Wednesbury 2000 - A Search for Identity

The New Year saw a Future Search event being held in Wednesbury - a small town in the Borough of Sandwell on the outskirts of the Birmingham/Wolverhampton conurbation. This work included planning meetings with people from stakeholder groups across the community over several months, facilitation of pre-events and the Future Search itself and logistics management.

Introduction
Wednesbury 2000 had begun as an idea two years earlier. To be honest the idea - to do something on a large scale that would significantly affect for the better the life of the town - was born out of frustration. It was the frustration of being the target of vandalism and burglary and of daily life surrounded by litter and graffiti. Such negative experiences do not necessarily lead to positive action. Such frustration is not always transformed into hope for the future. Many involved in this project have found that Wednesbury 2000 has been able to generate both hope and positive action.

One impression the Wednesbury folk gave was their resilience. At every stage of the event and in the on-going work that has arisen from it, that trait has been evident. The enthusiasm, creativity and commitment towards creating a better future displayed throughout has shown much of the way the town is often presented - demoralised and apathetic - as being a distortion of the truth.

But why a Future Search?
This is the process used in identifying and building upon common ground in a community. This seemed the obvious means by which to bring about our desired outcome - building the future on the best of the past.

The Wednesbury Future Search took place over three days from Wednesday to Friday. Whilst work commitments meant some people were not able to participate at every point of the process at every stage, there were at least 60 people active in the room engaging with the past history, present situation and future possibilities of this town.

Partnerships
Yet Wednesbury 2000 did not end there. The event embodied on a small scale what, if it can be achieved on a large scale, will transform Wednesbury: partnership and participation. These are the keys to unlocking the vast potential within the people of the town. It is a fragmented community and much of the good work already being carried out is done piecemeal and in isolation from other work.

Partnership is about forging links between groups so information can be networked and endeavours co-ordinated. Participation is never about doing things to the people of Wednesbury, nor even is it ideally about doing this for the people (however well intentioned). Partnership is about empowerment: people doing it for themselves. Partnership is about building a better future together.

Our Town
The event was all about over 60 people working in partnership and participating in searching for a better future. Those partnerships and that participation continue at this very moment.