On a rainy evening in September 2006, around 600 people braved the weather to pile into Southmead Adventure Playground. This was a different crowd from the usual children who used the adventure playground (although some of them were there too). There were university lecturers, trade unionists, artists, old members of the youth centre and Jerry's relatives and friends, among others. They had all come together to take part in a celebration of Jerry's work in Southmead, with live music, displays of photos and art from over the years and speeches. Significantly, the two key organisers of this event were M and P, of the Southmead Project and the Voice of Southmead, respectively. However briefly, the different worlds that Jerry describes crossing between in Chapter Five of this volume shared this space, a tribute to his ability to bring together people of different backgrounds and opinions. Here we will try to update the reader on the developments in Southmead since Jerry completed his thesis in 2000. This is just one version of how Southmead is now, seen from inside the area. While it lacks the depth and complexity of Jerry's work, we hope it will be of some use to the reader.

First, an update of the two organisations mentioned above. The Southmead Project remains in a similar position to that in 2000. M's refusal to adapt the qualitative nature of the project's work to the box ticking required by many funders means that it continues to battle for short-term funding. This has restricted the organisation to its counselling activities, although it is looking to move towards more holistic prevention work with ‘the addicts of tomorrow’. The project tries to maintain the pressure on funders and policy makers through publishing research into its work, with the view to changing the direction of current policy towards more long-term aims.

In many ways, the members of Voice of Southmead and M have put aside their differences. Both now value the nature of the other's work, while maintaining the validity of their own arguments. The Voice never registered as an organisation, and has been largely inactive for several years. Both P and T remain workers at the youth centre, and the focus of the Voice is firmly on young people.