Since starting up our organisation we've spent a lot of time listening, hosting conversations both formal and informal and most of all learning. It’s become very clear that people don’t always get a sense that our town is valued and that local voices are truly heard. Those of us who live here know it’s a place with great potential, with people of great potential. That Morecambe should and does matter!
The #MorecambeMatters project aims to spark and grow an ongoing conversation that puts local residents voices at the front of the conversation, alongside opportunities for inspiration and learning so that we can begin to act collaboratively and work towards making positive change locally. We know that our community see’s significant wealth extracted from it, not always with equal investment back in.
There are however proven approaches that can be taken to address some of these issues - but it requires commitment and a united front. This project will take us on a journey of finding out what matters to the people of Morecambe, identifying our priorities and opportunities and together - whilst creating a community-led wealth building strategy to do something about it over the coming years.
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Step 1:
Ask & Listen
Capture community voices:
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Short punchy videos
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Plus online social media engagements
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Filling in online webform
Step 2:
Identify themes
We will analyse and draw out key themes from the range of people we speak to during the ask and listening phase.
Step 3:
Widen perspectives
Based on the key themes we establish we will widen perspectives and possibilities by inviting local, national, international voices, organisations and partners to share learning and inspiration around what is possible.
Step 4:
Share and Co-create
We will share videos and host online discussion, workshops and events to gain wider community reflections, views and ideas to shape our people-led strategy.
Step 5:
Launch our co-created Manifesto for Change!
Step 1:
Ask and Listen
Capture community voices:
-
Short punchy videos
-
Plus online social media engagements
-
Filling in online webform
Step 2: Identify Themes &
Step 3: Widen Perspectives
Stemming from conversations with residents we met out on the prom, in local parks and community events key themes emerged:
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Housing
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Food
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Money, Jobs and Local Insfrastructure
Using these as a starting point we then asked our community of other places doing brilliant things that we could learn from, share examples and inspiring solutions that will stretch our minds around what might be possible to improve our town. With the intention of putting local people at the forefront of plans and developments.
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Our resident film maker Will and his trusty apprentice Micky headed out to visit these areas making a growing series of videos to bring back this learning and share more widely. All videos are hosted on our YouTube chanel.
Amasing places & projects we've visited and people we've met making brilliant things happen:
3/ Wealth & Welfare
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East Marsh United
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Creative West End
Step 4: Share & Co-create
With videos now online and lots of discussion happening online to consolidate our learning and ideas we want to move this to action ahead of creating our collaborative Manifesto for Change. We have scheduled a series of events to gain wider community reflection, input and ideas that will shape our people-led, community wealth building strategy.
