One Hounslow, Many Voices
Hounslow Council is transforming how we engage with residents. This page outlines our new approach to engagement and the next steps in this exciting journey together with our residents.
Hounslow is one of London’s most diverse boroughs, home to speakers of 188 different languages at the latest count. This is one of our greatest strengths and a source of pride. However, we know we don’t reach all communities equally, with particularly the voices of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic residents, and younger people, too often missing from conversations about decisions which affect them. We started reassessing the way we engage with our residents last year, but coronavirus emphasised the disparity in reach between communities and the need for it to be improved rapidly to make sure everyone has a voice and is heard. We want to build a new relationship with residents, based on transparency, trust and mutual respect.
Our new approach is based in part on the suggestions from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies report. This review was undertaken over the summer to explore how we currently engage and suggest how we could work better with Hounslow’s communities. This report sets out a proposed five-stage approach.
Next steps – get involved
The CLES report highlighted that to be a success, any new approach needs to be built out of local and community conversations. That’s why as a first step, we’d like to work with residents to set up local conversations, either in your area, or for a specific community that you are a member of. If you’d be interested in helping to organise a conversation like this, please contact the Community Partnerships Unit email: community.development@hounslow.gov.uk
We’ll have lots to tell you about, and lots for you to be involved in as this piece of work progresses, so keep an eye out for updates.
