People and Places and Curiosity How do we identify our community assets and make the most of them?

Community Assets, Curiosity and Conversations What are our community assets? How do we identify our community assets? How do we make the most of them? Q and A Session Resources for the curious

People and places and curiosity Thinking about where you live or have lived. Work in groups of 3-4 to: Individually recall a time when people came together and made a difference locally? What was it that made a difference and why? Share it in your small group.

People and places and community assets Community Assets include: Individual Assets – gifts, skills and capacities of local people Groups and Associations – formal / informal networks & local groups Assets of local institutions – schools, places of faith, parks & businesses Physical resources – green spaces, meeting places, under used land Economic Resources – money, local currencies,

Community Assets as a diagram .

Community assets in reality .

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Builds on the assets that are found in the community and mobilises individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to realise and develop their strengths. Strengths based approach – focuses on what’s strong not what’s wrong with an area Action is realised through local associations – for themselves by themselves Everyone has gifts, relationships build community, citizens matter, active leaders involve others actively in communities, people caring about something enough to act. Explore - collect stories, map the gifts, capacities and assets of individuals, associations and institutions

Asset Mapping in Practice A process that helps discover and connect assets Not just about data collection – connecting people on the basis of their assets Residents and their associations undertake asset mapping Builds new relationships, learn about local gifts and talents Identifies links between assets Community Connectors are central to this process

Community Connectors and Learning Conversations Connectors engage and talk with their neighbours with the purpose of finding out: What do people care enough to do something about? What gifts and talents they would like to contribute? What would need to happen for them to join like minded locals in the community building effort?

Community Connectors and Learning Conversations Discovery through conversations & observation in neighbourhoods Information gathering Mapping -> Ideas Fair -> Action 1. Walkabout & conversation 2. Ask open questions 3. What needs community attention? 4. What obvious assets do we have that we can use to attend to the items above? 5. What hidden assets (treasures) do we have that, if we found and connected, would help? 1. Convene, share and map information 2. Decide how you will plot the information 3. Make it visual and colourful 4. Plot associations – where people gather to do stuff they care about 5. Who are the other local community connectors?

Community Connectors and Learning Conversations Connectors engage and talk with their neighbours with the purpose of finding out: What dopeople care enough to do something about? What gifts and talents they would like to contribute? What would need to happen for them to join like minded locals in the community building effort?

Resources Still curious about identifying our community assets? Here are some areas for you to explore: https://www.nurturedevelopment.org/asset-based-community- development/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5xR4QB1ADw (Short Ted talk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5wK8455pwo   (Longer more thoughtful video) Other tools for asset mapping http://nypartnerships.org.uk/node/134 communitysupport@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk

Q & A Session