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Reflections on CDX West Midlands Regional Event
Monday 4th October 2010, 23:10
Things have so been busy in the CDX offices preparing for our regional events that it appears nobody has had time to blog here! And that’s no surprise. The quality of the first event, held in the West Midlands on 30 September, was fantastic. The blend of input from CDX Development Officers around policy, practice and communications was both informative and inspiring. And CEO Nick Beddow’s Gloomins presentation is a must-see.
I was pleased to have an opportunity at the start of the day and during breaks to chat to a number of the CDX members who came to the event. Many were new e-members, and it was great to welcome members new and old to the event. The event had attracted people who wanted to know more about the Big Society, and whilst there are no definitive answers to many of the questions we have about it, I hope that the event helped people to find out what is behind the idea, and what is important to discuss and take forward from a community development perspective.
Each CDX Regional Event has a unique flavour in the afternoon, when members from the region contribute and lead discussions. In the West Midlands we heard from Pete and Mark (from Tamworth Borough Council’s Community Development Team) about their approach to locality working in Tamworth. And then Denise Taylor from Regional Action West Midlands shared feedback from regional discussions on the Big Society and also gave us a handout which served as a useful reminder that loads of useful reports have been published through West Midlands regional empowerment partnership work.
Finally we discussed in groups what we would want from a regional community development network (or a range of sub-regional and/or themed CD networks in the region). Training ideas, practice sharing, ideas and inspiration, and practical support were high on the list, with CDX members in the West Midlands willing to try out online networking as well as face-to-face. (Though some said they need more convincing!)
I really enjoyed the event, and was also rather excited when I realised that thanks to Sophie’s social media promotion, tweeting of the discussions was positively encouraged. She and I engaged in a two-woman mission to let our followers on twitter know what ideas and issues were being shared, and Sophie was fantastic at bringing in to the discussion comments from people across the country joining in through twitter. I look forward to contributing to a few other regional events through twitter, and encourage other twitter users to do so, especially if you can’t get along to an event in person. Look out for the hashtags which Sophie will tweet before events.
Lorna Prescott, CDX Chair

Great summary there Lorna! I
Great summary there Lorna!
I really enjoyed the event and, when I'm back in the office tomorrow, will post a link to some images and videos from the day. I'm back home following another great event, this time in Lincoln. We welcomed almost 50 people and again had some lively debate. We've already welcomed some new tweeters into the world following the Tamworth event, and have been asked to support some others in their exploration of all things social media.
Both Tamworth and Lincoln have been really interesting events - roll on Manchester, Sheffield, Darlington and Bristol!
Sophie - CDX Development Officer - Communications.
I attended the Big Society
I attended the Big Society event in Lincoln and really enjoyed the presentations and discussions. We talked a lot about who these community organisers might be, what they would do and how they would be accountable, and to whom. Whilst Joe Taylor was speaking, something he said (can't remember what now), gave me an idea:
There are already thousands of potential community organisers in England and Wales. They are already working in a voluntary capacity for the benefit of local communities; they already operate within a defined geographical area; they are already accountable. They are, of course, our city, district and borough councillors.
This is not a cynical suggestion - we all know councillors who are very good at their job, and those who aren't. But if the government is serious about the community organiser concept, councillors could be inspired/required by their party leaders to undertake training (by CDWs?) to empower them to inspire their communities. It would be in the interest of a Conservative or Lib Dem councillor in a Conservative or Lib Dem controlled council to lessen the effect of public service cuts by inspiring and working with their local community. And Labour councillors, whether in a Labour controlled Council or in opposition, would also find it in their interest that the community they serve is not disadvantaged by public service cuts. Any councillor seen by the local community as not pulling their weight would be at risk of losing their seat at the next local election.
For me, the beauty of this idea is that, instead of central government politicians telling/expecting us, the electorate, to be more community-minded, they'll be telling their own local politicians and party members to be more community-minded. And if the local politicians object that government has unrealistic expectations of them, then surely it's equally as unrealsitc to expect "ordinary" people to take on the role of unpaid community organisers?
Putting my cynical hat on,
Putting my cynical hat on, councillors don't work in a voluntary - as in unpaid - capacity - they get an allowance, equal to a part time salary, whether they do heaps of stuff or sfa. If they occupy Cabinet positions, they get even more; and yet more if they chair committees - check out the table of allowances on your local council website. Many councillors have day jobs - they wouldn't have time to 'inspire' communities never mind organise them, in addition to the day job and attending council meetings. I'm a resident of a borough where 75% of people stop at home on election night, so can't endorse the notion that councillors carry a democratic mandate. If COs follow the US model, will community organising not create a conflict of interest as councillors could be part of the machinery that is causing the problem for the community? Is it the case that COs have to be individuals - is there any reason they couldn't be residents' associations, for example? That would work much better than councillors, in my view, as they are genuinely part of their communities. I speak as someone who worked alongside a councillor who lived in a leafy middle class suburb but represented an inner city ward with a totally different demographic. How could he understand the community when he was only popping in once a week for his surgery?
I do vote out of a sense of civic responsibility, but councillors don't inspire me in the slightest.
I've popped a video up which
I've also popped some pictures up on Flickr:
Sophie
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