From the NHS to GCBC
By Justine, Executive Director
Justine joined GCBC from the NHS, she explains why…
I have worked in NHS for many years all over Gloucestershire and also in Bristol. I am really proud to have been part of the NHS family and have met and worked with some brilliant and dedicated colleagues, making friends for life. I believe passionately in free healthcare at the point of delivery but I also believe in well-being for everyone. We talked a lot about systems change and communities, but rarely did we put the two together.
I have realised that neighbourhoods and communities are where we create better health and wellbeing “ community is the most effective locus of change” Berkana Institute.
We have known for many years that the majority of what makes people well is not to do with health services but with big social issues such as air quality, housing, access to outdoor spaces and culture, good food, - things which vary massively from area to area and over which we sometimes feel we have no control. Many of these issues require systems change rooted in community building and are about building the relationships and connections that make a complex ecosystem thrive.
It is not rocket science but we, as a society, are very bad at trusting communities with the power, resources and influence over the places in which they live.
It is amazing what people achieve when they look out for each other and take action, but they could do so much more. I have been supported so many times by great neighbours and have felt the massive sense of fun and achievement in doing things with people where I live, whether it’s the panto, the community food hub or just simply joining in with the annual yard sale. I have equally been frustrated by decisions taken about my neighbourhood that anyone who lived there could tell you made no sense, and by the fact that there are still people in our communities who feel lonely and whose contribution is not valued.
There is so much out there now about what strong communities can achieve together if they are better connected with each other but also with the people making the decisions and if they include everyone in their neighbourhood whose talents and skills will be wasted if we do not ask them. I want GCBC to be there, supporting people in Gloucester to take back the power by connecting with each other, having fun, deciding what they want to do and making it happen.“
By Justine, Executive Director