Community is vitally important, as the pandemic showed us!
The Problem:
Our society has been drifting into a ‘keep-yourself-to-yourself’ mentality. It was becoming hard even to say
Thinking of smiling or greeting?
- Would they wonder what I want?
- Or think I’m ‘one of those people’ they can’t get rid of?
- Would I be ‘invading their private space?’
It all seemed too difficult, and so many of us tended to pass others by, head down, no eye contact.
No ‘permission to smile’?
The Fall-Out:
Then, with the Coronavirus pandemic, there was a wonderful upsurge in community spirit. How to reignite that, make it a permanent feature of our society? Otherwise we’ll see a return to:
- Less neighbourly support for those who need it
- Unmet need of help (e.g. with shopping for elderly people)
- An ever-greater burden on an already-overstretched public sector
- More isolation
- More loneliness
- Less encouragement and belonging
How to reaffirm and refresh that community spirit – and make something of it for the future?
The Answer:
We need to make a change and that requires people power! Here’s how we can all take part:
- Start smiling and greeting again, especially where we live
- Take opportunities for simple friendliness
- Work with neighbours to support elderly people on your street.
- Use those new links to start a Street Association details here
- Help us bring our mission to life where you are
- Join with local stakeholders to create a Permission to Smile campaign partnership where you are.
Permission to Smile song, performed at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall as part of Youth Proms 2019 – delightful!
What we did in Birmingham, plus a personal message from Sir Lenny Henry!
Neighbourhood organizations
Neighbourhood organizations can also play a vital role as local catalysts – churches, community centres, schools
More Information!Join the friendliness revolution!
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