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As you look around, you probably have ideas about how to help your community weather a
storm. You think to yourself, 'someone' in this community needs to do something. Hang
on a minute! Aren't YOU 'someone' in the community? Why can't that 'someone' be you? We all have
different skills to offer and there are many ways to be involved. You want to take action
so where do you start? Maybe you have big ideas; maybe you have only a glimmer of one.
Let's see what this means in the example of a street party. Say you want to throw a street
party to bring people together to help build a more connected community. The first step
may simply be meeting your neighbours, discussing your ideas and working together from there.
In the very early stages remember to link in with your local council as it's important
to understand how your ideas fit in with the local plans. Council may be able to offer
support in some way or even join in. As with any good idea there may be small setbacks
along the way. Perhaps not everyone will be on board with the idea from the start, but
that doesn't mean your idea is bad. It could just mean some of your neighbors aren't ready
for it yet. You might find that your idea has already been tried and has failed, but
this doesn't mean your efforts will have the same result this time. Listen to your neighbours'
thoughts about the street party and think of ways to bring the idea to a place that
they can support. Keep in mind that, it's ok if what you end up doing is smaller than
your original BIG IDEA. Starting small and getting some runs on the board means you can
build on this for further ideas and projects. Keep connecting with people in your community
about your idea and look out for key supporters who can move forward with you. That's when
the magic of a connected community starts to happen.