Tell Co-op how you would bring your local community together - chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

Making a difference within our local community is something most of us would like do or are already a part of. To coincide with their push for more Member Pioneers Co-op would like to find out what you would do to bring your community together and how the Co-op might help.

Sarah MacKenzie from Co-op says: “At the Co-op, local communities are so important to us. In fact we're currently looking for Co-op Member Pioneers to help bring people together and make a real difference where they live. Member Pioneers are a network of individual members on the ground to make good things happen in communities across the UK. They do this by connecting and mobilising members, colleagues and local causes locally to do what matters most to them - arranging local meetings and events, encouraging volunteering and co-operation in their local community.

If anyone is interested in applying to be a Member Pioneer themselves, they can find out more here. We're always looking for ideas about events and initiatives the Co-op or our Member Pioneers could help with or organise and we'd love to hear what MNers think.”

So if you could do something to help bring your community together, and make it a better place to live and work, what would it be? Would you organise a big event? Set up a weekly coffee morning? Are you a keen fundraiser or a fan of a street party?

Whether you are already involved with your local community or just have some good ideas for things you’d like to do, share your thoughts below and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard insight T&Cs apply

It would be good to have some kind of regular event for locals to meet. I don't know many people in my local community as our friends are from all over the place. It would be good to have an opportunity to talk with neighbours about changes taking place in the area and hear what people think.

We're very rural and there is very little fir the teens to do. A youth club would be fantastic.

I think a nice garden would be good - perhaps with community allotments and places for people to sit, picnic and chat. I have been thinking about speaking with our council about whether they could allocate a space for this.

I'd like to set up a reusable nappy network / library in my town. It's such a minefield knowing what style to use or how to manage them. I don't think you can buy them in to co-op as yet, but if you could I'd use the £300 for some starter kits with testers of different styles.

Strangely enough I've recently been thinking about this, there is quite a big divide between the older generations and younger generations in the area thy I live and I think we would really benefit from some large scale community events that would bring both generations together such an annual fete or gala with activities to suit both. A festival would be lovely too but I think it would be more aimed at the younger residents. I think community spirit is really important and having events that bring everyone together are the way to go.

We are lucky in our village we have a library and community centre who both unite the community. They run a youth centre from the library and do adult education, baby groups, lunch groups, art classes etc. To do more I would like to see more fetes etc. Stuff to get all groups together.

I'd set up a befriending service to link the old people and new parents in our community, so they could visit each other and pass an hour a week in company with one another.
We have a lot to learn from the elderly, and being a new mum can be lonely.

If absolutely love to have a street party. When I was little, the street next to ours did one every year and I always wished that our street would too. I'd love to get to know everyone better.

I suffer with depression and anxiety so don't get out into the community as much as I would like to but I do have a Co-Op members card which helps raise funds for causes in our local village.

A good community newsletter can help. We have one in our village which is posted through everybody's doors so everyone has a guide to what is going on. I think there's an expectation that everybody uses the internet these days and so those who don't aren't connected to what's going on locally. If I moved somewhere else that didn't have a newsletter I'd definitely look at setting one up for the local community.

Once a year our neighbours invite everyone on the street ( old and young) round to their garden for an afternoon get together. We all bring food and drink to share and it is the one day of the year when I actually get to talk to my neighbours properly and meet any new arrivals to the street.

There are a lot of elderly people on my street & many have no family close by. I would organise a meal for the residents on my street so that the elderly or less able get to have lovely home cooked food with good company & entertainment.

We have just moved into a newbuild site where nobidy knows each other and it's a brand new community trying to create itself. Unfortunately the housing company haven't built a kids park which it desperately needs as a meeting point for kids and parents to get to know each other

Our local café has set up various afternoons for local people who have things like mental health problems to meet each other/get out of the house in a safe space and access support if they need it.
I am a friend of the local park which is a great way to keep fit and meet people doing various things like pond clearing.

A good friend (3yr old daughter and 6mth old baby girl) and myself (4year old daughter) are in plans to set up Dolly Partons Imagination library in our local area. The organisation provides a free book (monthly) to all children within your area from the ages of infant to 5yrs. It requires fundraising £24 per child annual and we're hoping to raise these funds with organised events and the help of local charities.
It is such a great cause and exciting prospect for all children from all back grounds in our area. Not only do the children recieve a monthly 'gift' book, they have the joy of imagination in every story.

Events in the form of clubs are an appealing idea - to encourage community spirit and available for those that want to take part with absolutely nothing enforced upon people 'en masse', so to speak. Perhaps book clubs/book swaps/clothes swaps and the like at local community centres - will allow those that would like to participate the opportunity to do so. Events like 'en masse' street parties would simply leave me cold......

I think it begins at home, getting to know your neighbours, making an effort with them. When new neighbours move in we always introduce ourselves and we give a card with helpful information inside (bin days, window cleaning etc). Our close neighbours are now friends with us and each other, and the number of houses is slowly but steadily growing we help when each other go on holiday (post/bins) have afternoon tea or a party every now and then, and just stop to chat when we see each other.

I would love to run a coffee morning for mums and older people. I think maternity leave and old age can be quite isolating and itd be nice to form more intergenerational relationships across the community. Babies and children are great conversation starters and I think they help.to keep older people young and remembering their own time as parents and as children. It doesnt take much to reach out and make a connection and its better for everyones mental health.

I would love to see nurseries/schools and nursing homes paired up for reciprocal visits. The children could sing, read, play games with the residents and the residents could come and watch plays etc if they were well enough. All involved would gain so much from the experience.

I've been thinking about organising a yard sale day on my estate. I need to sound out a few others but I think it could be a great way of getting people out and speaking to each other whilst making some cash and having a clear out.

I live on a pretty large "square" of houses, not exactly a cul-de-sac but almost. I often think it would be nice to have a big yearly party. There was once a meeting to do with a few buildings being built nearby that most of the square turned up to. I already know quite a few to say hi to, but was in awe of the complete variety of folk there. A real cross section of colours, cultural and religious backgrounds, age and sex. It would be great if people on the square could come together for all sorts of celebrations: Diwali, Christmas, Chinese New Year etc. If everyone paid a pound the local church hall hire fee could easily be covered... An email newsletter (also printed for those who don't have net) or a square blog might be a starting point. This could also facilitate exchanges of gluts (fruit, veg, baby clothes) within walking distance which would really help the older members.

Our town is fairly good at events during the summer months. We have some lovely parks and there are plenty of fun days etc. On a much more local level people have tried street events like jumble trails and cake sales, mini fete type events with varying success.

I would like to see a shared sensory garden space that can be enjoyed by those who don't have gardens or who just want to explore or sit and enjoy their surroundings. A barefoot walk would be amazing, as well as sculptures and wildflowers with lots of benches.

I would also love a shared fireworks event - we don't have anything currently except a few private displays in people's gardens. A village event would bring everyone together - something that is lacking in the winter months.

I've always loved the idea of food bringing people together - so my dream is to one day have a kind of supper club where like-minded people meet up and bring a dish to share. There are people with so many backgrounds and interests that it would be amazing to do a bring a dish that reflects your cultural heritage - as i love to challenge myself to cook middle eastern dishes to reflect my own mixed background. I remember when i had my first child it was a particularly lonely time so it could focus on those who may be feeling isolated or lonely - new parents, elderly etc.

There's loads going on in my community, and I suspect most communities. Unfortunately, they're all hidden and not many people know about meetings, events, shows, fundraisers, support groups etc.
I'd love to make parish and community noticeboards more up to date and seen by more people, either in 'real life' or virtually.
And I'd love to get more people to try community activities out - I'm involved in a charity that has a free monthly coffee morning, but we rarely see new visitors.