1000 Lives (North Staffs)

We are highly motivated to develop 1000 Lives Network as an inclusive, representative, influential and self-organising and collective voice for Social Action in North Staffs. Most of the 1000 Lives Steering Group and many Network members have had Community Organising training from All the Small Things.

1000 Lives has the foundations needed to find out what people have in common, the causes of the problems they are tackling in their communities, and to bring them together to prevent the problems. It is increasingly important for us to do so, because of the huge challenge of hardship and extremism in the area.

1000 Lives Network members have been influential and want to be more so. We are currently heavily involved in providing support to people in our communities in North Staffs in response to Coronavirus.

We:

• We are community researchers trained and supported by Staffordshire University for the Hardship Commission, to investigate people’s lived experiences of poverty in Stoke on Trent. (The research was raised in Prime Minister’s Questions on 10-7-19 by a Stoke on Trent MP).
• Contributed to Stoke on Trent Loneliness campaign, Suicide prevention plans and Social Prescribing scheme development.
• Co-produced Big Community Conversations with Staffordshire University, on community priorities for tackling health inequalities, enabling community groups to share stories of social action.
• Are working to develop a project to promote Inclusive Volunteering for all.
• Are co-facilitating the Women’s Peacemakers project funded by the Home Office to enable women to speak up about their safety priorities to promote cohesion and prevent extremism.
• Will co-produce a Community Network event with Expert Citizens – people with lived experience of homelessness and multiple needs, in 2020.

Being an Organising Group has helped us to build community power for social justice.

Follow this link to see the 1000 Lives Network photos.