The document discusses the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) in Glyncoch, Wales, highlighting its role in asset-based community development amidst economic challenges following the coal mine closures in the 1980s. The approach emphasizes empowering individuals by identifying and utilizing their existing assets, which has led to significant community improvements, such as increased educational qualifications and the establishment of local regeneration initiatives. By 2014, the perception of living in Glyncoch improved notably, demonstrating the effectiveness of SLA in fostering community resilience and collaboration.

1. The Sustainable Livelihoods
Approach (SLA) in Wales and its
role in relation to coproduction
and Asset Based Community
Development (ABCD)

2. Setting the Scene…
Glyncoch, Pontypridd 2005
• Estate built in the 1950s to cater for the local mining
industry.
• Decline into deprivation following the coal mine
closures during the 1980s.
• Population of 3000, 1500 houses (including 100+ Void
Properties)
Key Stats (Circa 2005)
• 45% Unemployment
• 45% of 16+ with no qualifications
• 13/365 for Health on WIMD

3. Setting the Scene…
New Communities First team in position in
2005
Lack of engagement and involvement from
the community
No interest in “Partnership” meetings

4. Setting the Scene…
2006

5. Setting the Scene…
A foundation for the
organic
development of both
coproduction and
ABCD

6. Setting the Scene…
2006-2007

7. Setting the Scene…
December 2007 Introduced to…
S L ASustainable Livelihoods Approach

8. What is SLA?
‘A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses
and shocks, and maintain its assets and capabilities, both now and in the
future…”
(Adapted from Chambers and Conway, 1992)
A person-centred, assets
based approach to
personal and community
development

9. What is SLA?
It aims to tackle core issues, rather than numerous
superficial problem
It enables a person to identify and maximise use of their
existing assets
It encourages the creation of asset-based solutions
(discouraging dependency on services, empowering
individuals and therefore building resilience)
Fosters collaboration… providing a platform for
coproduction

10. What is SLA?

11. Free Resources
(person centred approaches)

12. How to embed SLA?

13. The Result
Creation of Glyncoch Community Regeneration Ltd (ownership
of all regeneration activities and the development of a new
community centre)
Organically created one of the very first Work Clubs in C1st in
2008
Increased the number of adult learner qualifications from 25 to
400+ within 5 years
£100k Local authority investment into recycling
40,000 hours of volunteering during 2007

14. The Result
Community built their own community park on a budget
of £2k
By 2012 there was a waiting
list to live in Glyncoch
An independent study
demonstrated that the
number of people who
would recommend living
in the area had risen from
42% to 72% from 2004 to 2014

15. How Does SLA Fit?

16. Closing Thoughts – Maintaining equality

17. Thank You