PARTNERSHIP PROJECT / LOCAL PARTICIPATION
FRIENDS OF KING EDWARD
Your centre. Your say.
Friends of King Edward brings local people together to shape activity, involvement and improvements around King Edward Community Centre in Laindon. ACE Impact supports the group’s community engagement and development.
WHY IT MATTERS
A shared place needs a shared voice.
A community centre should be shaped by the people who use it. That means more than asking for suggestions: residents need opportunities to meet, help make decisions and turn good ideas into activities they can take pride in.
Why this matters: In England, 59% of people aged 16+ said influencing local decisions was important to them, but only 26% felt able to do so (DCMS, Community and Engagement Survey 2025/26). These are national findings, not results from King Edward. Read the original research.
FROM IDEAS TO ACTION
Listen. Organise. Make it happen.
The group offers a way for residents and centre users to share priorities, plan activities and work together on realistic improvements. ACE helps with the conversations, group development and practical planning; community members should have a meaningful say in what happens next.
01
Ask the people
Hear what local people already value about the centre, what they would change and what they could contribute.
02
Plan together
Bring people together around shared priorities, with clear responsibilities and manageable plans.
03
Put ideas to work
Develop activities and improvements that reflect what centre users have asked for.
THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE
The intended difference is more people participating, more resident ideas being acted on and a centre that reflects its community. We aim to learn from attendance, feedback, involvement in decisions and the progress of agreed ideas.
GET INVOLVED
It’s your centre. Have your say.
Use King Edward Community Centre, live nearby or have skills to share? Contact ACE to find out about the Friends group and current opportunities to get involved.