Mayflower 400 Community Compact Efford

The Mayflower 400 programme was created to ensure the historic year was captured through a range of heritage and cultural activity. Funding was supplied to provide grass-roots community, arts and cultural activity throughout the city. Inspiring and enriching local communities in alignment with the mayflower themes of imagination.

Gem Smith, Creative Education Director, Take A Part CIC, secured funding to create a film based on the residents and community in Efford. Gem and her colleague Zoe – who is recording audio and filming the activities and conversations – have visited the schools in Efford as well as approaching local groups to find out a little more about how they would envisage a new Community Compact.

The original compact was written by the male passengers of the Mayflower and was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony.

Efford Timebank members were pleased to welcome Gem and Zoe to one of our meetings at Efford Library so we could talk about what we would like to see if we had to write a compact for a new Efford.

We discussed how to treat others, What is important about how we live, How would we like to see the Efford community and how does the Efford of the future look.

It was a really inspiring conversation to have, especially coming out of multiple lockdowns where engagement between peers has been sparse and the availability of support or lack thereof, highlighted. We found that the basis of all our answers revolved around human contact and engagement, treating others as we would wish to be treated ourselves and ensuring that whatever plans are in place for Efford, they need to have input from the people living there, the people using the services and those whose voices can sometimes go unheard.

“Having this conversation was really eye opening at times. It was almost therapeutic for some of us to be able to talk about where we live and how we feel connected to what is going on. It also highlighted how some residents feel things are done ‘to them’ as opposed to ‘for them’” Zoe – Outreach Worker Timebank South West.