NEIGHBOURHOOD CHALLENGE
HOLY TRINITY COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIP CENTRE Faith based outreach through ‘Listening Matters’ approach to organising
Neigh b innov ourhood Chall ative en le from NEST arning pr ge was a n A and ogram It sup p B m organ orted 17 d ig Lottery e if is Fund test t ations an ferent . heir a d par t p local n p e r r o s ac hips ly to aime -led chang h to enab d to l l e . T he pr ing earn appro ogram abou a tw me but a ches wor ked w hat lso to ithin the ro find o ea u l be in e of funde t more ab ch area, rs of creat out w al in h for lo cally g the righ l kinds co at u led c hang t conditio ld e. ns
Each local p roject began with a belief that their co mmunity had the creative potential, an d ability to m obilise a range of unta pped resour ces, skills and assets to mak e a positive d ifference on local issues. In many case s, this require different way d s of working , using methods or techniques un familiar either to the organ isation or to their commun The projects ity. were suppor ted to trial th locally tailore eir d approach fo r one year, and were en couraged to learn, take ris and reflect on ks, their practice, adapting and changin g their appro ach in respon to challenges se faced along the way.
This paper is one of a set of 17 produced by Icarus, the Neigh bourhood Challenge Learning Partner. It describes what we learned from just on e project. It draws on the perspectives of the local team and others involved in lea ding community action through semi -structured interview s and a review of the project’s blog-posts . We hope you find it a useful resource.
r If you would like to read about the othe we what t projects, or find out more abou learned across the whole programme we have produced a range of other resources including a full learning paper, a briefing for funders seeking to work differently, and a short animation providing an overview :
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Introducing the project In Newark, Holy Trinity Community and Partnership Centre came together with the charitable trust RE:generate to support and enable people from the NG24 postcode to make the changes that they both needed and wanted in their community. The Partnership included the Parish of Holy Trinity RC Church, the Holy Trinity School and the Community Centre that is run as a community enterprise. The project chose to apply RE:generate’s ‘Root Solutions Listening Matters’ process which was the first time this had been tried in a faith community. Situated in an area with a diverse population, Holy Trinity is committed to working on local issues such as community integration, education and training for marginalised, tightly knit groups and communities. Its work is with the church community as well as the broader population. Starting with church members, local people were trained as listeners; they made 1:1 connections with individuals in the church community as well as and in the wider community. People with concerns and ideas were encouraged to bring together those that they knew (from within their trusted networks) to explore their feelings about the community and to discuss how to take action together. Support from the listening team and RE:generate animators then helped those ideas to grow and to flourish.
Some headline messages from the project All the Neighbourhood Challenge projects offered rich opportunities for learning. We have picked out just a few specific insights from this project below: •• As a result of the conversations generated by the listening team trust, respect and relationships were built, encouraging people to take action in their community. •• People will commit to being involved in a number of ways; from becoming leaders or volunteers and taking part in community activities and groups, to using their vote in elections that affect their community.
out “It’s not necessarily ab skills development … it’s about being brave d enough to stand up an do something.” er
mber, listen (Resident, church me unity project) and leader of a comm
“..bold aspirations of animating, engaging and galvanising 1000 people to get involved with community building activities that would develop confidence, skills, leadership and potential to bring about changes and improvements …..” (RE:generate animator)
•• It was important to start with a 1:1 process that met people where they felt comfortable and established their feelings and personal views about local issues as well as their own potential role in addressing those issues. •• A faith based community can provide a good foundation for a community engagement process with the wider community, as long as there is an open and transparent vision for engaging others outside the faith network.
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About their approach The Holy Trinity Neighbourhood Challenge project was all about making individual connections, listening to people’s concerns about the local area, encouraging them to bring people together themselves, and supporting the development of project ideas that emerged. You can read more about this approach below and how the project applied a process built on three main stages: 1) starting conversations and prompting new ideas; 2) growing ideas; and 3) turning ideas into action. 1. Starting conversations and prompting new ideas The listening team went out into the community; listening took place at church events, on the doorstep, in the secondary school, in a village and at the local charity shop. People were often surprised to be asked “What do you love about Newark?” and at times this simple question was met with laughter or disbelief as people were not used to being asked to praise their local area. Quickly followed by questions like: “What is your vision / dream” “What project ideas do you have?” and “What concerns you?” the aim was to help individuals to see themselves as part of the solution to the problems identified in their community. It helped that RE:generate was working in partnership with the church community with its established network of local people. This provided a great starting point for the work; with a willing group of volunteers to train as listeners time was saved in developing these relationships at the start of the process.
“It’s a process of snowballing an idea from an individual, into a small group and then a larger network of people.” (RE:generate animator)
“By listening to people , building trust, respec t and relationships and supporting action at a neighbourhood level, we have enabled local pe ople to develop the skills, confidence and capaci ty to start to lead on the th ings that they want to do.”
(RE:generate animato
r)
This approach worked and the listening team met over 1000 people from across the NG24 postcode reflecting many different interests and concerns, and generating a host of project ideas. 2. Growing ideas Following the initial work with individuals, small groups of people with common interests came together. These conversations helped develop connections between individuals; they could explore project ideas that addressed the issues that mattered most to them. A total of over 20 neighbourhood groups and teams came together in this way to discuss their ideas. The listening team made up of 16 volunteers and three paid animators provided support to individuals and groups to develop their projects. RE:generate animators role was to enable ideas to flourish while offering an objective and independent eye on progress. Their approach was tailored to reflect the needs of the individuals and groups they provided support to. The Newark Extreme Event was held over two days and provided another opportunity for local people to discuss their project ideas. This included The Achieve Your Dreams dance group, three boys aged 9-11 years old. They came along with a clear vision of what they would like to see happen – a rehearsal space to help them to realise their dreams.
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This process of growing ideas involved investing in both individuals and in the connections between them. It provided an environment that was supportive and nurturing so that project ideas could evolve and flourish. It was an important part of helping people see that they can take their place in creating solutions to local problems, and this could take place alongside others who were also committing their time and energy to local action. 3. Turning ideas into action The people who emerged as project leaders were encouraged to use the listening process directly with their friends, family and neighbours. This helped build more connections around common concerns; it helped to establish the need for their project and whether people were likely to sign up for it. This meant that when projects progressed they had a good starting point and a good understanding of how well supported they would be. 15 new project ideas emerged from the listening process. In one case the initial concern raised was about activities for young people, and adults thought a youth club was the answer. But when the listening was extended to young people themselves it was clear that this wasn’t what they wanted; instead the idea of weekly Family Fridays at the Holy Trinity Community and Partnership Centre emerged, suiting both what the young people and the adults wanted.
are “Different people to do coming together m is one thing – the su parts.” greater than the ner member, liste (Resident, church mmunity and leader of a co project)
“There is greater success when compared to other traditional approaches of a project idea being held by an individual and then ‘sold’ to others...” (RE:generate animator)
Problems with anti social behavior from disengaged young people in an outlying village resulted in some residents thinking about ways in which to engage them; a popular Drop In was set up at the village hall once their concerns and needs had been heard through a listening process. They come along twice a week and socialize together in a safe environment, staffed by volunteer adults from within the community. Young unemployed men took part in a two hour football session each week, getting them into a positive, healthy and social new routine. A Parent and Toddler group got a new lease of life, and a ‘Listening Ear’ project emerged to provide support to people who had been bereaved.
What’s been challenging? The Root Solutions Listening Matters approach has previously been run by Re:generate as a 3 – 5 year development programme aiming to gradually build trust over time and to work at a pace that people feel comfortable with. The group noted from the outset that it was going to be challenging to condense this time frame. People rapidly moved from being simply interested in the process / local issues into being project leaders and the time available for team building was limited. At times there were communication problems; links with external agencies and the local authority were developed but not as well established as hoped and proceeded through a series of ebbs and flows. Whilst the time pressures created a sense of momentum and some quick wins that helped move things forward quickly, it is possible that this may have affected the sustainability of projects.
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The social media platforms used in the project were not used as much as originally hoped for. The plan had been to create virtual networks that reflected those happening face to face. Despite a lot of effort it became clear that it was not a good way of creating conversations that lead to community activity; that it had not been identified through the listening process and did not sit easily with other aspects of the project; and was too general compared to the more successful single issue on-line campaigning.
nships “After all, relatio – cannot be rushed rtured they must be nu carefully.” litator)
(RE:generate faci
What’s changed? Local assets have been unlocked •• The project succeeded in reaching over 1000 people from across the NG24 postcode. •• Over 30 people have been trained in the Root Solutions Listening Matters process. •• 15 new community projects have been supported by the listening team and are now established. •• Over 85 people contributed some of their time to the project on a voluntary basis. •• Holy Trinity Community and Partnership Centre was used by more people and more groups, more of whom were from outside the church community. •• Muskham Village Hall opened its doors to the young people of the village for a twice weekly Drop In. •• A local charity shop started exploring its role in the wider community through training its volunteers in listening and developing the idea of a community cafe.
“The project ha a sense of pea s restored c community a e in the n really impor d that’s tant.” (Residen
t, church mem ber, listener and leader of a community project)
“The main change is how there is new life blood being brought into parish life and community life as a whole.” (Project team member)
Abilities and ambitions have grown •• People who have not previously been involved in community activities came forward to lead, volunteer and participate in new activities. •• New skills were developed in all aspects of project planning. •• People reported that they grew in confidence as they received empowering and enabling support. •• There was greater capacity and ambition to organise collectively across NG24.
Creation of new networks, connections and collaborations •• Over 20 neighbourhood groups and teams engaged in conversations about local issues.
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•• Local people had the opportunity to meet new people as they participated in projects and activities. •• The reach of Holy Trinity church extended further into the geographical community, particularly with harder to reach people. •• Links with the local authority were developed. •• Already active community members came together with others on a single project idea, demonstrating the principle of ‘the sum is greater than the parts’. •• A listening team of over 30 people was created.
What next? There is a significant legacy from this project for the people of Newark and NG24. There are some initial projects that meet local needs and that are led by local people. There is also an enthusiastic team of trained listeners who may carry on their work into the future, individually or together. The whole idea of listening as a valuable way of engaging communities has been accepted by the Holy Trinity parish team. The RE:generate model has been piloted in a faith setting and the Holy Trinity Community and Partnership Centre has gone still further along the way towards its aspiration of being a local community asset. A team from the national Community Organisers programme will also help continue this work into the future.
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