Part 22. What is 'community'?

People  living in urban areas of deprivation are not a homogeneous group. Their needs and circumstances differ considerably. They are not statistics.  Walking round a former council housing estate it is possible to identify three categories of accommodation.  

The first is owner occupation, properties originally purchased by people under the Right to Buy legislation. Gardens are well maintained and new doors and windows fitted.

The second is tenants of properties transferred to housing associations.  For the most part the doors and windows of these properties are identical.

The third category is tenants of private landlords. The properties have been purchased from people in the first category. The gardens are unkempt and some changes made to the appearance of the properties.

Different groups, different issues.

Wandering round such an estate you might come across a set of retail units. Most  if not all, will be empty. There may be a public house in a run-down state, possibly a doctor's surgery and a community hall. There may be an adequate bus service.

Of course provision varies considerably.  There may be blocks of flats, playgrounds, a church and a church hall. The point is that when considering areas of deprivation one description does not fit all, either in terms of people or facilities.

Therefore a nuanced approach in required. It is vital that a local church does not act inadvertently in a patronising or paternalistic manner.  We must listen to people and have no preconceived notions and certainly not be judgemental. But to whom do we listen and how do we interest people to talk to us? Different groups within the community will have different concerns and  priorities. As Christians we should step carefully into this complicated and often contradictory environment.