The word community can be viewed in different contexts by different people; it all depends on what your role is when you are using it and who your audiences are. In my position as Chairman of Dudley Federation of Tenant & Residents Associations which is a Company Limited by Guarantee and umbrella group to approx 30 Tenant and Resident groups throughout Dudley the word “Community” denotes all the people whatever Race, Creed, Religion living in Dudley. When you are speaking with the Chairperson of a local Tenants and Residents group the “Community” then tends to be the people living on that estate. Again if you are a member of an Area Panel the Community is all the people in that township area. One idea does not fit all the Community and this is why there should be Community consultation with local people in their own catchment area. This can change the priorities of any area plans when trying to make improvements, tackling deprivation or engage in regeneration etc. There seems lately to be a tendency to post code label communities, especially the youth, in my long experience of voluntary involvement this is not new, there has always been in most case territorial issues between estates and council wards, you can even pick up on different dialects been spoken.

Wow! Thanks for your input. I hadn't even got to thinking about communities growing on a rock! What is becoming clear to me is a strong sense that for a lot of people 'community' is strongly linked to place, and perhaps the concept of 'community spirit' has a perceived link to a community of place. I like the reference to contact and communication from Tom. I think I'm even more confused about my own understanding of the word now, because it's not a word that I use outside work, or even in my voluntary work, so I often use it in the context of community development, rather than anything I experience myself. I'll keep thinking on it.

community in dudley is very widespead but warm and bubble it also has a sense of belonging but also wellcoming

I have read some of the comments. Following the session we had last night I have a better idea of what is meant by community but also felt like Simon it can mean many things to different people. I considered some of the comments made by other members of the group and found it interesting that Pensnett although part of Dudley is not always seen as Dudley and I thinks that is the same for all the small communities, Stourbridge, Brierley Hill Nether ton perhaps when we talk of communities that is where it should start.