Southgate Family Church pioneered the first ‘Permission to Smile’ Tea Party, which was all about stimulating community-building in the locality of the Three Estates, King’s Norton, Birmingham. About 90 residents came and the key suggestion was that local people might consider setting up a Street Associations for their street. The remarkable result of the Tea Party is that Street Associations are – as a direct result – being taken forward on 15 local streets.
Martin Graham said, “It’s wonderful to see how this kind of Tea Party can give the Permission to Smile campaign local legs, and how the obvious thing to do – set up a Street Associations – has been taken up with enthusiasm”.
