12 Aug IT’S A LONG ROAD, AND WE SHOULD DO IT TOGETHER – COMMUNITY MATTERS
By Ash Rangasamy, Community Builder for Paignton Town Centre & Clifton with Maidenway
If I told you to relax and not worry, you would probably throw something at me, and rightly so.
For many of us, it all feels a bit – completely like – doom and gloom at the moment. And the idea of telling you to relax and not worry feels almost insulting!
There’s an old African proverb: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
This is a long road, we should do it together. We are facing difficult times and whilst I don’t want to throw a litany of platitudes and clichés at you, one I will remind you of is…you are not alone!
It’s important to remember that the council does offer information and help online, and the Torbay Community Helpline is a treasure trove of information and support but you’re ‘together’ starts with you and gets bigger right outside your door.
And that’s where we – the community builders of Torbay – come in. Unfortunately, we can’t give you the winning lottery numbers or the Mead of Suttungr, but we can help you find your ‘together’.
Our job is to help you find your community. Or help you build your community how you want it to be built. We can help you find the people who will make you laugh until you are sick. Help you find the places that will make you feel warm on the coldest of nights.
And help you to get to the place where the weight of the world is both shared and manageable. We have been collecting all the knowledge we can. We know of the events, the people, the places and we are so willing to share.
So please, don’t go it alone. Reach out to us, to neighbours, family, friends, services. We are all here together!
For more information online, search for ‘help with the cost of living Torbay’ or visit www.torbay.gov.uk/benefits/cost-of-living
If you are unsure of where you need to go, call the Torbay Community Helpline on 01803 446022 to be directed to the right source of support.
And if you want to know more about your local community builders, give one of us a call, all our numbers can be found on the Torbay Community Development Trust’s website – my number is 07703 715 222.
