GOOD NEIGHBOUR GUIDE Your community, your home

Hello!

Welcome to your Good Neighbour Guide!

Part of our work in the last year has been to focus much more on Community. We employed 5 Community Organisers who help both residents and students to become more involved into their local areas. We believe that with stronger local communities that are more able to address their own problems we can give our members better experiences of their new city/town and of their studies. This guide is a tool to help people come together and to encourage neighbourliness. In it you’ll find some stories of living in our local communities, some practical ideas of how to fit in and Bright n Green’s tips for greener living and recycling.

Enjoy getting stuck in, Your Students’ Union

StoriesRather than give a long list of dos and don’ts, we went and spoke to some people about what it’s like living and working in an area with a big mix of student and non-student residents:

What’s good about living in an area with a mix of student and non-student residents? The good thing about living in a mixed area is that you get more involved with the community, and you feel more a part of your University town which helps it feel more like home.

What are the difficulties? Students do have a stigma attached to them, residents will have preconceptions about us but normally we prove them wrong. This can prove difficult at the start to become a member of the community, but once they realise you’re not like the image they have in their head they become a lot more welcoming.

What would you like to happen in your area? It to become a bit safer and better parking! They switched areas to permit only and for students it’s another cost we can’t afford.

CassieSTUDENT RESIDENT

Living in a mixed area you get more involved with the community

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What’s good about living in an area with a mixture of student residents and non-student residents? Students bring a young, vibrant atmosphere to the area. Local amenities and businesses, such as corner shops, the launderette – and not forgetting Hanover’s famous pubs – survive and thrive, whereas elsewhere they might have closed without the student presence.

What are the difficulties? The two main issues are rubbish and noise. It would be unfair to blame students for all the rubbish strewn in Brighton’s neighbourhoods: what a seagull can do to a bin bag in seconds is unbelievable! But putting your rubbish and recycling out on the right day would help make our communities cleaner.

Longer-term residents can put up with a party now and again – we were all young once. But bear in mind that your neighbours may have to get up for work early the next day or ensure the kids get a good night’s sleep.

What’s good about living in an area with a mix of student and non-student residents? The good thing is that you get to meet people from all different walks of life that you may not get to in your hometown. I worked in a shop and met so many lovely non- students who showed me places to go out or things to do that students wouldn’t necessarily know about.

What are the difficulties? I’ve found that sometimes, people who aren’t students in your area judge you as party animals, a neighbour between my house and a friends’ house complained about the noise in our friends’ house to the police. The neighbours there often kept both houses awake for hours with their noise, we often heard fights and the police were often called to their house but none of us complained to the police. So when our friends were given a warning for playing music before 11pm, they were quite annoyed - understandably so!

What would you like to happen in your area? I would like to see less rubbish and dog poo! It’s a really bad problem where I live. I’d also like to see less crime; I know quite a few students who’s houses were broken into and their valuables stolen when they’ve been on nights out. It’s scary when police put a letter through your door saying someone has stolen from a house on your street. As students, we’re skint enough as it is without having to replace things like laptops that are essential for studying. I’d also like to see better and more competitive student housing -we need better value for accommodation in the area.

JENSTUDENT RESIDENT

HUW JONESNON-STUDENT RESIDENT

Students bring a young, vibrant atmosphere to the area

You get to meet people from all different walks of life

What would you like to see happen in your area?The main thing is for students to see their home as being part of a wider, diverse community rather than a mini-hall of residence away from their faculty or campus – that might make them think about turning the volume control down or not chucking the pizza box in the front garden. I’ve found having to confront student neighbours about such things to be quite intimidating at times. Fortunately I had model student neighbours last year ... but the new academic year always makes me anxious about the next crop.

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House parties -small things you can do:

� Try to keep parties for weekends (or times when it’s unlikely that your neighbours will need to go to work, school or lectures the next day)

� Drop a friendly note round, or tell your neighbour you’re planning a party and how to contact you if your noise gets too much for them

� If it’s a spur of the moment thing then you could try keeping speakers away from shared walls and trying not to shout between rooms

� If you have people outside try to move the party indoors before it gets too late to keep the noise in!

To and from nights out –being safe

� If you’re lucky enough to live close enough to town to walk to nights out or parties then always walk with friends – safety in numbers!

� Friends can also make your journey fun, but impromptu singing, or wresting in the road, is often only funny if you’re taking part – keep noise to a minimum to stay in your neighbours’ good books

� Buses, trains and taxis are great ways of getting there safely, as well as keeping in noise, but be mindful of noise while you wait as well.

� If you’re a student you can get great deals on taxis! Brighton City Cabs is –01273 205205

What do you do? I am the local PCSO for the Universities. As a PCSO, my role is not to arrest criminals or deal with crimes like a Police Constable, but instead work with members of a community (like you!) to offer crime prevention advice and information, as well as detect and prevent crime as a whole.

Any good advice?As boring as it sounds... Crime Prevention is really really important. Quite simply, it’ll prevent you from being a victim of crime, which could lose you all your work in the event of your laptop being stolen, for example. Look after your stuff and you can’t go wrong. It is also really important to get to know your neighbours! More often than not, they will be at home when you’re not - so get to know them and create a good relationship with them. For more information and advice, visit our Facebook page!

How do we contact you? I am really easy to contact, and most of the time I am available when you need me (apart from an emergency, always dial 999 in the first instance!). My mobile number is 07766 504 233 and my email is kate.mitchell@sussex.pnn.police.uk. I can also be contacted via Twitter @BtnSxUniPolice and Facebook Brighton and Sussex Uni Police - although never report crime via Social Media as it is not monitored 24 hours a day. You can contact me about anything that’s concerning you. Inside or outside of University – I’m here to help. Even if it may not be a Police matter, I can point you in the right direction. If ever you can’t get a hold of me - always call 101 (the non-emergency Police number).

Kate Mitchell POLICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICER PCSO, BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX UNIVERSITIES

It is also really

important to get to

know your neighbours!

We spoke to Kate about her work in student areas:

Introductions Making the first steps:Neighbours can be useful people to be on friendly terms with: they can keep an eye on your house, help you out in times of need and make you feel more at home while you’re at Uni.

When you move in, why not knock on their door and quickly introduce yourself?

Your noise, their noise

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Top tips from Bright n Green’s LivingGreen team!One great way that people get involved in the local community and meet new

people is through volunteering; it’s a brilliant way to build relationships with neighbours and learn more about the people that live in your area.

If you’re a University of Brighton student you can find out about loads of volunteering opportunities in your local area through the University’s volunteer service, called Active Student. See:

What kind of volunteering have you been doing? Since I joined the University of Brighton in 2013 I have been volunteering as an adult helper at the 10th Hastings Brownie unit. This involves helping the children each week with varying activities including cookery, crafts and games.

How did this help you? I was able to integrate more into the community within Hastings and get to know a variety of people of different ages and backgrounds. Working with this unit has enabled me to settle in quickly to the new environment which university brings and has given me wider knowledge about the area in which I am living. As an aspiring teacher, volunteering with the Brownies has increased my confidence and experience of working with children.

Would you recommend volunteering to others? Yes! There are a number of benefits through volunteering whilst being at University, including getting to know other people within the area and developing new skills. During this year I was also fortunate to receive the Santander Volunteering Community Award presented to me by the University of Brighton in recognition of my services to the Brownies. I have really enjoyed the past year and am looking forward to continuing.

Clare RowlandsSTUDENT VOLUNTEER

Getting more involved

www.brighton.ac.uk/volunteering

Recycling/Rubbish

-Seagulls! You will soon notice that the south coast has a large number of seagulls that tend to rip apart any exposed bin liners, spilling rubbish all over the pavements, so a good wheelie bin is essential.

Where can you order a new waste or recycling bin?

The council can help with that. Just search for “brighton request wheelie bin”.

Where can you look up your rubbish and recycling collection days?

Check the council website by searching for “brighton recycling collection day”.

What about big items? Furniture, etc?

The city council offers kerbside bulky item collection, but it’s a paid service. For more info Google “Brighton bulky collection”.

Where are the local tips, and what do they take?

There’s one tip in Brighton and one in Hove. To find out how to get there and see what they will take, just search for “Brighton recycling centres”.

Very cheap, highly subsidized compost bins!!

Stop throwing your vegetable scraps into the bin and make compost instead! It’s easy and inexpensive!

http://www.brighton-hove.getcomposting.com/

Garden Waste

If you have to maintain your garden but can’t compost, you can get the waste taken away by one of these local groups:

MAGPIE - www.magpie.coop/gardenwaste.php

BRIGHTON COMMUNITY COMPOST CENTRE - www.brighton-compost.coop/household.html

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Cheap furniture and household items!

There are lots of places where you can find furniture and household items for cheap (or free!) and locally.

� FREEGLE – People giving away free, unwanted items – www.ilovefreegle.org

� FREECYCLE – People giving away free, unwanted items – www.freecycle.org

� GUMTREE – Online secondhand sales - www.gumtree.com/brighton

� STREETBANK – Network of locals with tools to share – www.streetbank.com

� Magpie – Recycling co-operative with a large shop (Shabitat) just off Lewes Road

� FURNITURE NOW! – Training for the homeless with large warehouse in Lewes

� EMMAUS – Homeless charity with a large furniture warehouse in Portslade

� MARTLETS – Hospice care with a charity shop in Hove

� YMCA SUSSEX – Support for young people and families with shops in Hove and London Road

� BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION – Heart health charity with shops in Hove and on London Road

So enjoy your time here! And when you move into a new place, knock on your neighbours’ doors, say hello or just crack a smile at everyone you see, something great might come of it!

Brighton Students’ Union

And once you’re done and you need to start planning your exit, all of these places are great for taking your unwanted items. Many of them will even come directly to you!

If you want to learn more about Brighton SU’s sustainability initiatives or get involved in our activities, check here: www.brightonsu.com/brightngreen We’re working on everything from sustainable housing to bike co-ops to green internships, so there’s something for everyone! www.brightonsu.com

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www.brightonsu.com