London's recovery starts with you
Stage: ClosedTo recover from the economic, social and health impact caused by the pandemic, City Hall has set out a missions-based approach. This will bring together the public, private and voluntary sectors, and involves working with all Londoners to make it a success.
Closed
618 Londoners have responded | 07/08/2020 - 01/10/2020
![London's recovery starts with you](https://www.london.gov.uk/talk-london/sites/default/files/styles/scale_for_card/public/2020-12/recovery.jpg?itok=qB0g9OTe)
Discussions
During the pandemic, community groups, volunteers and civil society organisations (such as not-for-profits) have played a crucial role in supporting Londoners wellbeing, tackling inequalities and enhancing the city’s resilience. There are 120,000 voluntary sector organisations in London. Over 90,000 volunteers from London registered to volunteer via the NHS volunteering scheme and by the end of March 2020, 700 new mutual aid groups had been set up. Read more about the context for this mission.
Mission: “All Londoners can play an active role in their communities; making London a more equal and inclusive city post COVID-19.”
We’ll need to work together, so that:
- All communities - particularly the most disadvantaged with the greatest health inequalities - can access support and services
- London’s civil society is strong and resilient to future shocks
- Public service providers proactively include the voice of older Londoners in future planning of the city and service provision
Areas of focus might include:
- Increased opportunities for Londoners to build social connections
- Increase in funding for community led activity
- Focus on services by and for communities facing the greatest health inequalities
What do you think of this mission? Is there anything critical to London’s recovery missing from this mission? What does this mean for you personally and your community? What actions or interventions would have the most impact? How will we know that we’ve succeeded? Who has a role to play to meet this challenge?
Summary
Thanks everyone for sharing your views and volunteering experience in this discussion on a strong civil society. The policy and recovery teams have been thinking about how they can amend these missions to be more specific and time-bound, but still bold, ambitious and realistic.
Part of making these missions more specific involves acknowledging that we can't do everything through the recovery programme. That doesn’t mean that if something isn’t a mission it isn’t important. City Hall and London Councils will continue to work on areas that aren’t missions but are important to recovery.
The policy team and recovery team have been reading your comments and are still considering the best way in which to narrow their focus. Do you have views on what would have most impact?
Some of the outcomes that the team would like to achieve include:
- Londoners most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 can take the lead in recovery. This includes BAME, LGBT, deaf and disabled, women and older people
- The voice of Londoners is better represented in policy making and service design so communities and services can respond accordingly
- Sustainable and collaborative funding models, between sectors, are shaped by the needs and ambitions of Londoners
- Londoners can play active roles in their communities – working with and in a more resilient, equal and inclusive sector
What do you think of these ideas? What other ideas do you have that might help achieve some of the outcomes set out for this mission? What would have the most impact for you?
The discussion ran from 07 August 2020 - 07 November 2020
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Community Member 3 years agoI've lived in London since 1986 and am soewhat pessimistic about London's future. I don't believe the current government or Sadiq Khan have any real plans for getting London back on its feet. In fact I think there is a a continuous and...
Show full commentI've lived in London since 1986 and am soewhat pessimistic about London's future. I don't believe the current government or Sadiq Khan have any real plans for getting London back on its feet. In fact I think there is a a continuous and sustained move to make sure its economy is destroyed so that other cities can take its place. We are told to avoid public transport unless working in the essential services, not to use our cars as this creates terrible pollution but how can we support our central London businesses when it's inclement weather and we can't ride our bicycles? 7am - 10pm CC 7 days a week is the death knell for central London enterprises as we go into autumn/winter. And nobody in government cares. So, look forward to even more of a ghost city where yiu feel unsafe after dark but also in the daytime's quiet and deserted streets with hardly any police to be seen - as a woman it's very unsettling.
Show less of commentlongtimelondoner
Community Member 3 years agoIf civil society in all its diversity is to genuinely participate in shaping London, we need better ways for people to do so. Citizen Assemblies are an important tool for inclusion of people and development of policies. They are a great...
Show full commentIf civil society in all its diversity is to genuinely participate in shaping London, we need better ways for people to do so. Citizen Assemblies are an important tool for inclusion of people and development of policies. They are a great form of deliberative democracy and here is a good example: https://www.citizensassembly.ie/en/ I have participated in some discussion dialogues on highly technical issues where the public have shown themselves to be very insightful, for example on synthetic biology, where participants had no prior knowledge, but through careful questioning and evaluation, they came to wise decisions.
In a Citizen Assembly, party affiliations are irrelevant; people learn from each other and they can call for information from specialists to help them make decisions. Many participants in the Irish Citizen Assembly of 2016-18 were unsure at first but most were persuaded of the value by the end. Participants were randomly chosen from the electoral register by a process of sortition ‘a representative random sample of people’. This can be filtered, for example to choose people within a certain age group or culture etc. In Ireland, their decisions were put to a referendum and accepted which meant they were binding on the government. This is essential. Citizen assemblies are not just talking shops with no active outcomes. They are for 'the people' to make decisions about policy that government must follow.
Frankly I feel they are now essential, since government all too often seems polarised, driven by private interests, unaccountable, remote and untrustworthy. The party system needs serious overhaul and may be bankrupt - we need some examples of direct democracy rather than so-called representative democracy - a vote once every few years. Citizen Assemblies are a good example that has been tried and proved effective.
Show less of commentPRL
Community Member 3 years agoLondon is a ghost town at the moment. The streets are deserted. Social meeting places deserted too, or almost so. People are just not coming into London West End and City to enjoy the huge range of facilities available to them. The hit...
Show full commentLondon is a ghost town at the moment. The streets are deserted. Social meeting places deserted too, or almost so. People are just not coming into London West End and City to enjoy the huge range of facilities available to them. The hit on employment is enormous. Thousands now going unemployed. Major social and family dislocation is upon us and it's not getting any better. Covid 19 started it. The Mayor and his government have added their deathly touches. Not least they have expanded congestion charging, Ulez and parking meters to 7 days a week until 10.00pm. This is what friends tell me when they say they can't come into London to have dinner with me or to shop at the weekend. £20 or £30 to add to a restaurant bill is just too much. I'm sure our Mayor will argue that the changes make the air cleaner to breathe; and they are a bit short of money anyway. The trouble is he is making sure that there won't be so many people around to breathe this fresh air, London without its vibrancy won't be a city worth visiting; and the economy based on street traffic will collapse leaving even more deserted, run down buildings; and with it the City's tax base. I cannot imagine such vindictive stupidity. Now of all times. Why now when all of us want London to rise up to its former self, phoenix-like from the Covid flames? London is the greatest city in the world. Let's all work (and maybe vote!) to keep it that way.
Show less of commentAnonymous - account deleted
Community Member 3 years agoThe government's national planning policy rightly encourages the public to be involved in development schemes from the very beginning (para 40). But developers and councils are still meeting in secret and then "consulting" on their already...
Show full commentThe government's national planning policy rightly encourages the public to be involved in development schemes from the very beginning (para 40). But developers and councils are still meeting in secret and then "consulting" on their already agreed drawings, presenting the public with a fait accompli.
This is not only not in the spirit of the government guidance, it fails to draw on the knowledge that only local people have, and the result is public objections, delays, antagonism.
Should we not expect that all pre-application meetings between developers and Council planning staff be made public on day one (on the Council website), so that the public can immediately contribute to the creation of the schemes by sending their views direct to the Council staff. (The 'confidentiality' excuse for not doing this is old style thinking, and does not stand up to scrutiny).
The result would encourage a collaborative approach by the public, cut down local objections, help the scheme architects, and actually add value to the scheme itself.
And if you need to have a justification, just ask "Whose town is it anyway?" It is not the developers' (they know nothing about the planning of towns): it is not the Council's (we employ Councillors to take decisions on our behalf): it's the local community's town.
tamaragalloway
Community Member 3 years agoI agree totally.
Routemaster
Community Member 3 years ago"Some of the outcomes the team would like to achieve"....is this a consulataion or you deciding and looking for endorsment?
Positive Agein…
Community Member 3 years agoThe voice of older Londoners shouldn't be forgotten in recovery.
A fundamental principle in addressing our needs is that older people are not all the same. Over 70s are not all vulnerable and in need. Stereotypes linger and can...
Show full commentThe voice of older Londoners shouldn't be forgotten in recovery.
A fundamental principle in addressing our needs is that older people are not all the same. Over 70s are not all vulnerable and in need. Stereotypes linger and can unconsciously creep into planning. Older Londoners are a truly diverse group with different needs, interests, and activities - who work, volunteer, and support the community. And they are all individuals and vary like in any age group.
Any recovery plan needs to be based on hard evidence not assumptions about what older people are thought to need. Research is necessary to assess these needs in tandem with engagement with older people to hear their views and interpret findings. Recovery needs to be done with and not to older people. Positive Ageing in London has spoken with older people and developed proposals for a Recovery Plan see our contribution here: https://pailondon.org.uk/london-recovery-plan/
Show less of commentTalk London
Official Representative 3 years agoThanks everyone for sharing your views and volunteering experience in this discussion on a strong civil society. The policy and recovery teams have been thinking about how they can amend these missions to be more specific and time-bound, but still bold, ambitious and realistic.
Part of making these missions more specific involves acknowledging that we can't do everything through the recovery programme. That doesn’t mean that if something isn’t a mission it isn’t important. City Hall and London Councils will continue to work on areas that aren’t missions but are important to recovery.
The policy team and recovery team have been reading your comments and are still considering the best way in which to narrow their focus. Do you have views on what would have most impact?
Some of the outcomes that the team would like to achieve include:
- Londoners most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 can take the lead in recovery. This includes BAME, LGBT, deaf and disabled, women and older people
- The voice of Londoners is better represented in policy making and service design so communities and services can respond accordingly
- Sustainable and collaborative funding models, between sectors, are shaped by the needs and ambitions of Londoners
- Londoners can play active roles in their communities – working with and in a more resilient, equal and inclusive sector
What do you think of these ideas? What other ideas do you have that might help achieve some of the outcomes set out for this mission? What would have the most impact for you?
LMW
Community Member 3 years agoIts very upsetting to be obliged to travel on the tube when half the carriage cares nothing for anyone else's safety - blatantly pulling down their masks once they are on the train. In a strong civic society this would not happen, as...
Show full commentIts very upsetting to be obliged to travel on the tube when half the carriage cares nothing for anyone else's safety - blatantly pulling down their masks once they are on the train. In a strong civic society this would not happen, as everyone would understand that not wearing a mask puts other people with potential vulnerabilities at risk, and would take some responsibility for protecting other people.
Health inequalities is fundamental.
I am also very worried about threats to our democracy. We need to devolve power, involve people, show people how their contribution makes a difference, and demonstrate how people in power are held to account.
Show less of commentSabina-P
Community Member 4 years agoLockdown has highlighted the amount of people working from home on decent wages as opposed to those directly affected in their work/education and incomes -- the one opportunity there is for people to get more actively involved on a local...
Show full commentLockdown has highlighted the amount of people working from home on decent wages as opposed to those directly affected in their work/education and incomes -- the one opportunity there is for people to get more actively involved on a local level (instead of making the divide even more marked).
Community related initiatives have had cuts for years now so any additional funding and support for young people, women/kids/people who will be especially vulnerable or at increased risk of domestic violence during further lockdowns would be great.
There were various locally organized initiatives providing support during COVID so any increase in funding and effectiveness/accessibility in those areas (councils / public health etc.) and whichever kind of support is allowed for charities could also be good.
It would be great to know that these can be quick to join or benefit from as well (several services have waiting times of weeks -- mental health support being one).
Last but not least - just partially related but as the past point mentions 'planning of the city': I cannot stress how upsetting the 'redevelopment' of most of London by now is, which ironically often replaces places that were vital on a community level. Anything on the planning permissions of things should be done because it feels like so many buildings are now partially inhabited and/or given at extortionate conditions, dismissing the whole point of building up on existing communities.
jessicavru
Community Member 4 years agoI think that funding for community projects is really important. There are so many amazing organisations out there that volunteer their time to offer great opportunities to people, which brings the community together and gives people...
Show full commentI think that funding for community projects is really important. There are so many amazing organisations out there that volunteer their time to offer great opportunities to people, which brings the community together and gives people connections, as well as making sure they are engaged in meaningful, productive activities. During the coronavirus pandemic, communities came together to run local support groups or mutual aid organisations, and I think there is a good opportunity here to build on this community spirit and encourage similar behaviour to continue in the future.
Show less of commentBriBanglaCovid
Community Member 4 years agoI am wondering if you are interested in coming to this public meeting organised by BritBanglaCovid.com - we speak about the impact Covid had on Bangladeshis in Britain.
The public meeting on 23 August 2020 at 3pm - issues for discussion...
Show full commentI am wondering if you are interested in coming to this public meeting organised by BritBanglaCovid.com - we speak about the impact Covid had on Bangladeshis in Britain.
The public meeting on 23 August 2020 at 3pm - issues for discussion - Health & Social Care crisis. You can find it here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/health-social-care-crisis-for-britbangla…
Realservices4r…
Community Member 4 years agoThere are some excellent voluntary organisations in London - with amazing volunteers and extremely dedicated staff. A very high proportion of these organisations are reliant on local authority funding. Many local authorities no longer...
Show full commentThere are some excellent voluntary organisations in London - with amazing volunteers and extremely dedicated staff. A very high proportion of these organisations are reliant on local authority funding. Many local authorities no longer grant fund these organisations, but make these organisations bid, via competetive tenders, for contracts. Local authorities often seem to regard these Civil Society organisations as 'suppliers' in a 'market' and fail to recognise many of these organisations are very well respected, well established community organisations, providing very valuable services.
The commissioning exercises, which are often time consuming and complex, waste everyone's time, distract the staff running these organisations from their core work of supporing their communities and create uncertainty for service users, volunteers and staff. In many cases, the local authority officers know that if they decided to award the contract to a new or different organisation, they would effectively close a well established and respected community organisation - which would benefit no one.
Local authorities should restore grant funding for essential civil society organisations and stop treating these organisations as if they were were public sector outsourcing companieis such as Capita. Local authorities often talk about partnerships with the voluntary sector but commissioning does not encourage partnerships that benefit the councils, organisations and service users. Commissioning leads to transactional or even adversarial relationships with organisations being pressured in to meeting the requirements of the contract rather than the evolving needs of the community.
Show less of commentPastella294
Community Member 4 years agoEach borough has an umbrella body or organisation mainly known as CVS (Councils for Voluntary Services) these are not a part of the local authorities. These CVS will be a good starting point in helping to build a civil society, especially...
Show full commentEach borough has an umbrella body or organisation mainly known as CVS (Councils for Voluntary Services) these are not a part of the local authorities. These CVS will be a good starting point in helping to build a civil society, especially as many of them have a volunteer centre or works closely with a volunteer centre. These CVS should be well funded by funders and the local authorities.
Show less of commentTalk London
Official Representative 4 years agoThanks everyone for sharing your views and thoughts on "A strong civil society.”
The recovery team and policy teams at City Hall have created an evidence hub, with facts, figures and a lot more information about this mission. Find out more on this page.
The team are still consulting and developing each of the recovery missions, and the focus for these will likely develop as the conversations continue with Londoners and key partner stakeholders.
Looking at the mission again : “All Londoners can play an active role in their communities; making London a more equal and inclusive city post COVID-19.”
How will we know that we’ve succeeded? Who has a role to play to meet this challenge?
Please share your thoughts below.
Talk London
Anonymous - account deleted
Community Member 4 years agoJust an idea.
How about a little less focus on arbitrary categories such as race, gender, religion in your communications, and a little more focus instead on making connections at the human level aka Universal Truths.
Do that and everyone...
Show full commentJust an idea.
How about a little less focus on arbitrary categories such as race, gender, religion in your communications, and a little more focus instead on making connections at the human level aka Universal Truths.
Do that and everyone will feel included. No one will feel marginalized, and no ethic group will feel persecuted.
You do not make positive change by focusing on what makes us different. You make positive change by concentrating on what makes us all the same, despite out differences.
Routemaster
Community Member 3 years agoHear, hear! Well said. The impression is that thye are only interested in selected groups
rogersjrt
Community Member 4 years agoGiven the surge in volunteerism and goodwill towards common endeavour, why not use local councils to offer more such opportunities. Park tidy ups, visiting and bringing together different people from the community for simple fun and games...
Show full commentGiven the surge in volunteerism and goodwill towards common endeavour, why not use local councils to offer more such opportunities. Park tidy ups, visiting and bringing together different people from the community for simple fun and games. We are really enjoying the pedestrianised zones brought in for Summer weekends. Having shoppers, diners, walkers all together on the streets is wonderful for community cohesion.
Organisations such as neighbourhood watch can also contribute positively to policing and education institutions. Making positive use of school buildings out of hours for gatherings, adult learning and sharing. Simple things like movie nights and pizza parties cost very little (and can be sponsored by local businesses) but can come with services and opportunities to chat, seek help, network and just doing things with your wider community. Parent run homework clubs, extracurricular activities rather than asking teachers to do it all. Perhaps the police can run some fun youth projects to build relationships with their communities. Politicians could host evenings around their constituencies.
Anything to rehumanise our neighbours and those with whom we share our city.
Show less of commentPastella294
Community Member 4 years agoI don't think local councils should be used as volunteering agencies, (even though some already do), volunteering should remain in the voluntary, community and charity sector. When I tried signing up to volunteer in my borough (which didn't...
Show full commentI don't think local councils should be used as volunteering agencies, (even though some already do), volunteering should remain in the voluntary, community and charity sector. When I tried signing up to volunteer in my borough (which didn't have a volunteer centre at the time) with my local authority a few years ago they were asking questions far beyond the remit of what a volunteer centre would normally ask. They were asking deep and meaningful questions about my council housing and other local authorities questions. The Councils are there to provide statutory services whilst working in partnership with the voluntary, community and charity sectors.
Show less of commenttamaragalloway
Community Member 3 years agoThese are wonderful suggestions for after the pandemic, but are not appropriate until after there's an effective vaccine and most people have been vaccinated.
Richard Morse
Community Member 4 years agoI think that membership and participation in Neighbourhood Watch brings neighbours together and makes safer more friendly neighbourhoods.
mtedley
Community Member 4 years agoI believe that strong civil society is one where political/community discourse is conducted with integrity, respect and is evidence based. Without this, individuals will become increasingly mistrustful of each other and of their elected...
Show full commentI believe that strong civil society is one where political/community discourse is conducted with integrity, respect and is evidence based. Without this, individuals will become increasingly mistrustful of each other and of their elected representatives. We need to reverse the current trend towards cynical politics and politicians.
Show less of commentXkuribu
Community Member 4 years agoNot sure whether this is the right forum but I feel very STRONGLY that going forward all boroughs including H and F NEED more public toilets.... We live in a cul de sac and our planting areas are constantly being used as a toilet and...
Show full commentNot sure whether this is the right forum but I feel very STRONGLY that going forward all boroughs including H and F NEED more public toilets.... We live in a cul de sac and our planting areas are constantly being used as a toilet and rubbish bin. We live opposite Brook Green where more and more people are picnicking thus needing to relieve themselves... More public toilets please!
point 2 Please think very carefully about cycle lanes. Around Hammersmith there are very wide, underused cycle lanes which, combined with oddly timed, road works have and continue to cause disruption....... Recently I have had to walk a long way to a bus stop as two were closed due to cycle lanes.... This may have been sorted by now but wasn't carefully thought through initially....
I am seeing decisions made hastily without thinking through the consequences...
Thank you for reading,
Jane Armstrong
Show less of commentAnonymous - account deleted
Community Member 4 years agovery much agree.
leonk
Community Member 4 years agoMy experience of London boroughs , and I have lived i n five different ones over the years- is basically one of incompetence. They are fine at talking about what they want to do but generally hopeless at doing anything.,One shake-up would...
Show full commentMy experience of London boroughs , and I have lived i n five different ones over the years- is basically one of incompetence. They are fine at talking about what they want to do but generally hopeless at doing anything.,One shake-up would be to get rid of 'one-party' councils by introducing a system of proportional representation in local elections. It will not necessarily make them more competent but it may cut down on the institutional corruption that sits hand in glove with one party control
Show less of commentJuliana
Community Member 4 years agoI totally agree with you. It is a disgrace that unless you vote exactly as the majority of your neighbours your vote is completely discounted as if you did not even exist! It leads to segregation as well.
Wilf
Community Member 4 years agoLeon, I am also in agreement.
Do have a look at the Transition Town model, I think its advantage is that the local groups who form the decision making bodies are not drawn up along political lines.
Instead their aim and concern is to help...
Show full commentLeon, I am also in agreement.
Do have a look at the Transition Town model, I think its advantage is that the local groups who form the decision making bodies are not drawn up along political lines.
Instead their aim and concern is to help the local council transition to a more sustainable basis and they bring in all sorts of outside skills and viewpoints, it is really working for a better more sensible and sane future.
It's now taking off all around the UK and elsewhere, many Londoners have picked up on it as it's very progressive and positive, but although it's quite a well proven model, a lot more needs doing to promote it and steer it.