Neighbourhood Tours

What is it?

Small community-led groups that will develop and implement activities to improve the inclusion of marginalised individuals into the communal life of their local neighbourhood. This may include people with disabilities, isolated seniors or single parents.

There can be 2 kinds of Neighbourhood Tours:

1. The first will be a ‘walkabout’ where the group will shadow a target of inclusion—e.g. person with disability (PWD), senior, single mom etc —and asked to be shown what parts of the neighbourhood they frequent, facilities they use and people they interact with. The stated objective is to obtain feedback and elicit ideas for improving the neighbourhood, but as part of this, the group may get to hear their stories and better understand the circumstances of those they seek to include. This acts as a kind of unobstrusive ‘needs assessment’ and ‘accessibility audit’ without calling it as such.
2. The second kind would be neighbourhood orientation tours open to all, and different local hosts will be featured each time (e.g. the GP, a hawker, a specific resident etc.) so that as more tours are conducted, the local community will get to know one another in a natural manner. At the same time, the organising group will gradually develop a more comprehensive picture of various locals and understand their strengths and interests. This acts as a kind of ‘community asset mapping’ without having to formally conduct such an exercise through typical means such as door-knocking.

Such tours innocuously (but intentionally) helps the group understand needs and maps community assets. They do not have to call out what they do as an ‘inclusive’ or disability-related initiative, which may draw attention to people’s marginalised statuses. These tours are simply framed as community events where targeted individuals can simply participate as a member of the community.

When the group better understands the needs of marginalised groups and the locals who might be able to lend informal support, they may decide to facilitate connections in an organic manner. For example, a retiree may be glad for an opportunity to read to a neighbour’s child with autism, having acquainted themselves from participating in local tours. Where residents do not know one another yet, the group can help connect them. Local area connections can help marginalised groups receive informal support in the community, but can also refer them to formal services where required. Each group will also be equipped to organise more intentional activities like forming community circles or managing a timebank.

Why do it?

• Help neighbours get to know one another.
• Include marginalised members of the community without having to call out their status, but organically as part of the tours.
• Informally and organically connect those who need support with outer locals who may be willing to help.

How to do it?

1. Roving Lab will first convene a meet-up with all the local residents who say theya re keen in organsiing or even just participating in such tours.
2. A sketch of a playbook on how others have tried starting this in other neighbourhoods will be shared.
3. We can help connect the locals with the groups who have done it elsewhere to learn from the exprience.
4. Troubleshooting and support can be given along the way on a n ad hoc basis.