More In Common

If you know me in real life, follow me on Twitter, or have had a look around this blog, you'll know that I follow the work of the organisation HOPE not hate - they have several strings to their bow, and one of those is Community organisation. So, on Thursday evening, I popped to my local meeting.

HOPE not hate tote bag

The meetings have gained strength post-referendum as people begin to realise how fractured and fractious our country actually is. The idea is to work out ways in which to bring the community together, start small and build up, and come out with workable plans to take forward.

It was very well attended - the organiser hadn't set out enough chairs and tables, so there was a bit of a scramble to reset as people squeezed through the doors. There was a real mix of people as well, from a recent graduate, all the way up to a couple of ladies from a nearby sheltered accommodation. And you know what, we all had More In Common than you'd initially suppose!

Image Source: hopenothate.org.uk

We began by introducing ourselves, and saying a word or two about why we were there - the general consensus seemed to be that we were all sick of just 'saying' and not 'doing'. Because the group was so large, and debate, ideas and sugestions flew back and forth, we didn't come away with an action plan as such, but a local #MoreInCommon Facebook group has been set up, and there will be another meeting shortly to whittle down the big ideas into smaller steps!

There were some lovely suggestions, everyone was very passionate and proactive, and through the power of social media, we will be able to stay in touch, and to put the ideas into action.