Neighbourhood Connections

With around 3,500 members, the NNLS community can sometimes feel overwhelming, intimidating and impenetrable in a way that it wouldn’t in a much smaller community. So how do we create that feeling of a smaller community?

We decided to create geographically based groups of around 20 NNLS households into local NNLS neighbourhoods. Each Neighbourhood has an allocated Co-ordinator or Champion, who creates a network between their NNLS neighbours. The Neighbourhoods provide support, friendship and connectivity within the group and back to the wider NNLS community.

Neighbourhoods, once established have enjoyed many activities, such as: meals around the chaggim, provided meals for neighbours in need, linked teens to babysit for families with young children, kept in touch and brought round shopping for isolated members, got involved in a challah rota, provided lifts to Kehilateinu, hosted post-kiddush and Succah gatherings, shared garden cuttings and many more.

There is also a practical element which allows community-wide initiatives to be rolled out locally, such as collections for Foodbanks and delivery of magazines, matzah and the like.

There are around 25 (and growing) of these Neighbourhoods, and in time we hope to ensure that every NNLS member is connected to a local neighbourhood. This is dependent on finding suitable Neighbourhood Co-ordinators. These Co-ordinators need to be enthusiastic and friendly with good communication skills. The time commitment varies, with an initial burst of activity at the outset and then waves over the year. We provide support and training for Co-ordinators, who in turn are part of a wider team of enablers.

If you would like to find out more about Neighbourhood Connections, please contact Louise Froggett, NNLS Community Development Director.