Forever Manchester's Connecting Communities Workshop Slides

1. HELPING LOCAL PEOPLE DO
EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.
James Hampson
Connecting Communities
Co-ordinator
Forever Manchester
Connecting Communities Workshop

2. Introductions
• Write down 1 thing you could teach and 1 thing you
would like to learn
• Stick them under the headings at the back of the
room
• Tell us who you are and something that you are good
at
• What brings you to the session
• Each table to agree a spokesperson/spokespersons
• Spokesperson feedback any interesting findings
– Does anyone have any skills in common?
– Any interesting skills/interests?
– What types of things bring people here?

3. Forever Manchester
• Community Foundation for Greater Manchester
• Been active for 26 Years
• Raise and distribute funds to communities of Greater
Manchester
• 2011 We discovered a different way of working
• Developed the UK’s first dedicated ABCD Community
Building Team
• Now apply the ethos of ABCD to all aspects of our business
including grant making
• We work with Communities to help them do “Extraordinary
things together”

4. Our Traditional Grant Making Approach
Deficiency
Dependency
Needs
Bureaucratic
Panel Driven
Restricted
Competitive
Tell us what’s wrong not what’s strong
in your community….
Find It,
Fund it &
Fix it….

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

6. Deficit Model
• What Problems do you think can be created by
this approach?
• Competition between groups
• Apathy
• Negative Stereotypes
• Local of local pride
• Dependency

9. What is Asset Based Community
Development?
• Is a different way of viewing communities for service
providers, community groups and individuals
• It encourages people to think about and investigate
what skills and talents are already in the community
• We believe that when people care about something they
have a motivation to act
• Communities and everyone in them are better off when
they work together

10. Principals of Community Building
 Start with discovering people’s strengths
 Start with relationship building
 Local led action is more durable and sustainable
than professional programmes
 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

11. A shopping list

12. We Can GameCredit - Cormac Russell of Nurture Development and Inclusion Press

13. TheWe Can Game
• The 100 skills are based on the work of Jodi
Kretzman and John McKnight of the ABCD Institute
• The game can be used to get people thinking
differently about their capacities/assets
• Can begin the process of asset mapping individuals
• It can start to identify people to invite in to our
community efforts

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

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

16. Neighbourhood Asset Map
Physical Space
Local Economy
StoriesInstitutions
Associations
Individuals
My
Community
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
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

17. What are Assets?
There are 4 key Assets in every community…
1) Individuals
2) Associations
3) Institutions
4) Physical Assets

18. What are Assets?
1) Individuals
• At the centre of ABCD are residents of the
community that have gifts and skills.
• Everyone has assets and gifts.
• Individual gifts and assets need to be recognized and
identified.
• In community development you cannot do anything
with people’s needs, only their assets.
• Deficits or needs are only useful to institutions.

19. What Are Your Gifts?

20. Assets of the Head
• Take 3 Post–It Notes
• Write your name on each note
• Write down 3 Gifts of the Head, one on each note
– Things I know something about and would enjoy
talking about with others

21. Assets of the Heart
• Take 3 more Post–It Notes
• Write your name on each note
• Write down 3 Gifts of the Heart, one on each note
-Things I am passionate about, things that
make me take action

22. Assets of the Hands
• Take 3 more Post–It Notes
• Write your name on each note
• Write down 3 Gifts of the Hands, one on each note
– Things or skills I know how to do and could
potentially share with others

23. Head, Heart, Hands
• This is a good exercise to do with groups
• Can start a conversation about ideas
• Start connections around mutual gifts
• Creates Conversation
• Fun way to discover individuals community assets
• Can be used to make connections between people
(more on this later)

24. What are Assets?
2) Associations
• Small formal and informal groups of people
• Clubs working with a common interest as volunteers
are called associations in ABCD and are critical to
community mobilization.
• They are coming together around a common
interest by their individual choice

25. Community Associations
• Every effort should be made to contact and include
as many as possible
• Associations can take on new roles e.g. Community
Funday
• Informal Associations are as useful as formal
associations

26. Community Associations
• Catalyst
• Buildings
• Resources
• Create Space
• Experience e.g. funding applications
• Skills and talents of members
• Encourage others to get involved
• CollectiveVoice

27. What are Assets?
3) Institutions/Service providers
• Paid groups of people who generally are
professionals who are structurally organized are
called institutions.
• They include government agencies and private
business, as well as schools, etc.
• They can all be valuable resources.
• The assets of these institutions help the community
capture valuable resources and establish a sense of
civic responsibility.

28. Asset Mapping
Asset Mapping allows us to build up a picture of what
assets are available for us to use and mobilise.
On a physical map of where you live you can identify the
• Institutions
• Physical Assets
• Associations

32. Asset Mapping
• This exercise is especially effective with small groups of residents
• Asset Mapping is a good way of getting people talking
• An Asset Map can be useful in inspiring community action and
involvement
• Informal groups who regularly meet are worth adding and connecting
• Make sure that the map is visible and accessible by everyone in the
community
• Always review and add to the map

33. The Power of Two
• If one person spent one day having a conversation to
two people about what they could create (1+2)
• If the next day, those two people each had a
conversation with two different people (1+2+2+2)
• And so forth
• Then in 10 days, 2047 people would be having a
conversation
• In 15 days, 65,536 people would be in conversation
• In 20 days, 2 million people would be in conversation
Asset Based Community Development Institute

34. Bumping Spaces
• Meet and talk to people in spaces they
naturally meet (Bumping Spaces)
• Start a different conversation about
themselves and Community Life
• Map the assets instead of identifying
the needs
• Shift the conversation from what’s
wrong to what’s strong
• Positive questions will receive a
positive response
• What types of questions might we ask?

35. Bumping Spaces
• Do you know about the event we’re having?
• Have you got any hobbies or interests?
• What sort of stuff do you do to keep the kids busy?
• Have you ever had an Idea for something you’d like to do in the
community?
• What are you good at?
• What do you really care about?
• Can you help us?

36. 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

37. What are Assets?
5) Connections
• Assets become stronger when they are connected
together
• Connections between people based on strengths
build healthy relationships

38. Connecting
• Connecting Community Assets is the key to
Community Building
• Quite simply it is the building of relationships
between different members of the community for
shared benefits
• Relationships are built on shared and compatible
strengths
• Connections should be made between all
members and organisations in the community
• Ideas and Community Projects are perfect arenas
for people to build Connections

39. Connect the room

40. Host a party!

41. Stories
• Community Stories can help to create a
shared history and sense of belonging
• Stories can motivate and inspire others
• Tell of a time when people came
together and achieved something
extraordinary
• Sharing success continues and builds
community momentum

42. Fundraising
• What do you fundraise for?
• How do you fundraise?
• Where do you get donations from?

43. Do you really need funding?
At sometimes all groups will need funds to make
themselves bigger and better but first consider this
• By looking around the community you can make your
money go further
• Do local businesses want to sponsor you?
• Can you add a small fee?
• Are you raising money to give to someone else?
• Benefits include
• More people involved
• Raises local awareness
• Funding can help others in the community

44. What can each of
these groups do?
Who do these
people know?

45. How you can help Forever Manchester
• Fundraise and donate to us!
• Self Fundraise
• Spread the word about us
• Tell us your stories