Over 150 individuals and organisations to date have signed the Walsall for All Pledge. One of those organisations is Transforming Communities Together, a charity based in Walsall that supports people and communities to thrive and flourish across the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire. They have shared their thoughts on signing up to the Pledge and how they have demonstrated their commitment.
To find out more about Transforming Communities Together, visit www.tctogether.org.uk.
Why did you sign up to the Walsall for All Pledge?
We signed the Walsall for All Pledge because we are passionate about making sure that all people and communities in Walsall thrive and flourish. The Pledge resonates with all our workstreams - community cohesion, health and well-being, and social and financial inclusion. The Pledge also echoes our key values of listening, celebrating, partnering, and empowering.
Could you share some examples of your commitment to the Walsall for All Pledge?
Places of Welcome are vital spaces to allow people of all backgrounds and cultures to connect with one another, feel like they belong and contribute their unique skills and abilities. As an organisation, Transforming Communities Together is working hard to reflect the wonderful diversity that we have in Walsall. This includes a recruitment campaign to increase the diversity of our Trustee board and the hosting of many events that celebrate and promote diversity and inclusion. We have started a new network for connection during Covid-19 called Bringing People Together. This connects people to others from the comfort of their own home, through the shared principles of invitation, welcome and mutual respect.
How do you intend to work with communities to make Walsall a fairer and more integrated place to live, work and learn?
Since we were formed in 2014, our core aim is to see everyone in Walsall and beyond to thrive and flourish. We will continue to work with a wide range of community organisations to develop the Places of Welcome network and the new Bringing People Together programme. Both of these streams of work focus on bringing people together in a safe space, whether physically or virtually; where everyone is welcomed and inclusion and integration are actively encouraged; where individuals are signposted and supported to access other services to enhance their living, working and learning; and where diversity, contribution and achievement are all celebrated.
Our Just Finance team are empowering people to understand the changing financial picture due to Covid-19 and to encourage people to be as financially resilient as possible. Our Preventing Shocking Debt team continue to provide early support and referrals for advice when people get into financial difficulties.
Our Near Neighbours team have done a lot of work to get groups online to enable their mission to bring diverse people and groups together. They have also been working closely with the NHS to look at the adverse effects of Covid-19 on BAME communities.
Are there any individuals or organisations that you would like to work with that have similar interests or ideas to develop cohesion and integration projects?
Partnership is one of our key values, so we want to continue to work with the Refugee and Migrant Centre, Nash Dom, Afghan Community & Welfare Centre Walsall, and a broader range of faith groups, are all included in the many other organisations we would like to work with.
Responses provided by:
Su Parker - Bringing People Together Coordinator in the Black Country, Staffordshire, and North Shropshire and Places of Welcome Coordinator in the Black Country.
Nicky Thomas - Places of Welcome Facilitator in Walsall.