Asset Based Community Development Workshop

HELPING LOCAL PEOPLE DO
EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.
Gary Loftus - Head of Community Building
A SHIFT IN FOCUS – START WITH WHAT YOU HAVE &
YOU’LL KNOW WHAT YOU WANT….
Introduction to Asset Based Community Development
Manchester First Choice Homes Oldham

Overview of the Session
• Welcome & Introductions
• Forever Manchester – What We Do
• What Excites You About Today?
• ‘The Single Story’
• The ABCD Approach (Asset Based Community Development)
• ‘We Can’ Game
• Community Builders Story
• Exercise – Gifts
• The Neighbourhood Works
• No More Throw Away People
• Women in Neighbourhoods
• The Alternative – I Grew That
• Summary
• Q&A
HELPING LOCAL PEOPLE DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS
TOGETHER

Housekeeping
• Mobile phones on silent
• No Smoking
• Fire Alarm
• Toilets
• Breaks
TOGETHER

Any Light Bulb Moments
TOGETHER

@4evermcr_thenws
#ABCDMCR14
TOGETHER

Forever
Manchester
TOGETHER

Our Approach
Raising Money
Goal 1: Raise Endowment
Goal 2: Sustain Core Funding
Goal 3: Generate Un-restricted Grant Making
Knowing and Funding our Communities
Goal 4: Identify, Connect and Mobilise Assets and
Capacities throughout Greater Manchester
Goal 5: Competently Model Community Building at
Local Level
Goal 6: Contribute to Active Social Change and Community
Well Being
Organisational capacity
Goal 7: Improve our Business by Strengthening our Organisational
Capacity
TOGETHER

Our Vision
•Discover, Connect and Fund Assets in every Greater
Manchester Neighbourhood
•Match our resources to residents talents, skills, time
and gifts
•Build a £50 million Endowment
•Measure our impact by the number of residents we
engage with in the neighbourhoods
TOGETHER

Our Aspirations
Aspiration 1: We will make the name Forever Manchester synonymous with resident led
action and our approach will be defined as Charity the Mancunian Way
Aspiration 2: We will emphasise the importance of human relationship building over
institutional rules and programmatic responses to social and economic challenges
Aspiration 3: We will shift the conversation across Greater Manchester from ones that
focus on problems and scarcity to ones that focus on possibilities and abundance
Aspiration 4: We will focus our unrestricted resources more strategically, toward a set
of key results, to realise a vision of vibrant and connected communities
Aspiration 5: We will conduct all our operations with an emphasis on sustainability,
ensuring Forever Manchester continues to thrive and serve our communities effectively
into the future
TOGETHER

Over to you…..
Name
Skill-Interest
What Excites You About Today?
TOGETHER

Classic Needs Map
High levels of drug and
Alcohol use.
High
morbidity
Anti social
behaviour
Gender
inequality
Racial tension/hate crimes High crime rates. Significant
TOGETHER
fear among older people
High levels of ADHD
Smoking
related
Heart disease
Respiratory
difficulties
Obesity across
The life course
High unemployment Poor educational attainment
Poor housing/environmental issues

What’s Missing?
TOGETHER

Is What Exists….
TOGETHER

“The Danger of a Single Story”
TOGETHER

• Is the ‘danger of a single story’ an issue for you and your
work?
• What kind of language does your organisation use to
describe the people that you work with?
• How do you portray the communities where you work in
your annual reports, funding proposals, reports and needs
assessments?
• What implications might language have on the
communities where you work?
• What would you have to change to challenge this kind of
language?
TOGETHER

Break….
TOGETHER

Asset Based Community Development
A Strength Based Approach to Community Building

“The purpose of ABCD is
to help people remember
what they alrPreofeassdor Jyoh nk McnKnoighwt ”

About Asset Based Community Development?
Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute
was founded in 1995 after 3 decades of community
development research
Founded by Professor John McKnight and Professor
Jodi Kretzman at Northwestern University Chicago
ABCD is asset based and relationship driven
ABCD demonstrates focuses on assets in a community
ABCD challenges traditional approaches to solving
urban problems
TOGETHER

Asset Based Community Development
A Strengths Based Approach is a different way of
thinking about how to work for change – starting
from a place of possibilities, strengths and
capacities as opposed to problems and deficiencies.
A Strengths Based Approach helps residents and
organisations manage change by mobilising their
existing and potential capacities, resources and
assets.
TOGETHER

Asset Based Community Building
Six principals of Community Building
 Start with people’s strengths
 Start with relationship building
 Placed based work is vitally important since most
things come together in the neighbourhood
 Citizen-led action is more durable and sustainable
than professional intervention
 Social justice is at the heart of every community
building effort
 When the conversation shifts from ‘isn’t it awful’ to
what’s possible? Real community building begins
TOGETHER

What
might be
possible if
TOGETHER
people focused
their attention
on….
rather than problems
more than weaknesses
What can be done instead of what can’t be done

Is The Glass Half Full or
Half Empty?
Individuals & Communities
have deficiencies & needs
Individuals & Communities
also have skills and talents
TOGETHER

TOGETHER

Needs to Strengths
Transaction Why not also have a model that…Transforms
Focus on Deficiencies Focus on Assets
Problem Response Identify Opportunities
Charity Orientation Investment Orientation
Grants to Agencies Grants, Loans, Investments, Leverage
More Services Fewer Services
High Emphasis on Agencies Emphasis on Associations
Focus on Individuals Focus on communities/neighbourhoods
Maintenance Development
See People as Clients See People as Citizens and
TOGETHER
Co-producers
‘Fix People’ Develop Potential
Programmes are the Answer People are the Answer

Our Traditional Grant Making Approach
Find It,
Fund it &
Fix it….
Tell us what’s wrong not what’s strong
in your community….
TOGETHER

Strength Based Approach
TOGETHER
Residents in the
Driving Seat

Leaders, Connectors & Gift Givers
 Leaders – Those that will lead the process long after you are gone.
They are passionate about opening doors in their community and are
aware of the strengths as well as the challenges within their
community
 Connectors – Those that easily connect with large numbers of their
neighbours, they are serial relationship builders and seem to know
everyone. On average a connector will know 50 people by name in
their community.
 Gift Givers – Those who want to contribute a particular skill, gift or
knowledge set to the community building effort, but not well
connected themselves, or may not see themselves in a leadership
role.
TOGETHER

Connector Profile
TOGETHER

Community = Association
TOGETHER

Community = Physical Assets
TOGETHER

Community = Institutional Assets
Schools
Colleges
Libraries
Hospitals
Universities
Local Authority
Foundations
TOGETHER

Community = Local Economic Exchange
TOGETHER

Community = Stories
TOGETHER

Paul Fisher
Radio Presenter
Resident of Alt
http://www.heroesproject.org.uk/
http://www.ldok.net/
LDOK
Oldham College
TOGETHER

Paul & Helen Presenting on
Oldham Community Radio
TOGETHER

Neighbourhood Asset Map
Physical Space
Local Economy
Individuals
Associations
My
Community
Institutions Stories
Institutions
Schools
Universities
Community Colleges
Police Departments
Hospitals
Libraries
Social Service Agencies
Not for Profits
Museums
Fire Brigades
Media
Foundations
Individuals
Gifts, Skills, Knowledge,
and traits of:
Youth
Older Adults
Artists
Welfare Recipients
People with disabilities
Students
Parents
Entrepreneurs
Activists
Veterans
Ex-offenders
TOGETHER
Local Economy
For-profit business
Consumer Expenditure
Merchants
Chamber of Commerce
Business Associations
Banks
Credit Unions
Foundations
Institutional - purchasing
power and personnel
Barter and Exchange
Micro-Business
Corporations and Branches
Physical Space
Gardens
Parks
Playgrounds
Bike Paths
Walking Paths
Forest/forest Preserves
Picnic Areas
Campsites
Fishing Spots
Duck Ponds
Zoos
Wildlife Centre
Natural Habitats
Housing
Vacant Land & Buildings
Streets
Associations
Animal Care Groups
Anti-Crime Groups
Business Organisations
Charitable Groups
Cultural groups
Disability Groups
Education Groups
Elderly Groups
Environmental Groups
Family Support Groups
Health Advocacy
Heritage Groups Hobby
Groups
Interest Groups
Men’s Groups
Mentoring Groups
Neighbourhood Groups
Political Organisations
Recreation Groups
Religious Groups
Service Clubs
Social Groups
Women’s Groups
Youth Groups
Stories From Manchester
Alt Community Challenge
Team
Lostock Men’s Shed
Cool 2 B Kind
Great Lever Idea Works
Lostock Allotment
The ALTernative News
Cash 4 Graft
From Needs to Strengths

Asset Role Call in Lostock (Trafford)
I just wanted to share some of the amazing gifts of the people of Lostock that we have already
discovered.
It is a long and interesting list and doesn’t include everything, remember this list has been
gathered in just under 4 Months, so here goes we’ve got:
Gardeners, Cleaners, Bee Keepers, Bakers, Skaters, Jewelers Makers, Carpenters, Builders,
Knitters, Radio Entrepreneurs, Fishermen, Chefs, Teachers, Card Makers, Jam Makers, Wine
Makers, Recyclers, Quiz Masters, Veg Growers, Plumbers, Zumba Instructors, Shop Keepers,
Party Organisers, Bike Riders, Child Minders, Computer Wizards, Cartoonists, Graffiti Artists,
Dancers, Actors, Talkers, Dog Walkers, Spiritual Leaders, Healthy Eaters, Readers, Roofers,
Hairdressers, Make Up Artists, Singers, Comedians, DJ’s, Support Workers, Carer’s, BMXer’s,
Footballers, Campers, Out Doors Explorers, Mountain Climbers, Hikers and Bikers…..
What happens next with this information is up to the Residents to decide, the list is growing
every day and people are beginning to gather around ideas which utilise the skills they have
that they can share with other people in engaging, practical and imaginative ways. The
possibilities seem endless as does the list of assets waiting to be found.
James Hampson - Asset Based Community Builder
TOGETHER

"If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep
on getting what you've always got”.
W.L Bateman
TOGETHER

The ‘Good Life’ Can Be Found in Every
Neighbourhood
TOGETHER
Skills
Care
Assets
Gifts

WHAT does this picture SAY
to you about COMMUNITY?
TOGETHER

Responses from Picture Survey
“Working together”, “Overcoming difficult situations”, “Many can achieve more than the
individual”, “People get more done together if working to the same goal”, “Do stuff rather
than talk it down”, “Ignore naysayers”, “Actions speak louder than words” “Resilient”,
Paving the way”, “Local resources”, “Recycling”, “No outside expert required to find the
solution” “If you have the same care in wanting to achieve a particular goal and are
happy
to play your part, brining different strengths together, the impossible can be achieved”
“Stay strong, stand strong”! “The only thing worse than those who give up and don’t try
are those who do nothing”
“This picture reminds me of the work going on in Alt, it should read the person who says it
cannot be done should look at Alt and the people who are doing it”! “It also reminds me of
teamwork and what can be achieved”!
“I think its fantastic, full of symbolism. Any group or community cannot fail to be
Inspired by ants, their ability to be so physically small yet solve huge and complex
Issues”. ”We may not appreciate the damage they can wreak on crops and buildings,
But their ability to battle the odds and win is clear in the picture”. ”Simple and powerful
too”.
TOGETHER

Assets
Community assets include:
• The skills of local residents
• The power of local associations
• The resources of public, private and not for profit
organisations
• The physical and local resources of local places
• The stories of our lives and evolving community
TOGETHER

In Summary ABCD is about
• Starting With What You Have
• Mobilising Assets
• Gifts
• Skills
• Talents of local people…….
• Connecting Assets
• Individuals
• Associations
• Institutions
• Creating Local Economic Opportunities
• Connecting Individuals and Associations
• Starts From A Place Of Possibility Rather Than ‘Needs’
Focused
• From Client to Citizen
TOGETHER

Asset Based Community Development Methodology
Discovering
Strengths
Organising
& Mapping
Linking &
Mobilising
Community
TOGETHER
led
Initiatives
Sustaining
the Process

Exercise
TOGETHER

We Can Game

Gary Loftus
Community Builder
TOGETHER

Discovering Talents
TOGETHER

Goole Street Residents
TOGETHER

Green Streets in East Manchester
Design Concept
TOGETHER

Design Concept
TOGETHER

Green Streets in East Manchester
TOGETHER

Britain in Bloom
TOGETHER

Appreciative Inquiry
Can you tell us about a time when you came together
with neighbours to do something positive in your
neighbourhood?
TOGETHER

Exercise: What Are Your Gifts?
• Gifts of the Head
• Things I know something
about and would enjoy
talking about with others
• Gifts of the Heart
• Things I am passionate
about
• Gifts of the Hands
• Things or skills I know how
to do and could potentially
share with others
TOGETHER

Lunch
TOGETHER

NEIGHBOURHOOD
TOGETHER

1. What does a disconnected neighbourhood look like?
2. How do you start to connect it?
3. What does a thriving neighbourhood look like?
TOGETHER

The Neighbourhood Works
• Community Building
• 2 Community Builders
• 2 Community Building Support Workers
• Cool 2B Kind
• Themed Award/Gift Initiatives – Call’s for Action,
Competitions and Sponsorship
• Match Awards
• The Idea Works
• Connectors Clubs
• Training Programme
TOGETHER

Pathfinder:
• Pilot delivered to 1,600 year six pupils in Trafford
• Identified 2 pathfinder schools in Greater Manchester
• Alt Primary School – Oldham
• Stoneleigh Primary School – Oldham
• Introducing ‘Kindness’ in to the school curriculum
• Stages:
• 1 Dream, 2 Build, 3 Celebrate
• Asset Mapping
• Laughter workshops
• Cool 2B Kind Poem
• Cool 2B Kind Awards
• Fundraising for Forever Manchester
• Forever Manchester Festival
• Neighbourhood Vision
TOGETHER

MAPPING THROUGH Y’ED
TOGETHER

TOGETHER May 2012

February 2014
TOGETHER

Lostock Idea Works
TOGETHER

PLACE BASED ASSET
MAPPING
TOGETHER

THE IDEA WORKS
Why have a meeting when you
can have a PARTY?
TOGETHER

Matched Funds
Cash 4 Graft
• Awards from £50 to £250
• Matching Volunteer time, gifts and skills to a fiscal
match
• Volunteer time valued at £10 per hour
• Informal groups
• Formal groups with new ideas that attract more
people from the neighbourhood
• Advance Payment Solutions – Pre-paid Card
• 1st Community Foundation to use this method
TOGETHER

What is the return on investment?
•Social return on investment
• Match assets, skills and time to fiscal awards
• £1 Fiscal Investment matched to £1 Assets + £1 Time = £3
minimum 1:2 return
•Forever Manchester believes the approach will be
attractive to:
• The Philanthropist
• The Mass Affluent
• Local Authorities
• Social Landlords
• Small donations – The Obama Strategy
• Public Health
TOGETHER

The Leaky Bucket
CASH4GRAFT
TOGETHER

All Natural Health
“I’m very well thank you this group is keeping me out of mischief”.
“We’re getting lots more jobs as we are mobile”.
“You won’t believe it but we still haven’t used all the money from Cash4 Graft, even after
buying equipment , we are managing to self sustain and also offering one-2one sessions”.
Sheila Vora
TOGETHER
£250 =
PRICELESS!

Lostock Community
Orchard & Garden
Discovering Local Hidden Treasures
TOGETHER

Laffs & Crafts
TOGETHER

Lyndsey Ashworth
Community Building Support Worker
Forever Manchester’s Community building Team
Appointed May 2013
TOGETHER

Alison Hills Story
Off the train tracks on to the right tracks
The boring bit
24 years of depression is enough for anyone to
put up with. A load of different types of
medication, therapy, and everyone sticking their
nose in!! A new diagnosis of Cyclothymia 4 years
ago made me realise I wasn't mental, I was just ill.
For a while it beat me, to the point of constant
thoughts of suicide. Hence the "off the train
tracks" in the title.
TOGETHER

Kids Café Lostock
TOGETHER

LOSTOCK FAMILY TIME FUN CLUB
TOGETHER

Alison Hill
Community Building Support Worker
Forever Manchester’s Community Building Team
Appointed September 2013
TOGETHER

Message to Alison Hill
“I have to thank you and James both for the first step in
getting my life back – it was a major boost”
TOGETHER
Cash4Graft recipient

What is the value of connections?
TOGETHER

Key Outcomes
TOGETHER

TOGETHER No More Throw Away People

What are you going to stop doing?
TOGETHER

What are you going to start doing?
TOGETHER

What are you going to do on Monday morning?
TOGETHER

• Bullying People
• Egging Houses
• Spraying Walls
• Smashing Windows
• Respecting the Neighbourhood
• Show respect to the Community
• Getting involved in Community
Events
• Coach a Young Football team
• Clean the Wall of the Arc
Community Centre
• Design and paint a mural around
inclusion on the Arc Community
Centre
• Alt JFC to apply for Cash4Graft
award
• Alt JFC secured £250 Cash4Graft
for new football kit
TOGETHER

• An exciting and innovative initiative from Forever
Manchester’s Community Building Team.
• Recognises women as Community Builders who
play a key role to bring about change in their
neighbourhoods
• Is the first specific training of it’s kind in the UK
• 3-5 Days Community Building Training.
TOGETHER

Karen Woods
TOGETHER

1st WiN Network Launched in Great Lever
TOGETHER

WIN Inspirational Women Book
TOGETHER

NOT FORGETTING THE MEN
TOGETHER

Men Sheds Australia • Started in Australia
• Over 500 Sheds
• Now Part of the Infrastructure that
supports programmes to improve
men’s health
• Social activity, utilising skills and
knowledge
Lostock Men’s Shed
• Established 2012 with Fair Share
Trust Funds £12K
• George retired business man
• Connected more than 25
retired/semi retired men in
Lostock
• Utilising classroom at Lostock
College
TOGETHER

Stories Are Our Currency………….
TOGETHER

ACCT – Alt Community Challenge Team
Resident Led Association
between:
•Residents of Alt Estate
•Forever Manchester
•First Choice Homes
•Oldham Council
•Alt Primary School
TOGETHER

What’s the ALTernative?
TOGETHER

ACCT Alters People
“As an officer, if you wanted anything doing on an estate you had to do it for the
community and handholdíng them through the entire process”!
“I felt that this old method had left the people of Alt amongst other estates with the
expectation that people would always come in and fix stuff for them”.
“The strength based approach has completely turned my old ethos on its head it’s
left me completely blown away by this new style of working”.
“You can only hold a child’s hand for so long, there comes a point where you have
to let go and let them walk for themselves”.
Forever Manchester has made her look at the way she works and given her the
opportunity to meet more people on the estate who Lisa admits “would never
have given me the time of day without this project”!
TOGETHER

THE ALTernative
• Hypernews Website
• Community House
• Jam and Preserve Club
• Coffee mornings
• Pottery Classes
• Knit & Natter
• Green Route to School
• £45K Budget
• 95 fruit trees
• 300 fruit bushes
• 10,000 bulbs
• Community Café
• Sewing Club
• Laughter Workshops
TOGETHER

Crucial Conversations
Forget Consultation - Hold ‘Crucial Conversations’!
TOGETHER

ACCT, FM Community Builder, FCHO CEO & Oldham’s Director of Public Health -
TOGETHER
May 2013

ALTogether Now Radio Show
TOGETHER

Denise’s Chippy
TOGETHER

Sholver Allotment Society
TOGETHER

TOGETHER
Film &
Discussion

Summing Up….
TOGETHER

"If you keep on doing what you've always done,
you'll HELPING LOCAL PEOPLE DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS
TOGETHER
keep on getting what you've always got”.
Hard2Reach
Thought I’d found
the perfect
solution….AGAIN!

And by doing so perhaps we attract.....
TOGETHER

Who’s ‘call’ is it anyway?
Where would we be without ‘The Usual Suspects’?
TOGETHER

Who’s ‘call’ is it anyway?
Build HELPING On LOCAL The PEOPLE Usual DO EXTRAORDINARY Suspects THINGS
Assets
TOGETHER

Ermmm
‘ello
Who you
gonna
call?
TOGETHER

Shift our focus from what’s wrong to what’s strong
TOGETHER

Create Space for Possibilities and
Opportunities will emerge…..
TOGETHER

TBOGeEcToHEmR e a Skilled at Spotting ‘The Light Bulb’ Moments

Why have a meeting when
you can have a party?
TOGETHER

TMOMGETHER OOMMEENNTTSS

Questions & Answers
TOGETHER

Asset Based Community Development Workshop

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Asset Based Community Development Workshop

Recently uploaded

Asset Based Community Development Workshop

Editor's Notes