Tony Gibson, a community activist, who has died aged 94, was an influential figure who did much to ensure that the voices of ordinary people are able to influence the shape of the cities, towns and villages in which they live.
Tony was inspired by his experiences during the blitz. He was a 21-year-old pacifist volunteer in a unit run by the Quakers and found himself in Stepney, in the East End of London, a place that had virtually been abandoned to its fate by the authorities. The town hall had been destroyed, but he watched the community organise itself to provide rudimentary volunteer-run services. This example of local self-help informed the rest of his life.
Continue reading...