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SO:Links

Communities working together. Keep up to date, have a say and get involved in your local area!

SO:Links meetings are a vital part of the community development process in Southampton, offering a collaborative space for professionals to share information, network, and contribute to the continuous improvement of the city.  

These meetings are organized in six postcode areas, allowing participants to engage with others working locally to them. By focusing on specific areas, SO:Links ensures that the discussions and initiatives are relevant to the unique needs and opportunities of each community.  

The quarterly gatherings aim to foster strong relationships among professionals from diverse sectors, including VCSE (Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise) groups, Health and Social Care professionals, and other individuals committed to making a positive impact. 

At each meeting we encourage open dialogue and the exchange of ideas, addressing pressing issues, sharing best practices, and identifying opportunities for collaboration. The face-to-face format, ideally in-person*, allows for deeper connections and the ability to work together more effectively. This open and inclusive approach provides a platform for individuals to contribute their expertise and collaborate on initiatives that enhance local health, social care, and community services.  

The meetings serve as a vital tool for keeping everyone informed about the latest developments, funding opportunities, and upcoming projects in the city, helping to create a well-connected professional community in Southampton. 

(*meetings do occur on Teams) 

Take a look below for the latest plans in each area and sign up to get involved or receive updates!

The SO14 SOlink community network meets every 6 – 8 weeks and is open to any person or organisation who is community-minded and interested the future of the SO14 postcode area.

It is an informal networking group who share information on what is happening in the community and what things we would like to see happen and what we might want to stop happening!

We meet in different locations or on-video link (zoom). Notice will usually be given about 3 weeks before the meeting or agreed at the previous meeting. These have been held on a Monday mornings from 10.30 to 12.00. Though this is not set in stone.

There are currently over 70 people signed up to the network, and we usually have between 10 and 25 people attend. We would welcome more. There are 1,000s of residents and community group representatives in the are, so we would be more that happy to see the network list and number of attendees increase. This will only help to deepen the connections and awareness of interests and concerns in this Southampton area community.

The group co-ordinator is John Merritt but different hosts might chair, set agenda items or lead meetings. We are considering inviting speakers to the groups. We have a basic agenda;

1) Participant introductions (Name and interest in the area – resident, community group, etc.)

2) Community Update – any information or issue you want to bring to the group with questions

3) (Occasional) Community topic – any common theme, big local issue, invited guest, etc.

Please email me at john@socialenterpriselink.co.uk or contact SVS to join the network and join the email contact list for this great local community network

If you are interested in coming to our Solink network meetings, please contact us: Community@southamptonvs.org.uk quoting the SO15 & SO16 SOlink group

SO18 SO:linked (SESSH) meets roughly every six weeks on a Tuesday at 1.30pm. Currently the meetings are held via Zoom and chaired by Astrid Vaswani, a Community Minister at Thornhill Baptist Church.

During the meetings attendees share information about what is happening in the area and identify gaps in services. At most meetings there is a speaker who talks about a particular matter of interest, i.e. supported housing or provision for young people in the area.

In addition, there is a subgroup of SESSH which meets every two weeks on a Thursday at 1pm to pick up on particular issues identified by SESSH and to organise the next SESSH meeting. This group also organises a three-monthly free Community Breakfast meeting. The Community Breakfast meetings are themed meetings with a variety of speakers and have explored issues around physical activities, healthy eating and unpaid carers amongst others.

Everyone with an interest in the SO18 area or who lives in the SO18 area is welcome to attend the SESSH meetings and the Community Breakfast meetings.

To participate please contact Beccy Gange bgange@twics.org.uk.

The SO19 SO:link (also known as Itchen to Bridge the Gap) meets every two months and is open to anyone who is community-minded and interested in the SO19 region (Peartree, Sholing, Woolston, Weston and parts of Thornhill). We are an informal networking group who share information on what we are up to and make connections which can lead onto joint working.

We meet at different locations (such as community centres, GP surgeries) in the SO19 postcode and tend to be hosted by different groups each time. This gives us better understanding of what is going on and the geography of the area. The group is community-led and anyone can suggest a theme or a speaker. It is currently organised by Sam Goold, Community Development Worker, SO:Linked. SO:Linked holds the email list of interested people and there is some information sharing, generally through email, in between meetings. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute, we have dispensed with formal agendas but notes are taken and shared.

Please contact Sam Goold – s.goold@southamptonvs.org.uk Tel. 07543 497 458 for more information or to get connected to this group.

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