The Media4ME project in Milton Keynes, England, began in January 2011 as part of a six-nation EU programme co-ordinated by Mira Media to increase inter-cultural dialogue through the use of community media. The project was led by staff from two UK-based NGOs, the National Association for Neighbourhood Management, and Socialreporters. Over 24 months, the project leaders used asset-based community development approaches to support existing community and media-related activities in the Fishermead neighbourhood of Milton Keynes - an area with high levels of ethnic diversity, population mobility and ‘churn’.

1. Media4ME in Milton Keynes – “How mobilising a
web of connections enabled local people to use
media projects to help their community…”

2. Media4ME – What DID we learn?
• Instead of convincing people to help us make our ideas real,
look for other people’s ideas
• Spend time talking and listening out for the names of
individuals who had passions we could support
• If no-one is interested – just move on
• Be useful to public agencies and they will be useful to us
• Create opportunities for politicians to solve the problems they
identify - “there is a lot going on but it is not connected”
• If you loan someone a camera for a project, they take photos
for the project; they feel a sense of obligation
• Be patient, and adapt
• It is hard to leave one big sustainable project behind, but you
can leave a bigger web of connections

3. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
First…
…we used existing relationships
to get permission to run the
project in Fishermead, Milton
Keynes

4. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Summer 2011
First meeting held in the Melting
Pot Café, part of the Seventh Day
Adventist Church
Ten people turn up
“There is a lot going on but it is
not connected”

5. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Autumn 2011
All Media4ME project leads come
to UK, to Fishermead, and meet
members of the community who
have got involved…

6. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Winter 2011…
Mike Johnson then invited to the
Media4ME training/project
meeting in the Hague… which
enables him to understand the
project better

7. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
We return to the UK and hold a second community
meeting.
We use a “media game” to begin thinking about the web of
personal connections in Fishermead…

8. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Winter 2011…
At the same meeting we also meet Nana Oguntola
for the first time - a film-maker and local Parish
Councillor. We agree to lend her some video
cameras…
In return she agrees to help other local people
make video diaries

9. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Spring 2012…
We also start
lending cameras
The manager of the
community centre
uses one to
document the
upgrade of his
community centre
garden

10. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Another Parish Councillor starts
taking photos of parts of the
neighbourhood where rubbish has
been dumped

11. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Summer 2012
A lot of activity
comes together.
Nana has begun
producing
interviews with
people about the
local environment
and also turns the
photos into a
YouTube video

12. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
…which attracts
the attention of the
local newspapers

13. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Soon afterwards
Nana uploads the
first video-diary -
made by an elderly
man living in an old
people’s home who
films his fellow
residents….

14. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
We also take some photos ourselves –trying to capture
positive images of Fishermead

15. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
www.ilovefishermead.co.uk is then set up – it is
created by all the Fishermead Parish Councillors
together to highlight the theme of “local pride”

16. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
www.ilovefishermead.co.uk idea turns into the first
Fishermead “Be Proud” conference

17. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
Autumn 2012… The final countdown!
Mike Johnson - “if anyone wants to make a
radio show then just let me know – I will
provide the studio equipment and the
airtime in our schedule”…
But no-one had taken up the offer.
Until we came across Shola
Omogbehin and official with the
Council’s Education Department

18. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
We start by planning a very conventional radio
interview made in the studio. But we end up with…

19. Media4ME – So what DID happen?
We start by planning a very conventional radio
interview made in the studio. But we end up with…

20. Media4ME – So what DID (will) happen?
The programmes were recorded in November and
December…
After the second show Shola started thinking how he
might tell the story to people outside of Milton Keynes.
So he asked three college students if they would make
a short film, and Media4ME paid for training to be
provided by Nana.

21. Media4ME – So what DID (will) happen?
As the project approached the end – we celebrated the
achievements with a community media event – radio,
video diaries, the website, and also brought the map
alive…
From this

22. – So what DID (will) happen?
To this!

23. Thank you
Ben@neighbourhoodmanagement.net
www.neighbourhoodmanagement.net
@benymlee
http://www.facebook.com/Media4MeMiltonKeynes