I Love Windsor – Creating Stronger Community Connections

Over recent years the number of people getting involved in community groups has decreased and this is concerning because it weakens community cohesion and allows negative forces to take root. 

There will be many reasons for this but logically, the main one would seem to be the flow of and access to information.

In 1965, the year I was born, there were no computers and not everyone had a phone, we had to use the phone box on the corner! No social media enabling people to find out what’s going on… folk had to get out and about to meet their neighbours and find out what was happening.

People didn’t “find the time” they “made the time” to go and meet with their neighbours, family & friends.

Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash

Today we have such easy access to social media, there is seemingly less need to go out and meet people in real time to find out what’s occurring… the reality is we don’t get the full picture from social media… we get what others want us to believe and much of that is sheer fiction!

Eton College has recently announced it is restricting access for students to their mobile phones. They can’t bring smartphones to school, they are only allowed “brick” phones so they can text or phone friends and family. This ensures greater focus on their studies, helps with their mental health and because they are all in the same boat, it is accepted.

Trying to control social media in 2024 is an impossible task so we need to “attenuate the positive” and make use of social media to share the great work of community groups and encourage individuals to find out more by going out and meeting other like minded people.

The recent troubles have been fuelled by social media robots reinforcing the negative by feeding individuals with the messages they want to hear to support negative feelings towards other people.

To reduce this destructive power of social media we need to get out and meet people, talk to them, get to know them, create communities, build trust and ultimately make for a very positive environment in which our young people can thrive and be the best version of themselves.

I Love Windsor Limited have been commissioned by RBWM to create a Maidenhead Directory of Community Groups and Charities similar to our Windsor Directory of Community Groups and Charities.

So to help fuel positivity and interest in being part of both the Windsor and Maidenhead Directories we are going to share a page from our Windsor Directory each day, that’s over 80 days… some folk have travelled around the world in that time 😉

Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash

Enjoy and please share the pages and encourage people to reach out to those groups that resonate with them.

Thank you.

Jon Davey