Presentation by Cormac Russell exploring the ongoing development of Learning Sites in the UK and beyond.

2. “Making the invisible, visible”
Cormac Russell

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• Our Learning Sites in the UK include: Bristol, Croydon,
Kirklees, Leeds, Gloucestershire, Thurrock, Lichfield, North
West -Manchester, Wirral, South Ayrshire and Fife.
• Outside of the UK we have a strong presence in East Africa:
Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan. We have also worked in South
Africa and many other countries around the world.
Our Learning Sites
1. Ayrshire & Arran
2. Bristol
3. Fife
4. Gloucestershire
5. Kirklees
6. Leeds
7. Lichfield
8. North West (Trafford)
9. Thurrock
10.Torbay
11.West Croydon
12.Wirral
Our UK Learning Sites

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Impact
• 77 Community Connectors discovered
• 300 community members actively engaged in the
process
• 240 community and voluntary organisations
actively connected to ABCD practices
• 77 Community-led Projects initiated
Paul Macey, Associate Jennine Bailey, Associate
ABCD Guides
West Croydon
Our Learning Sites

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West Croydon
Our Learning Sites

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Wirral
Our Learning Sites
Impact so far
• 130 Local residents trained on ABCD
• 20 Community Connectors trained and being
mentored
• 5 Neighbourhoods actively engaged in community
building.
ABCD Guide
Chris Shaw, ABCD Guide & Partner Support

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Wirral
Our Learning Sites

9. 6 Top Tips From Our UK
Experience

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Emerging lessons
Emerging lessons
1. A local association who is committed to
community
building is critical as a host

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Emerging lessons
Emerging lessons
2. Start by making the invisible visible

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Emerging lessons
Emerging lessons
3. Effective community building goes at the speed
of trust

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Emerging lessons
Emerging lessons
4. Start with what’s strong to address what is
wrong, and make what’s strong even stronger

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Emerging lessons
Emerging lessons
5. Community Connectors are a critical

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Emerging lessons
Emerging lessons
6. The optimum size of approx. 300-3,000

16. City of Karratha
City of Launceston
Dorset Council
Shire of Kalamunda
City of Stirling
City of Wanneroo
City of Onkaparinga
City of Charles SturtShire of Murray
Parramatta
Gosford City Council
City of Wyndham
City of Whittlesea
Sunbury
Bass Coast Shire Council
National Network of ABCD Community Building
Learning Sites

17. Eight Touch Stones

18. We don’t mean this…

19. We mean this…

20. Which does your current
community engagement
efforts most resemble?

21. Communities are complex, they
demand continuous learning

22. Touch Stone 1: Finding a
Community Builder Team
Start your
Initiator group

23. The main protagonists:
• Leader – someone that can bring people
together to work on an issue
• Gift Giver – a person that is willing to
contribute their asset to work on an
issue.
• Invisible Person – a person that has not
yet been “discovered” or been convinced
to use their assets to help achieve their
dreams or address their concerns in the
neighborhood.

24. The unsung hero!
• Community Builder – an individual that is good
at discovering what people care about and
where their assets can be used. Not a single
issue person!
• Gift centered
• Well connected
• Trusted
• Believe they are welcome

25. Touch Stone 2: Recruiting a
Community Builder

26. The Characteristics of
Community Builder
• A facilitator/includer
• A line back/gapper
• A community builder in their own life
• A child-like curiosity/with an adult presence
• Never does for others what they can do for
themselves

27. Touch Stone 3 : Hosting
Conversations to Discover Assets
and What People Care About.
Discovering, Mapping and Connecting
What do people
care about
enough to work
on?
Appreciating
what’s good
about the
community

28. Touch Stone 4 : Engaging Local
Groups and Associations
Ask what else they want to do, who else they
know who might be interested in an ideas fair?
e.g. Faith
communities,
sporting groups,
environmental groups
etc
Informal social
networks
Do your
map

29. Map Jam

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31. Touch Stone 5 : Building Connections
Through Social Interaction Activities and
Shareable
Community Opportunities

33. Skillshare/
Sharefest

34. Seed Swap
Repair Cafe

35. A Really,
Really Free
Market
Swap Meet

36. Touch Stone 6: Visioning and
Planning
3 Key Questions:
1 What can we do?
2 What do we need outside help with?
3 What do we need outside agencies to do for us?

38. Touch Stone 7-Implementing Change
(Doing & Reviewing)

39. Touch Stone 8: Fostering
Celebration

41. Eight Touch Stones
Finding a Community Builder Team
Recruiting a Community Building
Hosting community conversations to
discover assets and what people care
about
Engaging community groups and
associations
Building connections through social
interaction and sharable opportunities
Visioning and planning
Implementing change (doing and
reviewing)
Fostering celebration