The concept of Street Cafes was just a new name for something old as time, having a cuppa with your neighbour. The purpose was to reconnect, or newly connect neighbours to build a stronger and safer environment.

The way we, as humans, build long-lasting relationships is by connecting with each other in small things and doing them often. A tree needs more than one rainshower or one ray of sunshine to grow, the same can be said of our communities. One event or one meeting is not usually going to make much difference to our neighbourhoods unless it is followed up by some regular, deeper interactions.

When starting these Street Cafes I had done both but had never really thought of the difference in the outcomes. For the people who worked on making the event happen, we were able to meet regularly to shape the look and feel of the final event, to share the workload, to keep tabs on the budget, to share contacts, and generally have things running as smooth as possible after ironing out possible crinkles. For the people who attended these events most were unaware of the many hours this sort of thing takes. The invitation was to the final outcome, an event, and most of them had a wonderful time, had some kai and went home happy. The interactions we have at the events are usually pretty surface level and create some positive memories.

What I have learned lately is that small and often creates a much healthier way of being part of the community. It is like a tree getting water and sunshine regularly. The strongest trees grow slowly and can produce good fruit for years to come. The first interactions are like the very first Spring leaves, then the more interactions, the more leaves, the more sunlight the tree has, the healthier it looks and then maybe even produce fruit that will nourish others.

So what does small and often look like?

Nothing too risky: A smile, a wave, a check-in after bad weather, a playdate at the park with the kids, shared excess of feijoas, a beer after work in the cul-de-sac, a cup of sugar, an egg, chalk art........ or a good old cup of tea.