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City looks for resident input around neighbourhood community associations

The survey is currently available for residents through the EngageCambridge platform
Mehreen Shahid
Mehreen Shahid
2021-07-06-Alison-Neighbourhood-Community-Centre
Alison Neighbourhood Community Centre is one among the 10 community associations across Cambridge.Mehreen Shahid/CambridgeToday

The City of Cambridge is asking residents to voice their opinions about their neighbourhood associations.

A survey currently available online via the city's EngageCambridge platform is seeking input about community involvement. The city's 10 neighbourhood associations provide great recreational, athletic and social programs for their respective communities. These programs take place at local facilities or schools.

The purpose of the neighbourhood associations is to help the city deliver its recreational programs. 

"The survey is trying to gauge how many Cambridge residents are currently aware and connected to a neighbourhood association and to identify their geographic location within the city," was an emailed reply from Samantha Esmeralda, executive director of the Alison Neighbourhood Community Centre, and Lori Da Cunha, executive director of Silverheights Neighbourhood Association.
 
The hope, said the emailed response, is that residents are aware of and engaging with their local neighbourhood association. If they are not currently doing so, wrote Esmeralda and Da Cunha, this will be an opportunity to increase future engagement.  

"We are hoping this survey will also assist us in increasing the volunteer capacity at our various locations," wrote the two. 

Da Cunha and Esmeralda pointed out in their email that the Cambridge Neighbourhood Organizations typically conduct individual feedback surveys, but this survey through the city is a great opportunity to collect data on behalf of all neighbourhood associations.

The website says the city seeks input from neighbourhood associations because, "residents of a particular community are the best people to determine the recreational and social needs of their own neighbourhood."

The anonymous eight-question survey asks respondents a variety of questions, varying between a close-ended and open-ended format. Aside from questions, such as age and postal code, that serve as identifying data, there is a questions around the participants' current involvement in the community and then a follow-up query about why they do or don't get involved in community activities.