Community Organising: The Power of Face-to-Face Conversations
Community Organizing: The Power of Face-to-Face Conversations
How Food & Solidarity used conversations to stop unjust evictions and build community power in Newcastle
You saw the urgent alerts. You may have even signed petitions. Dennis, was facing an unjust eviction by Newcastle City Council. The threat was real, and the deadline was looming. Pauline a Grandmother was facing a revenge eviciton, from the home that was making her ill with damp.
Behind the alerts and the online campaign, something else was happening... Something more fundamental.
While the petition gathered signatures, a small team from Food & Solidarity went to Dennis's block of flats. We didn't go with megaphones or placards. We went with clipboards, flyers, and a willingness to listen. Similarly in Paulines case, F&S members met with her neighbours and held public workshops.
We knocked on doors. We had conversations. We explained what was happening to their neighbours. We listened to their own concerns about housing, about the council, about their community. One by one, we built a network of support right there in Dennis's own building and in Pauline'street.
And it worked.
The eviction was stopped. Dennis is safe in his home. Pauline is safe in a new flat, away from the damp.
This victory didn't start with a megaphone or a call-out in a WhatsApp group. It started with a conversation.
Change Starts Here: The Power of Face-to-Face
At Food & Solidarity, we believe that authentic, people-powered change doesn't come from shouting the loudest, but from connecting the deepest. The most powerful tool we have is the simple, often undervalued, act of talking to our neighbours.
It's how we understand what people truly care about & find shared purpose, transforming isolation into collective strength.
The skills we used on our member's doorstep: listening deeply, connecting with people, unlocking a sense of shared fate, are not magic. They are learnable skills. And they are the bedrock of our organisation.
And soon, we'll be taking these skills to countless other doorsteps across our community.
Build Your Confidence. Strengthen Our Community.
Are you ready to be part of this quiet, powerful work?
We're hosting a workshop in the fundamental skill of connecting with people. This training is for anyone who wants to help grow and strengthen our organisation, whether you've never knocked on a door before or you want to refine your approach.
You will leave this session with:
- Increased confidence in having effective, one-on-one conversations.
- Practical techniques for listening deeply and building rapport quickly.
- An understanding of how to unlock shared purpose with your neighbours.
- The knowledge that you are learning the core method we use to build real, lasting power in our community.
Join us for this essential training session:
What: Connecting with Your Neighbours: Organising Conversations and Door Knocking Training
When: Sunday 2nd November, 12:30-16:30
Where: Betty's Hut & Garden, 13 Houghton Ave, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 3UT (This venue has level access)
Following the workshop, we will put what we've learned into action with a door-knocking session in our local community.
