About

What is the Knowle West Alliance?

Rooted in the community, growing for the future 

Background

Knowle West is an area full of amazing people doing brilliant things; everyday neighbourliness, volunteering, creative projects, social clubs, green spaces, resident groups, social enterprises, charities, business; you name it, it’s all happening here.  

In 2018, a group of residents and five deeply rooted local organisations, Filwood Community Centre, The Park, Re:work, Knowle West Health Park and Knowle West Media Centre, came together around the idea of better collaboration in the area. This was the start of a network, made up of local residents and organisations partnering together, to grow positive action in Knowle West. This early work included co-creating the Alliance’s Vision and set of Values.

  • During the lockdowns of 2020-22 the Knowle West Alliance pivoted to facilitate a place-based Support Hub, mobilising volunteers across Knowle West and connecting with Public Health, the Council and many more partners to ensure people who needed help could access it. We saw that having established good relationships meant everyone could play their part, we could move at pace and utilise different skills, knowledge and networks to make a positive difference. By working together, we can achieve more.  
  • In 2022 our work was recognised by the National Lottery and funding was made available to build on the learning so far.  As part of this work, we codesigned our Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and developed our Theory of Change. 

Over the summer of 2024 as part of our social impact reporting, we created the origin story of Knowle West Alliance in video form.

What we do

By working together, as a network:

  • We share our skills, knowledge and expertise to strengthen our community, creating the conditions for many people to get involved in what matters to them.
  • We build positive relationships with external organisations to support and benefit the area.
  • We draw in and channel resources to support local people, groups and organisations to make the small or large improvements they want in their neighbourhood.
  • Contribute to building strength and capacity across the area – building wide, not high, through encouraging and supporting activity throughout the whole of Knowle West.
  • Support useful and relevant ways of communicating via social media and the local newsletter The Knowledge, within Knowle West and beyond.
  • To show Knowle West is a confident and vibrant community, both locally, citywide and nationally.

The Working Group

At the heart of Knowle West Alliance is the Working Group, made up of local residents and representatives of local organisations. The group meets bi-monthly, for two hours on a Wednesday morning, to direct the work of Alliance. The meetings are informal, solution focused and collaborative. Anyone with a connection to the area, who shares the ethos of working together, is welcome to attend.

More info about the Working Group here

We know meetings aren’t everyone’s cup of tea so there are many different ways to get involved; you might want to write an article or deliver the local newsletter, join the food network, meet others thinking about planning issues, attend some local training or make something happen using the Small Grants programme. There’s lots to do, and we hope there is something for everyone. Click here for more information about how to get involved.