We can, you can: lessons in regeneration

RENEW Practice Paper
February 2007

We can, you can
Lessons from the
RENEW Northwest
Exemplar Learning
Programme 2007 Julian Dobson
editorial director
New Start

The context ties in closely with the work of the
Academy for Sustainable Communities,

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hen asked about the which seeks to promote the skills
historical impact of the needed to build and nurture places that
French Revolution, former are physically, economically and socially
Chinese premier Zhou Enlai is sustainable.
reported to have replied: ‘It’s too soon Eight elements have been identified
to tell.’ The contemporary approach as vital in building sustainable
to evaluation is often the opposite: to communities. They are:
want to know the lessons before the Governance: a sustainable
event has been completed. community is well run.
RENEW Northwest’s Exemplar Transport and connectivity: it is well
Learning Programme aims to avoid both connected.
pitfalls by taking a considered approach, Services: it is well served by public,
recognising the complexities and nuances voluntary and community services.
of creating sustainable communities Environment: it is environmentally
while seeking to distil learning that can sensitive.
be shared and applied now. Equity: it is fair for everyone.
The programme, now in its third Economy: it is thriving.
year, does this by encouraging peers to Housing and the built environment: it
present to each other what they have is well designed and built.
learned in a wide variety of projects, Social and cultural activity: it is active,
from massive housing reconstruction inclusive and safe.
schemes to small community-based These elements are commonly
basic skills programmes. By focusing on known as the ‘Egan principles’, as they
difficulties overcome and knowledge were identified in the Egan review of
gained, it has been possible to draw out skills1, published by the UK government in
themes applicable in a variety of arenas. 2004, and subsequent policy documents.
In the 2007 They were given an international
programme, 14 dimension in December 2005 through
Acknowledgement schemes from the Bristol Accord of EU ministers, which
across Northwest agreed the benefits of creating sustainable
In compiling this report on RENEW England were communities and fostering place-making
Northwest’s 2007 Exemplar Learning shortlisted skills across Europe.
Programme, I am grateful for the help as potential This report seeks to identify key
and observations of all the participants exemplars and themes that have emerged from all
in the programme, and especially the presented their 14 shortlisted projects that will help
staff of RENEW Northwest and the achievements practitioners and policymakers to apply
members of the programme’s judging at a series of the Egan principles in real-life situations.
panel: Pauline Davis, Stephen Gleave, three events in
Charles Green, Neil McInroy and November and The exemplars
Barbara McLoughlin. December 2006.

T
Of these, five have he following five exemplars
Julian Dobson been chosen for were chosen in the 2007
Editorial director, New Start more detailed programme:
follow-up over the
Cover picture: Kensington Community course of 2007. Castlefields Regeneration
Choir performing at Philharmonic The Exemplar Project, Runcorn
Hall, Liverpool. Learning A comprehensive programme to
Photographer: Leila Romaya Programme revitalise an unpopular 1970s housing

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estate is beginning to nurture a new musical opportunities in one of the
sense of confidence in the area, as more most disadvantaged parts of Liverpool.
than 1,400 deck access flats are replaced The project is enriching the school
or improved, a new park is created and curriculum and proving that music can
the local centre is redeveloped. play a genuine role in regenerating a
community.
CommIT – Community ICT
Solutions, Lancaster University Stats and Maps, Rochdale
Volunteer students have helped a wide A groundbreaking internet-based
range of voluntary organisations and information system allows statutory
individuals, including young offenders agencies, community groups and the
and people with mental health public to get detailed data about the
problems, improve their information borough of Rochdale. Information that
and communications technology skills. would previously have taken professional
This has enabled voluntary groups to researchers hours to produce can be
become more efficient and individuals accessed by anyone in minutes.
to become more employable.
Stockport BME Children’s
Music for Life, Liverpool Project
One of Britain’s top orchestras has Seven different minority ethnic
joined forces with local schools and communities have come together, with
a regeneration agency to provide help from Stockport’s Children’s Fund,

Key points from the Exemplar Learning Programme 2007
Build on evidence but be ready to reinvent: and building relationships of trust and respect
the most successful projects learn from what enables partnerships to work effectively.
has gone before, but are sensitive to context.
Knowledge and expertise must be adapted to We learn by reflecting: evaluation is an
meet the unique challenges of places and people. essential learning process, especially when used
to adjust priorities and practice during a project.
We learn by listening: the programme
highlighted the importance of thorough We learn by owning: when participants feel a
preparation, listening to those who have been personal responsibility for a project, it generates
involved in similar projects and to the concerns an energy and will to succeed that turns
and aspirations of local people. obstacles into opportunities.

We learn by doing: meeting and overcoming Sharing the learning is important: while some
expected and unexpected challenges enables projects put systems in place at an early stage to
practitioners to learn what works and what share what has been learned, others appear to
doesn’t. Flexibility and pragmatism are vital to approach this as an afterthought. Learning may be
success. lost unless specific provision is made.

We learn by daring: the most effective The Egan principles need an underpinning
projects don’t stick to the obvious. They venture ethos: the most effective and convincing projects
into the unknown and set themselves challenges don’t just supply the elements of a sustainable
that are beyond the call of duty. community. They reveal an ethos that marries
energy and values to vital professional skills. A
We learn by valuing: overcoming conflicts successful project is more than just a job.

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to provide classes and resources to the Exemplar Learning Programme,
help their children learn about their however, is that learning from the
heritage and culture. evidence is part of the picture, not its
entirety: in itself, it does not create
Full details of these, and all shortlisted the drive and passion to succeed, the
projects, are on the RENEW Northwest infectious enthusiasm that wins over
website at www.RENEW.co.uk – go to sceptics, or the sense of value that
Resource Library and click on ‘Good persuades practitioners that a job is
practice case studies’. worth doing against the odds.
It would be hard, too, to argue
Building on evidence and that wheels should be reinvented. Yet
the Exemplar Learning Programme
reinventing wheels provided some examples of exactly

P
rofessions gather clichés and that: instances where it was felt
truisms as they mature and necessary to start with a blank sheet
develop. For the most part, in order to provide genuine local
they are based on good sense. But ownership of a project. More often,
genuine learning involves examining our it was a case of adapting the wheel:
assumptions. existing good practice was used
One such assumption is the and valued, but it was considered
necessity of evidence-based practice. equally important to fit it to local
Its opposite could be described as circumstances. Even those with
reinventing the wheel: repeating work many years’ experience of multi-
that has already been done hundreds million pound regeneration schemes
of times. recognised that whenever learning is
It would be hard to argue against applied, it is within a unique context
learning from the evidence. An of place and people. The wheel has to
important theme to emerge from suit the terrain.
Grove Village, on the edge of
Manchester city centre, is a case in

“ ”
It’s about us being the now point. This is a £100m programme
and not just the to regenerate what used to be an
unpopular and troubled housing
future. estate in Ardwick, plagued by a
LKC awards reputation for gun crime and empty
properties. There have been many
such housing programmes in the
past, and the lessons learned have
been well documented. Structurally,
Grove Village was different because
it was one of the first private
finance initiatives in housing, but the
difficulties faced and solutions applied
were familiar.
Grove Village demonstrates how
successful regeneration combines
both learning from evidence and an
element of reinventing the wheel.
The team leading the project,
which included Harvest Housing

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Group, Manchester City Council
and developers Gleeson, had vast
experience of housing redevelopment;
yet they said one of the key lessons
was to listen to the community,
support local residents and adapt the
scheme to suit residents’ needs.
Ian Perry, chief executive of
Harvest Housing Group, explained
what this meant in practice: ‘We
set out the big idea and we had the
vision of what it needed to be, but
how to do that we didn’t really know.
The detail of what we have done
actually came from the people who
live there.
‘We turned ideas into reality
It’s nearly four years since we

“ ”
with the residents. We can provide
the building blocks but they have to started bidding for money.
be put together differently in every
community. Every community will
Without the dedication from
want the shape to be different. You us as individuals and resources
can’t take Grove Village as a solution from our organisations the project
and plonk it somewhere else.’
One project did appear to have set
could easily have stalled.
out consciously to reinvent the wheel. East Manchester Home Front
This was the LKC Awards, a scheme
to celebrate the achievements of
young people in the Lower Kersal and officials, and I think this meant they
Charlestown area of Salford, which is did not receive the recognition that
home to a new deal for communities they deserved.’
initiative. Taking time to look at the
Here the award scheme was successes and lessons of other
facilitated by a youth worker, but youth award schemes might have
effectively started with a blank sheet encouraged a different approach. On
in order to give local young people the other hand, it might also have
a full sense of ownership. While diluted local youngsters’ belief that
it proved highly successful in this they were genuinely in control.
respect, it was clear that after the What emerges from the assembled
event the young people involved had experiences of the shortlisted
second thoughts about some of their projects is the magnitude of context.
decisions. Our exemplars cannot be cloned; but
Hannah Peake, the youth worker, their experience can be applied and
said: ‘The group made a decision adapted in new situations.
not to involve children under the The rest of this report examines in
age of 11 and in some ways I feel more detail the types of learning that
that this was a missed opportunity have emerged from the programme,
to recognise that children also get and may be applied in other contexts
involved in the community. They also in the task of creating sustainable
chose not to invite parents or any communities.

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Learning by listening: preparing community groups and the public to
the ground get detailed data about the borough of
Rochdale – crime statistics, educational

A
common characteristic of information, or details of local services.
the shortlisted projects was Users can tailor the information to
a willingness to learn right their own neighbourhood or area
from the start. Many stressed the value of interest, and staff from Rochdale
of effective preparation, and some Metropolitan Borough Council train
pointed to the pitfalls of acting without community groups to use the system.
sufficient groundwork. While the concept of Stats and
This learning took two principal Maps is simple, its execution was
forms: learning from outside, through complex. Data had to be gathered from
visits to similar schemes or knowledge a wide range of agencies, which needed
of relevant work done elsewhere; to be satisfied that the information
and learning from inside, through would not be compromised. A
conversation and negotiation with technical solution had to be found
project partners and stakeholders. to enable users to view information
By garnering this knowledge, clearly in a format that suited their
projects built the ability and confidence requirements. Data must be constantly
to set clear and realistic objectives and reviewed to ensure it is up to date.
gained a clarity about the strategies and Information specialists working for
skills needed to achieve them. statutory agencies took part in five
Stats and Maps is a striking example months of exploratory discussions
of thorough preparation. Stats and and fact-finding before the project
Maps is an internet-based information became a formal entity. Recognising
system that allows statutory agencies, that a high level of technical expertise
was required, tenders were invited
to set up and test the Stats and Maps
website. The site was established in
2004, but tested further with users and
developed over the following two years.
Even with such extensive
preparation, Stats and Maps has not
been glitch-free. In fact it was a victim
of its success: usage was so high that
the system became overloaded, and
further work has been necessary to
improve the site’s stability and speed.
While Stats and Maps shows
the value of internal learning, the
One of our huge restoration of Castle Park House

“ ”
in Frodsham, Cheshire, shows how
hurdles was external learning plays its part too. A
showing that while decaying former mansion house, given
we are a very to the town of Frodsham in 1933,
has been revived as a community
large university, there was a genuine ethos hub, bringing together local services,
of giving something back to the community. business space and training facilities.
The scheme was led by Frodsham
CommIT Forward, a market town regeneration

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All we ask is a slightly

“
different way of
working. All we ask
is a little bit of a
change in mindset.

”
Families Learning and
Employment
Programme (FLEP)

project, in partnership with Vale Royal agencies and the people the project is
Borough Council. What looks at intended to benefit.
first glance like a traditional building The shortlisted projects
restoration project proved remarkably demonstrated this practical learning in
intricate, involving detailed negotiations abundance. Many of them learned the
with service providers and the Charity importance of creating effective teams,
Commission, and permission from having personnel with the required
the secretary of state to alter a listed skills and seniority in place at an early
structure. stage. Others learned how to juggle
The project’s organisers did different funding streams, meeting
two things at the start: they held an different deadlines and requirements
extensive consultation to listen to while spending the money as
local residents; and they visited similar effectively as possible.
schemes elsewhere to learn about For others, the practical lessons
what had worked and what hadn’t. were to do with ensuring the
‘We learned lessons before setting engagement of local people, meeting
out,’ said Anne Boyd, market towns their aspirations without creating
project manager at Vale Royal. ‘It wasn’t unrealistic expectations.
about meeting the demands of the The Castlefields Regeneration
community or anyone else, but looking Project in Runcorn is a good example
for everybody round the table to gain. of this learning by doing. The £63m
The community have had their asset project to revive a run-down 1970s
restored.The council can deliver services housing estate involved more than
that are appropriate to community 50 individual projects, replacing or
needs, and partners are seeing increased improving more than 1,400 deck-
participation in services.’ access flats, and the creation of a
new community park on the site of a
Learning by doing: practicalities former school.
The project began with a detailed
and pragmatism masterplan setting out how the estate
would look at the end of the process.

T
he ability to think and rethink But as the partner agencies listened
on your feet without losing to local people, examined how each
sight of your objective is a element could be delivered and
prerequisite for successful project balanced resources, it became clear that
management. In the complex field of the masterplan had to be adapted as
sustainable communities, that must be the scheme progressed.
done while satisfying partners, funding ‘Local knowledge and understanding

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a catalyst to improve residents’ skills,
health and education. This demanded
close liaison with a wide range of
partner agencies, detailed financial
management and a strong rapport
with the local community. ‘Applying
to eight organisations each with
different agendas, application processes,
timescales and outputs was difficult to
say the least,’ the organisers admitted.
Working with police, sports, health
We make and education specialists has demanded

“”
sure students a high degree of adaptability. A year
before building work was due to begin,
are getting plans had to be redrawn on the advice
a genuine of the police architect so that the
experience of a draughty church hall on a sports village could meet ‘secured by
design’ principles.
Tuesday night. People are not getting last year’s Because the project was a flagship
lesson plans out – it’s what’s happened today scheme for the Football Association,
in their life. there was inevitably a strong emphasis
on football as the main sport on offer.
Compass Regeneration Academy The sports village is now beginning to
offer a wider range of sporting activities
to cater for other interests.
of the area proved very useful, often
helping to foresee how some of the Learning by daring: taking
conceptual elements of the masterplan
might be difficult to implement on the risks, reaping rewards
ground,’ said Derek Sutton, operational
director at Halton Borough Council,

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he most effective and
the lead organisation in the partnership. impressive projects don’t stop
‘Through extensive consultation at the obvious. They have an
events with both internal and external energy and a desire to generate change
partners, the partnership was able to that leads them to take risks. The prize
harness this knowledge and use it to of success counts for more than the
help adapt the masterplan.’ fear of failure.
Similarly, budgets and timescales In setting themselves tough challenges,
had to be constantly reviewed, the shortlisted projects entered
as changes in one element of the unknown territory, seeking to stretch
scheme had knock-on effects on beyond simply transferring best practice
another. Throughout this process the from elsewhere. A common theme was
partnership learned to keep local the ability to see outcomes rather than
people informed, and learned to outputs: to focus on the bigger picture
promise only what could be delivered. without putting fences around the
Salford Sports Village, similarly, possibilities.
demonstrates the need for flexibility. While all showed some risk-taking,
The aim was not just to provide a new it was noteworthy that two of the
sports centre in the Lower Kersal and schemes that were most prepared
Charlestown area, but to use sport as to take risks came from outside the

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traditional regeneration professions.

“ ”
Music for Life stemmed from
One of the first
the desire of the Royal Liverpool things we did over
Philharmonic Orchestra to make a 12 months was
difference on its doorstep. The contrast
between an internationally-renowned
to build honest
orchestra and the level of musical relationships and a bond of trust.
activity in nearby Kensington was West Cumbria Social Enterprise Hub
striking. To bridge the gap Music for
Life was created, a five-year project to
bring musical education to local schools
and to involve the community in the
orchestra’s programmes.
Kensington is a new deal for
communities area, with all the problems
that qualify a deprived area for new
deal funding. Poor housing, low
educational attainment and limited
job prospects all loomed higher on
the agenda than cultural activities. To
use music as a force for regeneration
seemed to some irrelevant at best, self-
indulgent at worst.
As Judith Agnew from the
Philharmonic explained: ‘We suffered While these might not be the results
from an attitude that classical music a regeneration agency normally looks
is elitist and this was just an audience for, the ripple effects are significant.
development exercise. By us saying we One head teacher, Charles Daniels at
would be working for at least five years, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School,
working every week with the children, reported that pupils’ behaviour had
we could use pester power from the been transformed since the start of
children – “come and see me perform”. Music for Life.
We were totally frank about how Two Ofsted inspection reports
committed we were to being there.’ have mentioned the impact of Music
There are now some 60 children at for Life; attendance at four of the five
five primary schools learning musical schools has improved; and key stage 2
instruments, and many have continued results in maths, science and English are
their interest into secondary education. markedly better. Adults, too, have got

“
People think going through the pouring rain night after night, is it
worth it? A lot of people fell by the wayside, but others came in.
As soon as we got financial
close and
contractual close a lot of
people started to see the
light at the end of the tunnel.
Grove Village
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involved, with a growing number joining which makes them more employable;
a community choir. community groups and their users
CommIT – the Community ICT learn how to use technology and apply
Solutions project run by Lancaster it to their needs, and reach a stage
University Volunteering Unit – is where they can take part in formal
another example of daring to reach accredited learning.
beyond the obvious. Again, this initiative
came from an organisation that is not Learning by valuing: building
part of the usual matrix of sustainable
communities professions and was trust, resolving conflicts
under no statutory or contractual
obligation to devote the time and effort

T
he need to build relationships
needed to make the idea work. of respect and honesty, to
The idea behind CommIT is that overcome negative perceptions
students at Lancaster University and assumptions, and to resolve
use their computer skills to help conflicts equitably was a strong theme
community groups. This has involved of several shortlisted projects.
assessing the needs of voluntary Participants learned how to
organisations, brokering partnerships value each others’ aspirations and
between students and community contributions, and as this mutual respect
groups, and working with mental health grew, they learned much about working
service users and young offenders. together and resolving difficulties.
Working through Blackpool Council While much material exists on how
for Voluntary Services, the university to form partnerships – negotiation
teamed up with 20 community skills, ideal legal structures and so on
organisations to conduct a ‘healthcheck’ – it is clear that much of the learning
of their ICT needs. about effective partnership takes place
The scheme works because there in situ, as individuals and organisations
is a bedrock of mutual benefit. The discover how to work together.
student volunteers learn about working Effective facilitation can help to breed
with communities and applying their empathy and understanding.
knowledge in practical contexts, The Stockport BME Children’s
Project demonstrates how such
relationships can be built and how

“
members of a partnership can learn
how to overcome difficulties.
The project was designed to tackle
the lack of culturally relevant education
We want to for black and minority ethnic children in
Stockport, a borough with a large white
be looking majority. It aimed to enable children
into the future to learn about their own culture, with
and looking at tutors from their own communities.
Instead of working separately with each
where change might be happening. People come community, Stockport Metropolitan
to us and want bits of data and Borough Council’s community
we try to challenge them to development team brought several
minority groups together to agree
think about what it means. a consistent approach, and provided
Stats and Maps support where there was a lack of

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community infrastructure: a Chinese

”
group was established to enable
children of Chinese background to
benefit from the programme.
The different community groups
learned to work together for the
first time, and for many it was also
The budget
their first experience of a long-term needed to
partnership with a statutory agency. be bent quite
But almost immediately the project
faced a major challenge, when funding
significantly, so
was reduced from £78,000 in 2005 to we did. Some
£45,000 in 2006. bean counter
‘Our greatest fear was the groups
would lose solidarity and start fighting
said it didn’t say
over their share of the budget,’ said anything about
Phoebe Spence, a member of the buses in the
community development team at
project budget, so the partners

“
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.
‘That’s what happened at our first creatively decided to ignore him.
meeting. Each came in and started Dig Manchester
pitching against each other. At the
second meeting the groups presented
to each other the value of what they The advice service was contracted
did, and what would happen if they had out to a specialist company, Co-
to cut. It then became very difficult operative and Mutual Solutions (CMS),
with the empathy that was there for which then had to convince local
groups to be cruel to each other and enterprises that it was there to help
take a bigger share of funding.’ and not to steal their business. Similarly,
By learning to face this challenge in CMS had to persuade individual social
a mutually supportive way, groups built enterprises that they could work
respect for each other and ensured the together without threatening each
project could survive and flourish. other’s livelihoods.
Several of the other shortlisted ‘We have gone out of our way to
projects had to resolve conflicts or establish relationships between social
overcome scepticism to reach a stage enterprises,’ CMS director Gareth
where their ideas and proposals were Nash said. ‘I think that’s key because we
valued and acted on. Castle Park won’t be here for ever.’
House in Frodsham had to deal with
political opposition; the LKC Awards Learning by reflecting: the
team had to convince funding agencies
that young people could be trusted to importance of evaluation
stage an event.

E
Relationships of trust have been vital valuation is a formal element
to the progress of the West Cumbria of most larger regeneration
Social Enterprise Hub. The hub provides projects, and substantial budgets
advice and support to fledgeling social are often set aside for it. Smaller
enterprises, many of which were initiatives frequently take a more
struggling to make the transition from informal approach, with less rigorous
charities to sustainable businesses. gathering of information. In all cases,

11

“
The most important
thing we learned was
to have the ability to
change the masterplan

”
and be more flexible
and adapt.
Castlefields

however, the importance of stepping learning transferable lessons is the way
back and considering what has been two of the shortlisted projects used
achieved cannot be underestimated. evaluation to rethink and refocus their
The shortlisted projects in the work while it was still in progress.
Exemplar Learning Programme East Manchester Home Front is
showed a range of approaches, from a small-scale project that involves
independent monitoring and analysis to residents in the area’s regeneration
relatively brief post-event assessments. through short ‘taster’ courses
The Families Learning for on practical DIY and gardening,
Employment Programme (FLEP), encouraging them to develop literacy
a national pilot scheme based in and numeracy skills and support local
Wythenshawe, south Manchester, regeneration projects. Some residents
shows one such approach.This scheme have progressed to more advanced
aims to improve parents’ employability construction skills training.
by involving them in their children’s While the sessions were popular, a
education, and links a wide range of formal evaluation after the first round of
agencies that share similar objectives. courses showed that the training in basic
It is being monitored closely by the skills could be improved. The steering
Department for Communities and group took the decision to change the
Local Government, via an evaluation trainer; while this was a tough choice,
team from KPMG. Detailed statistics are there was a clear improvement in quality
being gathered about who is benefiting as a result.
from the programme and how. Compass Regeneration Academy
Perhaps more significant in terms of is a much larger project: housing

Our biggest failing

“
was not realising
how good the
scheme was – it
took a while for the penny to
drop. The project is so good we
would move
anything to make
room for it.
Music for Life

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organisations across Merseyside have people took part in the excavation
joined forces to train the ‘stars of of Northenden Mill over four weeks
tomorrow’ to plug skills gaps in their in the summer of 2006, and the
workforce.The academy has a strong excitement and involvement was
emphasis on practical learning, but shared among children, older people,
because the organisers were venturing schools, university staff, artists and
into new territory they arranged a regeneration professionals.
formal evaluation of the first phase by a
team from the University of Manchester.

“
The evaluation resulted in several
significant changes. The course was
shortened; more emphasis was placed
on practical work; and access was
extended to non-graduates. The course
There are no
now leads to a formal qualification magic solutions
through the City and Guilds Institute of to this work, but
Management and Leadership.
there are magic
Learning by owning: a personal ingredients,
passion to succeed and the first
is starting
from what
O
wnership is a word that is
the community wants for itself.

”
often used loosely: it can
suggest close involvement
without actually committing anybody to
Stockport BME Children’s
anything. Genuine ownership involves Project
taking responsibility, going the extra
mile, being unwilling to countenance The sense that ‘this is about us’ was
failure. Ownership says, in a nutshell, heightened by the contrast between
‘this is about me’. the participants’ enthusiasm about
Such ownership can occur in discovering their heritage and the poor
projects created and led by statutory reputation of Wythenshawe among
organisations, but seldom grows the wider public. Dig Manchester
without the close involvement of challenged that reputation and fostered
the local community or a project’s local pride. Now that the dig is over, an
intended beneficiaries. Ownership is online heritage trail has been created
sometimes learned, but is more often a for Wythenshawe and links have been
catalyst for learning. forged with a local history group.
Most of the shortlisted projects, and The local ownership of the project
especially the five selected exemplars, was also seen in a ‘can do’ approach to
displayed such ownership. Participants funding: when the partners realised the
were determined to make things budget needed to be ‘bent significantly’
happen because success or failure to pay for transport from schools to the
mattered to them personally. excavation site, they just got on with it.
Dig Manchester, a community This ‘it’s about us’ dimension was
archaeology project based in also central to the impact of the
Wythenshawe in the south of the city, Stockport BME Children’s Project: the
showed that ownership is not the different community groups involved felt
preserve of a select few. Nearly 1,200 so strongly about the need for children

13

– FLEP, Grove Village and Salford Sports
It wasn’t about Village – and here delegations from
meeting the outside have been welcomed and there
is an assumption that achievements
demands of will be shared. Support from national
the community government or institutions provides an
or anyone else, opportunity for experience to feed into
the development of policy and practice.
but looking Compass Regeneration Academy
for everybody and Stats and Maps are examples of
round the table schemes where continuity is intended.
What is learned is then applied to the

“”
to gain. future development of the project; this
Castle Park also gives outsiders a chance to learn
House from what has been achieved.
East Manchester Home Front and
CommIT are schemes that aim to
to discover their heritage that they take people to a particular stage: they
determined the scheme would succeed provide training in practical skills that
even when faced with funding cuts. enable people to progress into more
Ownership was also demonstrated formal education. In both cases the
through strong lines of accountability: end is the beginning of something else.
the tutors were employed by Here, though, the extent to which
Stockport Metropolitan Borough learning can be shared depends to a
Council, but reported first of all to great degree on the ability of the next
community representatives. agency down the line to identify and
use what has been learned.
Sharing the learning: how to There is a final group of projects
where there is no obvious strategy
pool the knowledge for sharing the learning. This doesn’t

S
ome projects are better than mean learning is not passed on:
others at identifying what they the enthusiasm to take part in the
have learned and passing it on. In Exemplar Learning Programme itself
time-limited schemes, sharing learning reveals a desire to share experience.
is often not a priority: evaluations But projects like the LKC Awards
concentrate on outputs achieved and and Castle Park House do not seem
targets hit rather than pinpointing what to have factored this sharing into
can be replicated. their initial costs and programmes,
Three positive approaches can be so it appears to have happened as a
seen in the projects shortlisted for the result of the schemes’ success. Sharing
Exemplar Learning Programme. These lessons can be low on the agenda
are integrated learning, where provision when the first priority is to make
is made at the start for lessons to be something happen. Often a project has
shared; continuity, where learning can to achieve first in order to convince
be built into future development; and others that the work has been
handover, where the achievements of worthwhile. Such learning is fragile and
one project are handed on to another easily lost.
agency to take forward. There is scope for improving the
Some of the shortlisted projects way learning is shared by embedding it
were set up as pilots or exemplars within time-limited projects. This calls

14

for a recognition of the value of shared the judging panel for the Exemplar Reference
1
learning by funding agencies and key Learning Programme were those that The Egan
staff: recording and communicating demonstrated this energy. One of Review: Skills
learning needs to be built into budgets the panel referred to the ‘imagination for Sustainable
and project management. That is not and creativity and risk’ of the Communities
always easy when funds are tight, staff applicants; another commented on the http://www.
are working flat out to get a project ‘commitment, enthusiasm and passion communities.
going, and the benefits may not be felt and goodwill from the community right gov.uk/index.
by the project’s target clientele. through to the professionals.’ Another asp?id=1502285
praised the problem-solving approach:
From Egan to ethos ‘People who are flexible and able to
face the issue and find a solution are

T
he learning we have observed like gold dust.’
among the 14 shortlisted The recurring theme of the five
projects can be divided into selected exemplars is that ‘we can’: we
two broad categories. can make music; we can create a place
In the first basket are the we want to live in; we can celebrate
assessment and observation that our culture; we can teach and learn
take place at the start of a project; new skills; we can use information
the experience of undertaking it; effectively to improve our town. The
and the evaluation as it proceeds central lesson of the Exemplar Learning
and concludes. These processes help Programme is that others can, too.
identify skills that are needed, test
them in practice and embed them in
future activity. They are the specialist
and generic skills identified by Egan as
being in short supply and in need of
nurturing throughout the professions
working for sustainable communities.
The second basket contains the
qualities that are needed for the job
and learned on it: ownership of the
project, valuing people and resolving
conflicts, taking risks in pursuit of
a greater gain. These qualities are
closely associated with the generic
skills of leadership, negotiation and
communication.
Together they point to the ethos at
From day one our motto

“
the heart of a successful project. An
ethos is more than a set of skills: it is a was: it’s not just about bricks
driving force that embodies values and
principles that give a project energy and mortar. We have a shiny
and the ability to surmount obstacles. new £5m building with lovely
To put it another way, the ethos wooden floors and art on the
is what binds the Egan principles
together and generates the walls, but that’s not what it’s
necessary drive to create sustainable about. It’s about people.
communities in challenging contexts. Salford Sports Village
The projects that most impressed

15

RENEW Northwest is the Regional Centre of
Excellence for Sustainable Communities.We develop
dynamic and responsive learning opportunities to
provide practitioners with the skills and knowledge
required to deliver sustainable communities.
One of our major aims is to gather good
practice and help to make it accessible to all in a
way that promotes learning and helps others to
benefit from the experience gained.
The RENEW Northwest Exemplar Learning
Programme aims to do just that – identify and
showcase examples of good practice in sustainable
communities throughout the Northwest.
The programme facilitates the sharing of
knowledge and learning through celebrating
examples of projects where those involved have
worked together to:
Learn from experience and change practice as a
result
Find innovative ways of overcoming barriers
Provide inclusive leadership to all who need to be
involved
Create inclusive partnerships or project teams
Use evaluation or experience to modify practice
Successfully ensure that the project is sustainable
This publication sets out the lessons derived
from the 2007 Programme.
Summaries of the individual projects and
further information about the Exemplar Learning
Programme 2007 are available on the RENEW
Northwest website at www.RENEW.co.uk
We welcome feedback to info@RENEW.co.uk

RENEW Rooms
The Tea Factory, 82 Wood Street
Liverpool L1 4DQ
Tel: +44 (0)151 703 0135 Fax: +44 (0)151 703 0136
Email: info@RENEW.co.uk Web: www.RENEW.co.uk

This publication was researched and written by
Julian Dobson and designed by Chris McCarthy
for NS+ Ltd, www.nsplus.co.uk, tel: 0114 229 5726.

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