Building human connections with a brew and a biscuit
A GLOBAL community movement which has already had a “profound impact” on school children in the borough came to Rotherham – and turned the town centre into a 'Public Living Room' for the day.
Camerados is the brainchild of founder Maff Potts who came up with the idea of creating 'no agenda spaces in all sorts of places' nine years ago.
Colourful settees, bean bags, and lamp shades were set up on Effingham Street and shoppers were invited to sit down, grab a brew and have a chat.
Maff said: “I had the idea having spent 20 years working in traditional services for people having a rough time.
“But those services never focused on what people need which is friendship, and purpose, and community.
“Camerados believe the answer to our problems is each other.
“It's about chatting to someone new or helping out a stranger.
“Everyone has tough times and we think it'd be great if people just looked out for one another more.
“Our USP (unique selling point) is 'no agenda'.
“This is not about fixing each other, or trying to solve anyone's problems.
“This is about building human connections.”
The movement has since gone global with 250 public living rooms set up in venues including hospitals, prisons, universities, as well as online, in countries including Australia and the US.
Said Maff: “We like to hold 'dunk off' sessions where we encourage two people who have different views to grab a cuppa and a biscuit and 'disagree well' over their choice of subject, debating while dunking!
“We've had all sorts of people join us today – from one woman having a rough day at work and looking to just chat for a while on her lunch break to a man with DVT (deep vein thrombosis) who told us about how much he loves his son who looks after him.”
Maff and Tim Feben from Opus Independents – a Sheffield company filming the stories coming out of the movement – also visited Coleridge Primary School in Eastwood.
“The pupils there really get it,” he said.
“The head teacher Ian Tankard is an absolute legend and he gets them talking about values and respect for each other.
“We did an assembly there this morning and it was absolutely remarkable.
“The little kids have such confidence from knowing they're in a safe space where they feel comfortable.
“Our yellow Camerado’s badges are given as a reward for looking out for each other and one pupil had so many badges on their jumper they had made a smiley face out of them!
“This is the most fun I've had in my working life.”
Coleridge head Ian Tankard said: “Camerado's principles have had a profound impact on our children.
“They have helped develop a community where pupils are consistently thoughtful and kind to others.
“Our children have learned the importance of listening without immediately trying to solve issues, which has strengthened their empathy and understanding.
“Maff has been instrumental in driving these principles with our children – they love his assemblies as it is always based around the Camerado’s principle of being a bit silly sometimes.”