Training, consultancy & project management

"Thank you for a very informative, helpful, yet enjoyable training. I attended with the view that I would face insurmountable obstacles but left thinking that our housing scheme has some huge positives. Your course answered ALL my questions and addressed all my reservations. I returned to work with a very positive attitude toward supporting a street party in our area."

Housing Association Estate Officer,
Southampton 2009

Street parties are a powerful way of developing neighbourliness. Local authorities and community groups can play a crucial role in supporting residents to organise their own parties through low-key facilitation and by developing and implementing simple road closure procedures.

Streets Alive has years of experience in supporting residents; training a wide range of community workers; and advising council staff. We are continually gathering, developing and disseminating best practice from around the country.

Streets Alive offers its professional services
in the following ways:

1. An introductory presentation and discussion session for management covering policy, programming and procedures to support street parties. Suitable for professionals working in Community Development, Cohesion, Housing, Highways, Events, and Arts Departments etc.

2. Training day for front line staff and active residents including step-by-step guidance and practical exercises. Topics covered during the day include:

  • the benefits of Street Parties to residents
  • the differences between Street Parties and other community events
  • how services can use the events and the process to engage with residents and follow-up on any issue
  • detailed step by step guidance and ideas on how to facilitate residents to organise their own event
  • detailed information on road closures, insurance and other issues
  • developing a programme of events in a neighbourhood

This training day is designed to enable participants to go away with a realistic plan of action, and will be of interest to people working in Neighbourhood Management; housing & tenant participation; social cohesion & inclusion; community development; children's play; community safety; arts and sports development and active residents involved in local associations and forums.

3. Short presentation and discussion session for residents designed to inform enable and motivate. These sessions can take place in the early evening, and are often held after a training day with community workers.

4. We can also provide bespoke services and briefings tailored to your specific needs such as:

  • Advice on technical issues: best practice on road closure procedures, public liability insurance and licensing.
  • Project management: Setting up a coordinated approach within the council and with local partners: arrangements for road closures, signs & bunting for residents to borrow: comprehensive training; a Local Guide for residents and workers; local publicity and websites.
  • Evaluation and research: To sustain more detailed work in future years tailored to specific service provision e.g. travel choices; play; healthy and sustainable neighbourhoods.

How Streets Alive Has Helped

Promoting neighbourliness for community development
Southampton City Council managers invited Streets Alive to train a wide range of their community workers and housing officers in facilitating residents to organise their own street parties. Every Community Development Officer has been encouraged to support at least three parties per year.

Working together for the same goals
Streets Alive was asked to make a presentation to a small group of public sector officers from Community Development, Events and Housing departments who were inspired and invigorated by the idea of street parties. Further briefing papers and guidance has been provided for positive and productive round table discussions with Highways and Legal teams.

Involving residents and adding value in areas of regeneration
Another council's Community Development Team employed Streets Alive to manage a neighbourhood project encouraging residents' street parties to increase local participation and build up skills and confidence in the run-up to a larger community festival.

Supporting a programme of street parties for community cohesion
Streets Alive was commissioned to support 16 new street parties in an ethnically and socially diverse urban area (now known as the Street Party Capital). Another nearby neighbourhood is now keen to get its own programme up and running and Streets Alive will be training more local facilitators.

Streamlining local authority procedures
The Traffic Department of a London Borough called on our advice when they realised that their road closure procedures were an obstacle to residents' street parties. Streets Alive was able to offer clear advice on relevant legislation, examples of good practice and templates for road-closure application forms.

For more information and bookings enquiries click here.