Community building
With every new development, engaging the wider community is of ever-increasing importance.
Providing group spaces, places for interaction and fun helps to promote a healthy lifestyle and a sense of belonging. We know it has to be done in the right way and with every consideration for the residents and environment alike. Whilst some ecological aspects of the site may seem prohibitive, to us they are an exciting challenge - such as creating a wildflower garden, an art gallery within a pavilion or an outdoor gym for all ages to enjoy.
Community support team
We look after homeowners' needs and we understand that as with any new initiative we have to gain interest, support, and resources in order to create sustainable and long-lasting events and activities that really boost the morale of a community. We remain flexible with ideas and demonstrate that by leading with a resident survey asking what types of events/clubs etc they may be interested in signing up to so that we can gauge levels of interest from the start. The results of this survey will enable us to plan a 12-month calendar and pre-prepared communications to announce events. The community support team is proactive from the start. Once we've established stewardship, the team will help newcomers to integrate into their neighbourhood. We also recognise the importance of working with our customers on issues such as anti-social behaviour and breaches of covenant. Our regional teams form strong ties with the local Police and Councillors to encourage community reporting to reduce issues.
Activities and events that bring people together naturally
Encouraging family or group activities really bring the community together. Historically we have held seasonal events such as Easter egg hunts, summer bbq’s and Christmas carol singing, as well as educational and informative events such as local speakers, book clubs, and sporting activities. All events can be promoted via a community website, our quarterly newsletters, via social networking channels, and forum groups. From a functional and practical point of view getting community ‘event champions’ onboard would make for smooth running, so we would also be looking for input from residents who have spare time and enthusiasm to put towards community building. As with any public-based event, the main considerations would be adaptability to suit the target audience, related costs, feedback after the event to establish whether it’s worth repeating, and overall success – was it enjoyable and/or beneficial to the residents?
The community app
Our community app empowers residents to take charge of building the community around them - it connects the social aspect of residents' life with the latest technology, driving social change in today’s society for the better. Residents can sign up for the app before they move in, and swiftly join relevant groups, post an event or service (such as dog-walking) or chat with other residents about common interests. The app can be set up to form mini-communities such as by street, a subsection of the site, or the whole site, which helps with building trust. The Remus community support team will also have access to the app, meaning they can engage with users and observe the interactions real-time which is great for swiftly dealing with any issues or monitoring activities. The 'greet your neighbour' function is perfect for breaking the ice.
Sub villages
On larger developments there may be 'sub-villages' that have their own social and environmental amenities, such as woodland areas, ponds or rivers, and built structures such as a school or sports hall. This requires a 2-pronged approach to really make the most of the diversity:
- Whole site activities that would be suitable for the entire development
- Sub-village activities that use the localised facilities and environment in each individual area
Get in touch to see what we can do for your development.
