What difference does Street Feast make in building resilient communities in Ireland?
How do you measure the impact of a national Street Feast
1. People know their neighbours better
“I spend most of my time outside my community due to work so I knew just one or two people in my street. Around 50 people came along to the Street Feast, in a street of about 50 houses. It was the first time I organised this, I really wanted it to happen and it was so fulfilling. I was so afraid that I would get a cold reception when knocking on people’s doors but it was the opposite, people are really interested in knowing their neighbours and everyone thanked me for bringing us together.”
Sarah’s Streetfeast in Drogheda
2. People feel safer in their neighbourhood after hosting a Feast and develop a greater sense of belonging
“It makes you feel part of a community and I feel safer because I know who is living next door and I can call in if there is something wrong.”
“The other day the electricity here went and I went over to my next-door neighbours on both sides to ask about it. I wouldn’t have done that before.”
“I feel good that now if anything happens to me, it’s not strange to help each other. Our families are living far away, so your neighbour is the first one to call. And my neighbours can also count on me.”
“I feel at home here now. Home away from home. I feel secure. I feel accepted. I feel wanted.”
“It’s good to know about each other’s situations. Some of us are working full-time, others are stay-at-home-mums. It’s nice to see we are all in the same boat. It’s nice to meet people who live near to you and just chat about your kids.
Studies have shown highly significant correlations between feeling a greater sense of belonging, helping neighbours more and feeling lonely less often, and better mental wellbeing scores. Reports have shown that the less socially fragmented a place is, the better the mental health score for the people that live there.*
3. People get more involved in local issues
“For the first time this year some people from the Cork migrant centre joined our Street Feast, they were also playing music and we collected donations. One Kenyan chap from the migrant centre now comes in and helps every now and then. He says he used to love growing but doesn’t have much space to do so now living in Cork.”
Many of the hosts don’t have a history of community involvement. This often changes once they’ve invited neighbours to a Street Feast. When asked if their involvement in the community increased or decreased as a result of the Street Feast, 57% say it has increased. 81% are working on new plans for community projects, also saying that these plans were a result of the Street Feast.
“After our Street Feast, people started to use the small park where we hosted the Feast more than they did before. Some people were not aware of it at all and now kids go down there to play more often. In addition, I think it would be a great idea to close the street for play regularly so it’s something that everyone knows is happening and everyone can just come out and someone is there.”
How does this contribute to wider social and environmental issues?
“For all of us to survive and prosper, we need new, intelligent urban planning that creates safe, affordable and resilient cities with green and culturally inspiring living conditions.” This sentence describes Goal 11 of the Global Development Goals, “Sustainable Cities and Communities “.
Hosting or attending a Street Feast might seem like a small thing in the face of the often overwhelming social and environmental challenges we face. But the type of outcomes Street Feast generates are actually fundamental to building happier, more resilient communities.
On one Summer’s Sunday, Street Feast transforms streets, laneways and greens across the country into safe, inclusive spaces for people to gather and share. It allows us to see these spaces in a new light, transforming their possibility and their potential. As many more people live in urban areas now, maintaining these safe and inclusive spaces through ideas like Street Feast can help each of us to contribute to more resilient and more inspiring cities, towns and local communities.
Allowing people to feel happier and more secure in the place where they live and helping people to build more meaningful connections in their neighbourhood can contribute significantly to happiness, wellbeing and positive mental health. At a time when social isolation and loneliness among all demographics is reported to be on the rise, ideas like Street Feast are more important than ever.