Page 46 - link magazine

46 The Link Magazine • October 2002

JUST THE JOB Community discovered alive in West Swindon
Rachel Wood sums up research carried out in 2001
Domestic Services Agency
Last summer, at the end of my second year studying geography at Cambridge University, I undertook a
Based at 15 Sheep Street, Highworth
piece of research for my undergraduate dissertation. For my project, I spoke to Link Magazine readers and
Are you too busy to clean?
local groups in West Swindon, to research the concept of local community in the area.
Are your carpets in need of attention?
Community studies are vitally However, it seems that in West community is dead and buried.
We offer:
important at present, as the gov- Swindon, it is only this local aspect Nearly everybody I spoke to felt
Regular house cleaning services
Ironing services • House sitting ernment undertakes an array of of community which has declined, that they did have a community
Carpet cleaning projects to try and rejuvenate local whilst the social relations between group which they could always
For full details please contact us community spirit, long-believed to people sharing commonalities still call on when they wanted to. It
on (01793) 861112 (tel/fax) have disappeared into the history exist. I concluded in my disserta- may no longer be on our doorstep,
books, in order to solve societal tion, that community had not been but it remains nonetheless.
RECRUITMENT
problems such as crime, poverty, lost but had simply changed for- I finished my dissertation feel-
We are also currently looking for
and environmental damage. mat, scale and space. ing much more positively about
cleaning staff, hours can be arranged It was in this climate that I began the community issue, and the peo-
to suit your needs. Good rates of pay. my project somewhat cynically, ex- ple of West Swindon showed me
Contact the number above.
pecting to find a West Swindon in how they are dealing with modern
which, like every other town and technological and lifestyle devel-
suburb in the country, neighbours opments in order to maintain some
SWINDON did not know one another, and sense of community spirit. Thank
FAMILY CHURCH people found it hard to relate to you very much to all those people
their 'local community'. who gave up their valuable time to
WEST But West Swindon residents contribute to my study.
showed me that community spirit
SUNDAYS 10.30AM is still very much alive, but in a White goods wanted
new, contemporary guise.
LARGE MEETING ROOM Top Drawer, Swindon's furniture
Traditional definitions of com- re-use charity, urgently needs
LINK CENTRE
munity speak of three main com- donations of clean working
(except ... last Sunday of the month ponents - of social interaction, be- fridges and freezers for people
when we celebrate together at the tween people sharing some Rachel interviewing Mark Thornett restarting their homes.
Winners Lounge, Swindon Town F.C.) commonality, in a bounded space. and Lindsey Shaw last September They also take washing ma-
For more information, Historically, this manifested itself chines and tumble dryers, check
call Nigel on 849731 or email in a neighbourhood or a street, With new mobility, communi- them over and make them avail-
[email protected] with people mingling on the basis cations and opportunities, we are able through its shop in Sussex
in association with of a shared address. The common- no longer simply drawn to people Square, Walcot.
NEW FRONTIERS INTERNATIONAL ality was often the road they with the same address, but those And they'll even collect the items
shared, although similar addresses with similar interests or values, from vou. Call 536613 for details.
often yielded other similarities often based further from our
such as class, wealth, and occupa- homes. These opportunities also
tion. mean that we are often developing Harvest at North Swindon
My research showed that in West more than one community for our- churches
o^Evange11. Swindon, these traditional, locally- selves, fragmenting our social lives Friday 4 October. I'hc North Swin-
embedded forms of community into work, home, and hobbies, and don Parish are holding a Harvest
AVorsley Rood a^
had indeed declined, which resi- finding a different community in Supper at Church of Christ the
dents attribute to new work pat- each of these. These many contacts Servant at Abbey Meads village
terns and locations, increased mo- are often 'shallow' though, with centre. Call 706970 for tickets: £5
y ^ kr$P'- m m as
m m a °g m bility and car ownership, and a each providing a different compo- adults; £3 children.
_
building with people proliferation of new entertainment nent of our emotional or social Sunday 13th, 10.30am. Harvest
Come and join us options taking up leisure time. needs. Service. Church of Christ the Serv-
Sunday at I Oam & 6.30pm What this has resulted in is a Finally, I did find that privacy ant. Take a tin.
For further information of circle of mistrust by people of their has become a much larger part of Thursday 31st. Family Fun Nite.
other meetings ring: 873050. call local area, in which we don't get to our lives. Community relation- Scalectrics, game boys, gunk and
into the Church office or visit know our community because we ships are no longer constant and games. £1 per family. Tickets from
www.freshbrook.org
Jesus said: "I hate mine that YOU might don't trust people, which in turn we do like to be able to close our Mick Warr, tel. 349029, Brian
have LIFE and hare it in its fulness'' deepens our mistrust and reluc- door on our neighbours and social Sweetman, tel. 706558, or on the
tance to approach neighbours. groups. But none of this means door. Space is limited.

We are West Swindon & the
Green meadow
NSBC Primar} School ?I I I here! Lydiards churches

All Saints' For details of our
weekly service
Lydiard Millicent
Holy Trinity, Shaw
North Swindon Baptist Church
St Mary's ii
Lydiard Tregoze
Toothill Church please contact the
Sunday Worship 10.30am
- Sunday School & Creche - Web: http://nsbc.org.uk Westlea Church Partnership Office: 874221
Pastor Steve Mann TEL: (01793) 320172