Video transcript - Community engagement: reaching the hard-to-reach

London Councils asked those living in the capital what they thought of their council and their councillors. The video highlights these responses.

"The council's doing a good job by keeping the area clean and we've got no problem with it."

"Well personally I haven't had much to do with my local councils but I know they've been very busy."

"Last year we had some dealings with being evicted and we went over to our local council and even our local MP and we had a lot of help and they gave us access to people who wouldn't normally negotiate with us, so it was very good, it was very productive."

"I find they're doing good but the only problem I find sometimes is that there is too much littering on the streets."

"The council keeps passing the buck all the time - no, you talk to this person...no you talk to that person, I'm not responsible - I get a lot of that."

"They want all the bills paid, they want their council tax, they want everything else, as long as they're alright and they've got their cushy little number job the person on the street doesn't really matter."

"I've tried speaking to them but there's so many different things going on within the actual council itself they're just not listening to us."

"Yes, they do my expectations in most of the areas or most of the services they provide, I've no problems with their service provision."

"The problem is that it's not that easy to contact them."

"But now you never see anyone - I don't."

"I've found they're very keen to get your vote when it's time for elections and they're knocking on your doors and asking you to vote for them but once that's been done things that you've pointed out and highlighted are forgotten."

"They give more attention now than before."

"I can see that it is interested in listening to what people say because at the meeting in the town hall sometimes you can speak you mind and say what you want to say about it, you know?"

"I've never met any councillors in my local area. I've received one piece of literature."

"They hear what they want to hear - don't we all?"

"They realise the problems as well and they want to encourage more participation from ethnic minorities but I don't see how far that's going to go."

"I get like the odd thing through the door, like vote this or vote that, but it's all nonsense to me really because whoever you vote for it doesn't make no difference really, does it?"