Woodland View is our children's home in St Albans. As part of Everyone Everywhere, we wanted to think about how we could get to know our neighbours, build some connections and find out whether there might be things we could do together.
We decided to invite people who live nearby to pop in, say hello and share a cup of coffee with us. The children designed a flyer, which they printed and delivered to houses along the road. They posted some through letterboxes and handed others to people in person.
We were delighted when some of our neighbours came along! We offered them a drink and a slice of cake, and spent time chatting and getting to know each other.
We also showed our visitors some of the sensory resources we use with the children and young people. They were interested to find out more and had a go themselves, while we explained how these things can help with communication and help children and young people feel relaxed and happy.
And the conversations soon turned up some interesting possibilities. One neighbour told us about an inclusive football club in Brentford that is looking for new players – something we might never have discovered otherwise. We also talked about a young man who loves animals and how he might be able to help neighbours with dog walking.
We were a little nervous about reaching out to people we hadn't met before, but it turned out to be a really positive experience. We're already planning our next step: making and delivering Christmas cards to our neighbours. And the children would love to host a barbecue in the summer!
It's important that the children and young people are known in the community, and have opportunities to build relationships and feel part of the place where they live.
