I was an exchange student from Japan, where the weakness of the social bond between neighbors has been a social issue, and so, I was expecting that many residents in Brighton would ignore our visit or would not share their thoughts with us even if they open their door. This expectation, however, was completely wrong. When my supporter and I went for door knocking for the first time, I was amazed about the fact that two thirds or more of the residents were willing to offer their opinion about their residential area. Thanks to their active interaction with us, I became highly motivated to visit more residents and to think about how I can improve their residential area.

The most interesting thing that I discovered through this volunteer activity is that it is often the case where although some residents are hoping for the same kind of improvement in their residential area, it has yet to be realized because of the lack of the opportunity to know other residents' thoughts. One day, for example, a lady was telling us that she was sometimes annoyed by loud sounds and voices from students' houses and that she wanted to have the opportunity to talk about it with them and make their area more comfortable to live. On the same day, we met a student saying that he was always sorry for his loudness and that he would like to have the chance to apologize to other residents and to build a better relationship with them. After these visits, we came to the conclusion that by organizing an informal event, such as a street food party, these residents can talk with each other and get rid of their concern.

I really appreciate the opportunity which Brighton Student Union offered to me. They provided me with the chance to meet many people, including volunteer organizers, other volunteers, and Brighton residents, who are passionate to improve the City of Brighton. Spending some time with them, I learned how, little by little, residents can be connected with each other and one city can become a better place for all the residents to live.

Chinatsu Yoneyama (Student) Sussex Uni student