ABOUT
We’re often asked to explain what The Other Place is and what we do, and those are difficult questions! What happens at The Other Place is shaped by the many individuals and organisations that use the space and by our wider networks, and is always developing.
What matters most to us is not what we do, but how we do it.
- The Other Place is run by the community, for the community. It is not service-led and there are no paid staff to manage the space. Everyone who uses the space works together to care for the space and for one another.
- We celebrate difference. Our wider community is diverse, with many different beliefs about everything! This is our strength. We disagree with care, and we all stand together against division and hate.
- We believe that feelings of belonging really matter. We try to always create an atmosphere of welcome, and we accept and support one another on good days and on bad.
- We disrupt hierarchy. The Other Place is a lanyard free zone where everyone is treated equally, regardless of employment or circumstance.
- We communicate by example. There are no rules on our walls, no signs telling people what to do. If you need to know something, there will always be someone to ask. When you know, there will always be someone you can welcome.
We don’t always get it right. Sometimes the coffee runs out! With so many people, groups and organisations using the space, and new people every day, there can be many small frustrations and points of tension, and negotiation needed between competing needs – but it mostly works, and we’re always seeking to do better.
Come and spend some time with us, and find out more!
HISTORY
Opened by Race Equality North Somerset (RENS) in 2022 as a six-month experimental ‘community laboratory’ as part of Community Renewal Funded program, it has successfully served the community for over four years, helping to tackle social exclusion, celebrate diversity, and support wellbeing. A recent recipient of the Weston-super-Mare Mayor’s Award, it has also generated interest regionally and nationally.
It continues to be funded and supported by RENS as a venue for grassroots action, cultural inclusion and social innovation.
WHY IT MATTERS
Inequalities affect the lives of everyone. They distort and damage community relations, impact health and wellbeing and have a high cost – both personal and financial.
Much research has been carried out on the wider determinants of health – the ways in which all aspects of life interact to create the conditions for someone to thrive or to struggle – and there is increasing focus on the intangibles.
People who have greater agency in their own lives and better bridging networks have better health outcomes, and we believe that these are characteristics of a healthy community too.
The Other Place is above all a space where community members can take action and a space of connection, working towards a strong and resilient community that is of benefit to all.