Ealing Walks with a Difference

Talking and Exploring (T&E) is an ongoing project founded and led by Joanna Dudzińska. Its aim is to explore lesser-known places and topics, mostly locally, while bringing diverse people together to learn from and about each other in a relaxed way.

The three Ealing walks combined local history, heritage and places with informal conversation about the neighbourhoods we live in and how people experience them. The walks were carefully researched and curated, but were designed to allow conversations and encounters to develop naturally.

The project responded particularly to Ealing Town’s Your Voice, Your Town priority of feeling safe, while also addressing wider issues of belonging, inclusion, community connection and the quality of local places.

The walks were:

• Ealing Common – 27 May 2026: 14 participants
• West Ealing – 17 July 2026: 27 participants
• South Ealing – 9 August 2026: 29 participants.

A total of 70 people attended.

What changed during delivery

The original application anticipated approximately 30 participants per walk. Registrations were considerably higher, but exceptionally hot weather affected attendance and delivery across all three walks. Routes and timings were adapted, with greater use of shade and indoor stops and shorter sections where appropriate, while prioritising participants’ comfort and safety.

Two ticket allocations were used, including a specific allocation for local residents. The local-resident allocation was promoted directly through local organisations and contacts, as well as through wider outreach. It was not taken up, so unused places were subsequently released more widely rather than leaving spaces empty.

The project also involved considerably more preparation and local engagement than is visible from the walks themselves, including research, route planning, dry runs, participant communication, promotion and contacting local organisations.

On one occasion, a venue that had been planned and confirmed unexpectedly closed on the day of the walk. An alternative local venue was contacted at short notice and welcomed the group. This allowed the planned community element of the walk to continue.

Local councillors also participated in one of the walks, providing opportunities for informal contact between residents and local representatives.

Engagement with local organisations

We undertook extensive outreach to local voluntary, community, social, faith and enterprise (VCSFE) organisations in Ealing, using email, telephone, in-person contact and established local networks.

We shared information about the walks with Ealing and Hounslow CVS for circulation through its networks, and the walks were subsequently promoted through social media.

As Ealing Walking, Talking and Exploring Group is part of the Golden Opportunity Skills and Development (GOS&D) umbrella, we also invited GOS&D and organisations within its network to participate in and/or share the walks. These included:

• United Anglo Caribbean Society (UACS)
• Ealing Somali Welfare and Cultural Association (ESWCA)
• CAME Women and Girls Development Association (CWGDA)
• Mindfood (MF)
• Horn of Africa Disabilities Elders Association (HADEA)
• Holistic Special Education Needs Alliance (HSENA)
• Parents Action and Resource Centre (PARC).

We also specifically approached the Ealing and Northfields Hong Kong community group and London Autism Group Charity, as requested by the Town Team. The Hong Kong community contact shared the walk posters several times, although members of the group did not attend. The contact at London Autism Group Charity did not recommend the walks to their group and, as far as we are aware, organised their own walks instead.

Beyond these organisations, we contacted a much wider range of local organisations, including other YVYT-funded groups, inviting them to participate or help circulate the opportunities. We also referred the walks attendees to other local Your Voice, Your Town projects. Outreach was extensive, although responses and direct participation from VCSFE organisations were limited.

Community connections

The walks created opportunities for participants to discover local places and meet people involved in community activity, businesses and local organisations.

GOS&D helped connect the project with the West Ealing Mosque, which welcomed the group. Other local organisations and venues also opened their doors to participants, allowing people to discover places they might not otherwise have entered and to meet people involved in their communities.

Local organisations and businesses contributed to the welcoming atmosphere, including offering refreshments or treats to participants on each of the three walks.

These encounters were an important part of the project. The walks were not simply about delivering information about an area: they created opportunities for people to talk, ask questions, share experiences and make connections.

Feeling safe, included and welcome

Safety and accessibility were explicit themes of the project. The walks were not intended to be formal safety audits, but participants were encouraged to notice and discuss features of the local environment including lighting, crossings, pavements, visibility, signage, public spaces and how different people may experience the same environment differently.

Although the walks took place during the daytime and generally in good weather, participants also raised concerns about how some places might feel at different times of day, particularly secluded paths, alleys, side streets and other less visible areas.

The discussions showed that feeling safe is closely connected with other aspects of the local environment: cleanliness and maintenance, lighting, accessible and welcoming public spaces, and the presence of other people and community activity.

Participants also encountered practical examples of community action, including local clean-up initiatives such as LAGER CAN, and information about Love Clean Streets, which provides a way of reporting environmental problems. These examples demonstrated how residents can contribute to keeping neighbourhoods clean, cared for and welcoming.

Some participant comments included:

“I felt safe and connected with the community.”

“I loved the inclusivity of the walk looking at different places of worship. Thanks especially to the mosque for the welcome. Safety and inclusivity are completely intertwined.”

“Some areas we stopped in were very run down and rubbish dumped.”

“I felt the streets were safe, inclusive and welcoming. There were cafes and shops open and plenty of joggers. It felt lived in and happy and it was easy to connect.”

“Felt welcome in all the buildings we visited. Chignell area would not feel safe at night.”

“The things I learned made me feel connected.”

Difference made for participants

The project was designed to measure success socially and reflectively, rather than purely through attendance numbers. Participant observations and comments were treated as valuable community insight.

Of the 70 people attending, the demographic information collected included approximately:

• 38 White British
• 12 White European
• 8 Asian
• 7 African-Caribbean
• 4 Middle Eastern.

These figures represent ethnicity responses and total 69 responses, as not every participant completed every demographic question.

Participants came both from Ealing and from outside the borough. Across the three walks, 42 participants were from Ealing and 28 from elsewhere, but with connections to Ealing.

The walks attracted people of different ages. Across the three events, 53 participants were aged 50 or over and 17 were under 50.

Participant feedback indicated that the project helped people understand their local area better, make connections and become more aware of issues and opportunities in their neighbourhoods.

What worked well

The project demonstrated the value of funding an activity whose outcomes are not always easily captured through simple numerical measures.

Walking, talking and exploring together created a relaxed setting in which people could learn about their area, meet others, discuss concerns and discover community resources and places.

The funding made it possible to undertake substantially more research, preparation, local engagement, promotion and follow-up than would normally be possible for a low-cost or donation-based walk.

The combination of local history and heritage with community encounters also worked particularly well. Participants were not simply receiving information: they were discovering places together and contributing their own knowledge, observations and experiences.

What could be improved

The main challenge was reaching a larger number of people who already live in the specific neighbourhoods being explored.

A dedicated local-resident ticket allocation and direct outreach to local organisations were used, but the local allocation was not taken up. This is useful learning for future funded projects.

Future initiatives could benefit from more practical support or guidance on reaching residents already living in the target neighbourhood, particularly where an organiser’s existing networks naturally attract participants from a wider area.

The exceptionally hot weather was a significant practical challenge and affected attendance at all three walks. Routes and timings were adapted during delivery, with greater use of shade and indoor spaces and shorter sections where appropriate.