The Big Listen kick-starts new approach to improve Worthing

On the 29th July, The Big Listen is being launched by Worthing Borough Council, signalling a new approach to strengthen relationships with community groups and listen to and work with residents on the issues they care most about.

From next week, members of The Big Listen team will travel around the borough attending community events and holding pop-up conversations at key locations.

The team, equipped with bright red chairs, will talk to residents and listen to their views about how we can reimagine Worthing in 2030 and how we can work together. 

The answers will be used to identify what the priorities of the people of Worthing are, as well as generating new ideas, new solutions and new support for community projects. 

The first Big Listen event will be at Worthing Play Day on Broadwater Green from 10am to 3pm on Wednesday 3 August. The team will also be at Shepherds Mead in Findon Valley on Thursday 4 August for the BioBlitz - a survey of the wildlife in the area - run by the Council’s rangers from 10am to 3pm.

The week will also mark the launch of The Big Clean Up, the Council’s drive to refresh the borough with the help of businesses and the community. 

Seven days of activities including cleaning, painting and weeding will culminate in a big beach clean on Sunday 7 August at the Coastal Office from 9am to midday. Members of The Big Listen team will also be there to listen to anyone getting involved or passing by.

A series of pop-up events will be organised by the Council over August and September to encourage the community to speak, while The Big Listen team will also go to community events to listen to people. 

Cllr Carl Walker, the Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “The Big Listen marks a step change in the way the Council works with and for the community.

“We are going to embark on a town-wide Big Listen campaign. This will involve creating multiple and varied opportunities for communities to really be heard. We will ensure that the outcomes of these listening activities are reflected in Council strategy and will drive the delivery of the council going forward. This is the first step in exploring the role our Council could play in creating more opportunities for resident participation, improved communication and inclusion.

“We want to hear about what most concerns, interests and inspires people in Worthing, how residents want us to work for them and how we can work together to make our town even better. The Big Listen will help us listen to every voice in the community, not just those that are the loudest.”

We will also be running workshops with members of the community to understand what the information that has been gathered tells us, and how this might inform our plans.

As well as Council staff being out and about listening to residents and visitors, people can also have their say online from the comfort of their own home - or anywhere they have an internet connection.

The Council is working with CommonPlace - an online organisation that specialises in increasing community engagement - through which people will be able to comment on ongoing consultations and answer questions on a range of topics. The data collected online will be combined with that collected in the community and analysed to get a more detailed picture of public opinion, which can then be used to focus the Council’s efforts and resources where they are needed the most.

A dedicated page has been created on the Council’s website - https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/the-big-listen/ - which will be regularly updated with details of when and where The Big Listen team will be. There will also be updates on the Council’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram feeds.

The Big Listen team are keen to attend community events across the borough and would welcome invitations to places to visit in August and September where they can bring their chairs and find out what people think.

To tell the Council about an event visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv8vAQSM-8TRHl_Fe_eAWzA7WRHAsLUtDSWJsDlYcmCaWD-g/viewform