There are many things about Burnt Oak we should be immensely proud of. We are a tremendous example of multicultural cohesion. We show how different communities can come together, live side-by-side, maintain their own cultural identity and form the rich and vibrant backbone of a united modern Britain. Love Burnt Oak recognised this community spirit and decided to harness it to improve our local area. They saw that many local groups and people had the drive, determination and desire to do great things for Burnt Oak, but lacked the networking knowledge to realize their vision. They understood that by sharing expertise and experience with one another, all our community groups would benefit and grow. And most importantly, they appreciated that only by coming together would we able to identify and tackle everything local people need. Love Burnt Oak is already a wonderful community asset and will no doubt one day become a local treasure - yet another thing about Burnt Oak to be proud of.
I am delighted to be able to support Love Burnt Oak. I was delighted that the seeds of this came from some work Barnet Homes instigated with some local Burnt Oak community , voluntary and faith organisations. All organisations had concerns about what seemed at the time to be growing unemployment and social deprivation in the Burnt Oak community at a time when other neighbouring communities in the Borough were developing and thriving. From the vision and determination of a small group of people a real community driven organisation has emerged that has been able to make a real difference by bringing together lots of organisations to work to make a difference in Burnt Oak. I am delighted with that the results. In an age of austerity I think this is a real model for strengthening and improving communities.
As the Member of Parliament for Hendon I recently became aware of the work undertaken by Love Burnt Oak and I cannot say how impressed I am by the innovative approach they are taking to improve the local community. What makes Love Burnt Oak so special is its umbrella nature that allows many other organisations and services to be as effective as possible. It provides a central point of access for local residents to services that they previously may not have been aware of. I fully support the work of Love Burnt Oak and look forward to watching the organisation grow in the future.
The London Borough of Barnet Participation and Placement team has been working with Love Burnt Oak for the last 23months (since March 2013). In that time they have delivered a number of personalised learning programmes for unemployed (NEET) young people 16-19 who have been some of the most disadvantaged, vulnerable young people in this client group. Through their excellent communication skills and their ability to work with young people on their self-esteem, confidence and motivation in both group and individualised sessions these young people are now in sustainable education, employment and training. I would recommend the trainers in this community organisation as they really make a difference.
I’m very proud of the work undertaken through @Loveburntoak and that Barnet Homes has played some part in helping make this fantastic partnership happen. @Loveburntoak shows how communities and a variety of organisations include resident led voluntary organisations can come together to improve the opportunities for people in their locality. I look forward to seeing @Loveburntoak go from strength to strength in the future.