The Chiltern Community Forum is encouraging Bucks residents to set up Street Associations amid the coronavirus pandemic and to create a 'enduring positive legacy' from the crisis.

Towns across the Chilterns have all made collective efforts to support the vulnerable and elderly during these challenging times.

In addition to helping the community set its local policing priorities, Chiltern Community Forum "encourages communities to develop greater resilience, taking responsibility where they can."

When the coronavirus pandemic will pass, and lives in our communities will return to some sort of normality.

Following the coronavirus pandemic many volunteers may want to remain active in their communities when they can.

Among the volunteers in recent weeks has been many individuals who have been helping to safeguard the vulnerable on their street.

There is already an organisation and structure in Buckinghamshire which can support volunteers.

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Street Association can help by providing a template, advice and information, and resources and for areas that have not yet set up their own system, or would like advice on organising their efforts, they are available to help.

The Chiltern Community Forum hopes that "many of the locally-driven initiatives will, when the emphasis can move away from safeguarding against Covid-19, ‘formalise’ themselves into Street Associations, and benefit from Street Association resources" and create a legacy for the communities.

The Street Association works in two main ways:

  • By recruiting residents as Street Association Members, who can act as the eyes and ears on their street, learning to spot neighbours who may need a little bit of help, and point them in the direction of support.
  • By organising free workshops and events for residents to learn more about common challenges to the wellbeing of their communities, such as Scams, Dementia and ‘hidden harm’, and exploitation that can happen behind closed doors.

Street Associations also work alongside other compatible organisations, such as Trading Standards and Neighbourhood Watch.

For more information visit the Buckinghamshire County Council website.

You can e-mail the Buckinghamshire Council Communities team for a free starter pack to start a Street Association in your road, or ask for a downloadable toolkit if you’re a community group covering a wider area.