chitty´s last blog ..The Company of Strangers