Who is your Community Development Officer?
Hi, I’m Cara and I’m the Community Development Officer for Mansbridge. I’ve worked in Mansbridge since 2016, first as the Housing Officer and now in my current role. I enjoy my job as it’s so varied. We’re lucky to have the Round About Café in Mansbridge, it’s owned by Abri and is a community hub where we can hold events and activities, including our Community Pantry. The cafe is supported by some amazing volunteers who dedicate their spare time to helping others. Outside of work I enjoy going to watch bands, attending music festivals, and reading.
You said, we did
You said:
Customers from two of our Independent Living Schemes for those over 60 enjoyed a 12-week course of exercises classes and told us they wanted them to continue.
We did:
We applied to Sport England to fund weekly sessions for a year, and have rolled the sessions out to five more schemes in Southampton and Eastleigh, meaning even more people can take part. 100% of participants said taking part in the exercise classes has made them more active.
You said:
Customers told us they would like to improve their cooking skills and save money on energy bills.
We did:
We partnered with Itchen College who ran a six-week energy efficient cookery course using woks. Nine people took part and they all agreed that taking part had increased their confidence in cooking; were eating more fruit and vegetables; had helped to ensure they had sufficient food and were using more energy efficient ways to cook at home.
You said:
Customers told us they see a lot of litter and fly tipping on the estate.
We did:
We organised a community litter pick as part of Great British Spring Clean. Nine adults and two children took part and collected 11 bags of rubbish and around ten vapes or batteries, all within an hour!
