Category Archives: Community Organisers

Relating in some way to the Community Organisers programme. See www.cocollaborative.org.uk for more information

Sitting in a ditch watching stars

Posted on December 12, 2013 by jesssteele

After a good start with weekly blogs I seem to have fallen into Abeyance. It feels like a ditch I want to climb out of. It’s been a stunning couple of months – which is probably why I feel like … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers, Jericho Road Solutions, Locality, Seaside, US trip | Leave a comment

Stories as Community Action

Posted on June 28, 2013 by jesssteele

Pier Campaign – story version Last week a couple of trustees of the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust were filmed for a BBC piece to be shown in the autumn which may turn into a longer documentary. It felt … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers, Hastings Pier, Thinking | 1 Comment

A month on the Jericho Road

Posted on June 17, 2013 by jesssteele

So it’s been a month since launching Jericho Road Solutions and I’m in reflective mood. I chose to leave a good job at Locality and start out on my own because I want to be directly involved in local transformations … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers, Hastings Pier, Jericho Road Solutions, Locality, Meanwhile, Seaside, Self-renovating neighbourhoods, Thinking | 1 Comment

Manchester Greater

Posted on May 23, 2013 by jesssteele

I just had the second launch of Jericho Road Solutions – this time in Manchester. Another basement of another pub, this time very informal and no high-heeled speeches on wobbly tables. But with great people – community organisers from cohort … Continue reading →

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Last day in Chicago

Posted on February 4, 2012 by jesssteele

I can hardly believe it’s taken me so long to write this. I suppose it’s cos I didn’t want my trip to the US to be truly over. But until it’s finished I can’t write anything else so… That last … Continue reading →

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Chicago 5: Generations of organizers

Posted on December 12, 2011 by jesssteele

Friday 18th November 2011 Jim Field (left), Director of Organizing at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, says he’s from the Alinsky generation and gives me a copy of the 1972 Playboy interview. He says lots of the first wave … Continue reading →

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Chicago 4: Grounded Theory

Posted on December 5, 2011 by jesssteele

This is my public apology for not yet having emailed to thank all the wonderful people I met in Chicago (I’ve started it on the train home tonight). The last two days of my trip (18/19th Nov) involved even more … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers, US trip | 4 Comments

Chicago 3: All kinds of walking

Posted on November 27, 2011 by jesssteele

I’m back in the UK now but determined to finish this blog account of my trip to the US to explore community organising. I ran 3.5k on a treadmill today and all the way I was thinking about my much … Continue reading →

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Chicago 2: Oodles of inspiration

Posted on November 22, 2011 by jesssteele

Weds 16th November 2011 After a misleadingly warm day yesterday, now it’s sunny but cold like Chicago’s meant to be. Today’s dollops of inspiration come from Jeff Pinzino at National People’s Action (NPA) Joanna Brown, Logan Square Neighbourhood Association Malcolm … Continue reading →

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Chicago 1: The South Side & Regina

Posted on November 20, 2011 by jesssteele

Tues 15th November 2011 A beautiful sunny, warm day in ultra-civilised Chicago began with a wander in Grant Park. Everything takes just a bit longer than you expect because of waiting to cross the enormous roads. So then I hurried … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Allowance, Community Organisers, US trip | 1 Comment

Detroit 3: The Funders

Posted on November 19, 2011 by jesssteele

On my last day in Detroit I spent the morning exploring the regenerated riverfront. A lot of effort, good intentions and money has gone in and there are some lovely touches – the framed artworks, the bird-filled wetland area and … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers, US trip | 1 Comment

Detroit 2: Grace Lee Boggs & the Angels

Posted on November 18, 2011 by jesssteele

Sunday, 13th November 2011   I was so delighted to get a call on Sunday morning from Rich Feldman of the Boggs Centre for Nurturing Community Leadership. He had received last night’s email and could meet me today and hoped … Continue reading →

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NYC 3: Training Day

Posted on November 16, 2011 by jesssteele

Friday 11th November 2011, Veterans’ Day   Up early to make my way to East Harlem where the Center for Neighborhood Leadership/Public Allies training would take place at the sparkly new Hunter School of Social Work building. The bright white … Continue reading →

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NYC 2 – Occupied Wall Street, Good Old Lower East Side & University Settlement

Posted on November 15, 2011 by jesssteele

On Thursday I went to see whether the original #Occupy is as well organised as Occupy London Stock Exchange, which I visited just before coming away on this US trip. I was much reassured by the similarities. Apart from the … Continue reading →

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New York City 1: Queens Community House

Posted on November 14, 2011 by jesssteele

[From La Guardia airport on the way to Detroit, 12 Nov 2011] I have spent the last 4 days visiting a community organizing development programme in New York City which has striking similarities to our emerging home-grown Community Organisers programme … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers, Locality, US trip | 2 Comments

Transparency

Posted on October 8, 2011 by jesssteele

In general the Community Organisers team was happy with last night’s TV coverage. This was no thanks to Newsnight, but all credit to the community organisers themselves, to Stephen Kearney and the Re:generate team, to my excellent team at Locality … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers | 8 Comments

Feeling weird about the media

Posted on October 7, 2011 by jesssteele

What a strange 7 days… I feel like I’ve been through a shrapnel whirlwind and there are a dozen fragments lodged in my brain, any of which could either strike gold or explode any time. One thread runs through it … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers | 8 Comments

Hosting Community Organisers

Posted on September 25, 2011 by jesssteele

We’re at a very exciting point in the Community Organisers programme. In a few days time I’ll be joining the first 47 organisers at Trafford Hall for their intensive introductory training. They have been recruited by the 11 Kickstarter hosts … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organisers | 2 Comments

CoCollaborative

Posted on August 9, 2011 by jesssteele

It feels strange to be writing anything at all that is not directly about #riots, but while we can all pontificate easily enough, at Locality we always try to reflect what our members are experiencing so we’ve put out a … Continue reading →

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Biting & Feeding

Posted on July 27, 2011 by jesssteele

I JUST ADDED THIS COMMENT TO THE NATCAN FORUM at http://nationalcan.ning.com/ Reply by dave berry 5 minutes ago Hi Am new to the forum so please bear with me, the last time that “government” funded real community activists was the Com. Dev … Continue reading →

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