Bright lights in the East

Some of the places I've been to see recently and liked:

Future Projects http://www.futureprojects.org.uk/ - working with young people in Norwich and running a radio station on the Larkman Estate. A brilliant way to engage young people and help them find a purpose - this kind of work helps people reach a point where they can start to live in a positive way.

 I loved the community focus of the programme. Eleven years from the its conception, it has grown, but it is still in the community it started in, and it is still run for local people by local people. Brilliant.

And in Cambridge  - Future Business - http://www.futurebusiness.co.uk/  an incubator for people running social enterprises. Future Business work to support, inspire, develop and house social entrepreneurs.

What I like about both of these organisations is that they have created opportunities that were not there before - they have grown communities and the chances for people in them to work.

In Luton I visited Marsh Farm Futures - http://www.marshfarmfutures.co.uk/  Marsh Farm, a housing estate which faced real problems in the 1990s, has come together to build an incredible resource which will be home not only to local services, but also local businesses. Residents will have a space to meet, share, work, trade and sell. It is an example of what can be done to bring growth to communities.

I am interested in how we can build community owned and run social businesses which will take people out of welfare dependency in the East of England. I like these organisations because they've started to do that.

How do we deal with the fact that in Great Yarmouth, it's hard to find work in the winter? What can people do to stay in employment?

How do we build community businesses for people living in Clacton, or Jaywick, where work seems far away?

How can communities work to make sure that local services continue to operate in their towns and villages - how can we make sure that local libraries stay open, and that people come to them and make them work?

What can we do to bring work to people in rural Norfolk - where more than 50% of people who are on benefits are in small, rural communities? How can we build opportunities for them.

The three businesses I have seen recently are making opportunities for people where none seemed to exist. If you do the same, share your news here - how can we work together?