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Imaginative use of 'dream balloons' at St John the Evangelist, Clapham |
Back to Social Issues contents page The Diocese employs a full-time Community Development Adviser who, together with the Urban Projects Adviser are able to recommend to parishes and projects a number of consultants experienced in the field, who will undertake specific pieces of work such as evaluations, social audits, feasibility projects and management committee training. These are funded through Church Urban Fund small grants or by the parish itself. Free resource pack for development of church buildings COMMUNITY
WORKS - Community Development Briefing The Community Development Adviser works primarily with Urban Priority Area parishes through providing individual and ongoing consultancy over an agreed period. In addition, training workshops, publications and briefing papers are available diocesan-wide. The Adviser is based in the Woolwich Area Mission Team, 74% of whose parishes are UPA. A three-year strategy for community development work was produced and agreed in May 2000: key highlights are detailed below. A full copy is available from the Community Development Adviser. What is Community Development? Community development is:
Community Development is about building 'community'. It includes how people use their building for community use, how they find out about local needs, and how they respond to those needs. Take, for example, Together in Notre Dame in Clapham... In 1996 a steering group worked with Ann Stricklen, Community Development Adviser, to look at local needs and resources, and develop a proposal for a community project operating on the Notre Dame estate. Funding bids were successful, and they appointed a Community Development Worker in 1997. The project has gone from strength to strength, and now includes an annual carnival, a well-established youth project, holiday playschemes and workshops for adults and children. Community Development is... Part of missionCommunity development is part of the church's mission, alongside other Diocesan fields - such as race relations, evangelism, lay training. There are many overlaps, and the community development worker will be working collaboratively with many colleagues. Community Development is... Helping peopleCommunity development is about helping people without power or confidence to find ways of participating and enabling change. That means always starting where people are, and building on their experience, with their agendas. The Orchard Community Project in Deptford has elected local residents onto their Management Committee as a step towards ensuring that the community agenda, not just the church agenda, is addressed. Community Development is... Participative CommunityDevelopment training will aim to be participative and experiential with publications and bulletins in handbook style, with checklists, 'user friendly' language, and pictures. Community Development is a... Slow processCommunity development is a long slow process - results don't tend to happen overnight and, like decorating, if you want good results you have to spend most of the time in careful preparation work. The impact of the work on both individuals and communities is long term and sustainable. It can change people's lives. Community Development is... A gospel requirementCommunity development builds on a gospel requirement to proclaim our faith and serve our neighbour. This Diocese has a strong tradition of community action and local involvement - church members have individual ministries in the local community, and community groups often share church buildings. The church is the only organisation which exists for the people outside of it, welcomes all comers and is truly local - even its workers live there. It can be the 'glue' which holds together other community agencies and initiatives, both statutory and voluntary. Community Development takes... Energy and timeBut responding to needs involves energy and time. As Community development Adviser, Jill McKinnon hopes to encourage and tell people about why it's important and how to do it well, even in what may seem like small ways. At St Dunstan's Bellingham they have set up 'Rolling dun-Stones', a parent and toddler group which truly responds to the needs of local parents, involves them in its organisation, and encourages and expects high standards of behaviour and child care from its users. Key elements of the Community Development strategy for the next 3 years A shift in culture in access and delivery of servicesJill McKinnon and Steph Blackwell hope to increase the take-up in UPA parishes of Church Urban Fund small grants, available for social audits, management committee training and feasibility studies. St John the Evangelist, Clapham recently received a grant for conducting an audit of the needs and resources of the local area, in order to decide how to use its extensive building space. Their imaginative use of the grant included 'dream balloons' for children and a reminiscence afternoon for older folk. They are now ready to move on to the next stage of developing the use of their buildings. Jill McKinnon has helped them design the process - why they were finding out, what they were finding out, how they went about it, how they drew conclusions. Community use of sections of church buildingsUrban churches are often burdened by maintaining large, crumbling buildings with small congregations and not enough cash. Expansions and renovations involve architects, quantity surveyors and diocesan committees. But there is usually a plan to extend community use which involves thinking through why you're doing it, what you do, and how you manage it once it's done. Working this out BEFORE the new building is up and running will help to avoid problems of 'ownership' of the building, employment of staff, and necessary policies. Tedious - but less traumatic than ironing out difficulties and disputes which at worst may even take you to tribunal. Lay Participation, in Church StructuresAn Equal Opportunities Work book for parishes is being prepared, which will address some of the issues raised in the Diocesan report on Institutional Racism, as well as changes which effect churches from the Disability Discrimination Act. Local Churches and RegenerationRegeneration and change is all around in urban areas, but does not necessarily involve local people in consultation and decision-making. Jill is working with staff in London Diocese and people with experience in our own Diocese to offer people the opportunity to get involved, building confidence and skills. This is being trialled first in Southwark and Newington Deanery. Information and CommunicationHowever well something is promoted, there will always be people who say, "No-one told me about that". Nevertheless, we want to do better: Wendy Arden-White, the Woolwich Area Mission Team Secretary, will be building a database of church community involvement, which will be used to target information and enable people's valuable experience to be shared. So don't groan when you are asked what you're doing - you may gain from it! What can we you?Parish ConsultancyIf you are in an Urban Priority Area parish, contact us if you could use help with any of the following:
TrainingLook out for workshops or modules on a wide range of community-related issues, including:
Sharing Information and Publications
Contact the Community Development Adviser, Sue
Hutson, at: Back to top of page |
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