A community wellbeing organisation needs more than a hopeful name and a shiny new website. It needs people who understand the communities it hopes to support.
Zen Community Hub is governed by a voluntary committee whose experience is not confined to meeting rooms and paperwork. Between us, we bring direct experience of fostering, Shared Lives, SEND, community support and caring for others.
We know that support works best when people feel listened to, not spoken for.
Experience that comes from real life
Members of our committee have supported children and adults through very different stages of life.
Our shared experience includes:
- Fostering and supporting looked-after children.
- Caring for an adult with SEND through Shared Lives.
- Parenting and supporting children with additional needs.
- Understanding the pressures faced by carers and families.
- Professional experience supporting people with disabilities.
- Community work and creating opportunities for people to participate.
One committee member previously worked at Portland College, supporting people with disabilities, before becoming a foster parent. Portland’s work focuses on helping people with disabilities develop skills, independence and opportunities.
Another brings experience of Shared Lives, a model through which approved carers share their home and family life with an adult who needs support. You can learn more about this approach through Shared Lives Plus.
These experiences are different, but they share a common thread: relationships matter.
Why lived experience matters
It is easy to plan an activity that looks wonderful on paper.
The real test is whether people can, and want to,take part.
Our experience encourages us to ask:
- Can someone afford to attend?
- Is the timing realistic for a carer?
- Will a person with SEND feel understood?
- Could the venue or environment feel overwhelming?
- What would help someone feel welcome on their first visit?
- Have we actually asked people what they want?
We will not assume that having caring experience means we understand everyone’s life. It does mean we recognise the importance of listening before making decisions.
Sometimes the most helpful question is not “What can we offer?” but “What would make a difference to you?”
More than one person’s vision
Zen Community Hub is a community wellbeing organisation founded by Neil Perry-Timson, drawing on his experience as a foster carer, hub carer for Mockingbird (supporting 10 foster families), adoptive parent and wellbeing practitioner. But the Hub is not simply an extension of Neil or The Zen Rooms.
We are a separately governed, constituted, not-for-profit community group. Decisions are made through the committee, with conflicts of interest declared and recorded where appropriate.
That structure matters. It provides accountability, brings different voices into the room and helps ensure projects are developed for community benefit.
Related article: Why We Created Zen Community Hub
Listening is part of the plan
Our committee has plenty of ideas, but we do not want to decide everything around a table, fuelled by tea and good intentions.
As our work develops, we want to hear from carers, families, residents, professionals and community organisations. Their knowledge will help us understand which projects are needed, what barriers exist and how activities could be made more welcoming.
Our online community wellbeing organisation offers a place to share ideas and help shape future plans.
We are also keen to hear from organisations, venues and funders interested in working collaboratively.
This group is hosted in The Zen Rooms’ free online community. You’ll need to sign in or create a free account to join (simply click the button above).
People first, projects second
Zen Community Hub is new, and our planned activities remain subject to funding and suitable partnerships.
What we already have is a committee united by a shared belief: people deserve opportunities to feel supported, included and connected.
We will draw on our experience, but we will keep learning too.
That is how we hope to build something meaningful, not simply for communities, but with them.
