Just do it
Andrew Mawson’s ‘The Social Entrepreneur’ is the most inspiring book I’ve read in ages. Mawson moved to Bromley by Bow in London’s East End in 1984, to be a minister in a run-down and underused United Reformed Church. He transformed the huge building and surrounding land into a multi-purpose community centre including nursery, health centre, arts activities, social support and a park – the Bromley by Bow Centre (pictured). And the church? It’s still there, much smaller, in a refurbished building that doubles as the nursery.
I remember visiting the Centre a couple of times in the 1990s, and being very impressed at the facilities and range of activities. Mawson funds his initiatives through charitable and business donations, voluntary activity, some charging, and state sources including service provision. His model has been endorsed by people from across the political spectrum. What’s significant is that he starts with identified need, and then looks for funding and support to meet it, from whatever sources he can find.
There are three particularly thought-provoking sections. First is the account of the early years – from church to community centre. Mawson had no extra money, but he had space in a huge decrepit building. So if anyone approached him and asked to use it, he said yes. No risk analysis, no ten-page funding application, no written contract – just yes.
Second is his account of dealing with the local council and health services after a failure to support a dying parishioner and his subsequent attempt to set up the now successful local health centre. I tend to be suspicious of organisations that go off and do their own thing without reference to state structures. But it has to be said that if the state fails an area – which I remember was happening in the East End at that time – then unilateral action is preferable to doing nothing, and doesn’t preclude campaigning for improved state services as well.
Third is the story of the failure of his model to be adopted on a wider scale. It seemed to be impossible to capture the essence of the project in policy documents, lists of outputs and outcomes, and ‘good practice’ guides. Politicians wanted to see more Bromley by Bow Centres, but national steering groups and advisory committees led by civil servants couldn’t break away from the worst aspects of risk averse public sector culture. Mawson continues to despair on this one.
The original church was not connected with the multi-cultural neighbourhood – and couldn’t be. In expanding the range of activities, based on common needs rather than on religious belief, the Bromley by Bow Centre now benefits everyone. Worth thinking about, wherever we live.
8 comments:
Pity this guy can't see to make anything happen at Leaside Regeneration where he is a Board member!
Poplar Riverside - a 7 year plan - and 7 years later not a brick has been laid, but boy have they enjoyed the pretty drawings and re-drawings and spin spin spin - I am tired of hearing about te Bromley by Bow ctre - how long can you dine out on a worn out tale?
It sounds very positive, Jenny, based on needs shouldn't be such a radical concept now should it?
How far removed from reality we've become!
XO
WWW
Anon- interesting point about Leaside, which I didn't know but doesn't surprise me. It illustrates my point about how hard it is to translate the vision of responding to need into the plans etc you talk about. It also raises the question of the position of individuals - should Mawson resign from the Board?
But in terms of being tired hearing about the Centre: (i) not everyone is as familiar with it as you are, e.g. here in Northern Ireland; (ii) it's only 'worn out' if it doesn't work. It's not his fault that he's found a winning formula! Surely the real question is why there aren't more of them.
www - yes, 'based on needs' seems so simple, but I think the problem is when needs are multiple and severe, and exceed state budgets, state organisations spend a lot of time and effort prioritising these needs whereas Mawson just went ahead and did things to meet them, including in some cases finding funds from elsewhere or using volunteers. Although such an approach could be inequitable, by doing this he made his church-based organisation relevant to everyone.
This is a brilliant book. I;ve also visited Bromley by Bow but this book really puts the work of the centre into perspective!
Hi Jonny - glad at least one other person in NI has read the book! In fact it should be more than that because I've put it on my regeneration and housign class reading list. Yes, I think the book picks out the wider lessons rather than just being a narrative about the centre, so it should be useful for others trying to do the same thing.
Mawson also demonstrates that - where the state and the private sector fail - the volunatry, community and social (VCS) sector can succeed. This is simply because they deliver on objectives that are about helping the community, not about bureaucracy or profit.
VCS is the way forward for regeneration!
Wilted Rose - steady on there! The VCS also has problems, IMO, such as lack of skills, inconsistency and efficiency problems with small-scale schemes. But when it works, it's brilliant.
The killer in any sector seems to me to be the kind of bureaucracy that causes buck-passing and stifles initiative. Good bureaucracy should be about creating a framework in which things can happen, and then measuring what happens so that those in receipt of public funds can be properly accountable. Well, we can dream.
Post a Comment