Community Engagement

Communication with East Marsh residents was a critical part of the programme. Residents needed to be informed about what the programme offered; given a chance to interact or get involved; and have a way to express their concerns and issues so that they could be progressed.

From the outset, weekly community drop-in sessions were held by East Marsh United (EMU) at their office space in Freeman Street Market, where information about other local support was also available several days a week.

East Marsh Involve (EMI) also held weekly drop-in events for most of the programme duration. These were held at Grimsby Neighbourhood Centre and then at the Canopy Community Hub once that was up and running. Sessions were also supported by VANEL.

A large amount of face-to-face engagement was done through the ‘door knocking’ exercise. The programme team led by the Council and Police tried to visit every single household within the Safer Streets target area by doing door-knocking days putting leaflets and information through every letterbox and talking to as many residents as possible.

Other events large and small during the programme also gave the opportunity to engage with local residents. The ‘Movies on the Marsh’ social events had hundreds of attendees and were a chance for programme engagement. As were smaller events such as tenant meetings at LHP properties; scams talks led by VANEL; EMI monthly meetings; ward councillor surgeries; a Keeping Older People Safe (KOPS) event; arts workshops for young people and more.

All partners were actively encouraged to find ways to communicate with local residents. Each project component such as the ‘community equipment cache’ or the fitness sessions led by EMI or the Police were opportunities to keep the community engagement active. Every home security visit by Empower to a household and every donation of security cache equipment to a resident was an opportunity to interact; share information; gather feedback or help support that resident with their issues or concerns.

As well as face-to-face, online community engagement tools such as Facebook and other social media; emails and newsletters were all used to reach those residents who were online. 

Each issue arising from a discussion with a resident would then be signposted or forwarded to the partners or agencies best placed to support that resident and their issues.

Only through a combination of drop-ins, events, out and about door-knocking, project signposting, online and offline tools could we know we were reaching as many residents as possible. Different demographic groups – older people; working age; families; young people – needed different engagement approaches. It was also important to visit people where they already were – at home; at their social groups or at community venues, rather than hoping each time that people would ‘come to us’.

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