Last September I moved home!
I was brought up in the city of Stoke on Trent. My parents moved away and, as a child, I followed. I have lived in several wonderful cities and travelled extensively.
Yet September brought the best experience ever – I came home.
Stoke on Trent is an awesome city. ‘Why?’ you might ask. The answer is real simple – it is OUR city! it is our home.
We have recently purchased our family home and we are busily decorating and working hard so that the children will enjoy ‘their home’.
We all recognise the vast effort that is required to ensure Stoke on Trent develops economically, socially, relationally and even spiritually. We also have to recognise that it is our home, it’s our responsibility. The effort and the work required to decorate our house falls on our shoulders, no one else, it is our responsibility. It is the same with our home city. People from other cities are not going to do it for us. We are naive if we blame others for our city, again, it is our responsibility.
We are decorating our house so that our children enjoy their home. In the city of Stoke on Trent, the greatest asset we have is people. Stokies are the most awesome, fun loving, tenacious, loyal and determined people in the UK. We have to recognise this asset and utilise it to ensure our children grow up in a city that they call home and enjoy.
One of the greatest dynamics of community spirit is loyalty to each other and our future together. When I look across the city of Stoke on Trent, I see hundreds of initiatives, agencies, associations, churches, clubs and schools who are demonstrating this spirit that I talk of. They are proud of their city, their community and they call it home.
They are taking responsibility for the future of their city. They aren’t looking for someone to blame or subcontract to, they are doing for themselves.
This is the sign of a prosperous city – one that heals from the inside, one that is established from the core and one that’s foundations are the very people who call it their home.
Jesus talks of a house being divided against itself being destined to fail. Stoke on Trent is not destined to fail. We are destined to succeed. Why? Because it is our city. It is our home and we are proud to be from the potteries. We are together and united. Even our city motto is ‘united strength is stronger’.
Could I humbly propose a campaign of ownership. A campaign of unity. A campaign where we work together for the benefit of the next generation. Let’s give them a city that is celebrated internationally!
