Set up a community on your street (Street Association)

You can setup a community on your road as part of the Street Association initiative. This is a resident-led scheme to help unite neighbours on a road. A Street Association can help residents to stay safe and improve their wellbeing by:

• encouraging communities to be friendlier, stronger and more supportive
• promoting social interactions and friendships
• reducing doorstep crime
• reducing isolation
• identifying vulnerable residents

You can become a 'street member' and act as the main contact on your road. As a street member, you can organise events and promote the scheme. There are currently 400 Street Association schemes in Buckinghamshire, each with a street member as their main contact.

The scheme encourages neighbours to look out for each other, for example:

• noticing when a bin has been out for longer than normal
• offering to get groceries for vulnerable residents in bad weather
• having a cup of tea and a chat with each other
• offering a lift or car-share to other residents

Some streets hold an event or activity can be a great way for neighbours to introduce themselves to each other and for the community to grow and become stronger, for example:

• litter picks
• street parties
• barbeques

Whilst Street Associations are resident-led and driven by the members, we can help support you with tools and resources to get started. We will send you an information pack and enough letters to give to each of your neighbours.

The information pack contains:

• a guide to Street Associations and ideas for events
• support guide on community safety issues
• details of common scams and how to detect and avoid them
• a directory of organisations who provide help and support to communities
• details of where to report domestic abuse
• case studies

You can tell us how many properties are in your street and we can send you enough invitation letters to distribute.

To request an information pack and invitation letters or find out if there is a local street member association near you, email [email protected].

Linda joined the Street Association scheme and setup a local community group because she was isolated, felt that she didn’t have a reason to get up in the morning and didn’t know anyone in her road.

After joining the scheme and meeting several neighbours, she now arranges social activities and was also able to identify others needing a little bit of help.

She feels safer in her road, is less worried about her grandson playing outside and feels connected to her neighbours: