Community Organising

We use the principles of Community Organising to ignite action for social change that results in a more equal and inclusive society

We have successfully created a track record in using Community Organising to ignite a variety of social actions ranging from community rights projects to disenfranchised parent groups and smaller projects like arts & crafts. We love what we do and we know it makes a difference to the lives of individuals and communities by improving well-being, building independence and resilience. We also offer a consultancy service based on using our community organising skills, which includes community engagement and innovative facilitation methods.

Current Projects

We have ignited and are supporting a number of Community Organising projects, these include The Friends of Gloucester Park, revamping Gloucester Skatepark, The Friends of Forest Greem, Cheltenham West, and supporting The Living Room, a community hub

Consultancy Service

We are experienced in delivering commissioned pieces of community engagement work and use a collaborative approach to deliver projects. We also offer our innovative facilitation skills based on the Art of Hosting techniques. Contact us to find out more.

Community Leaders

A significant part of Community Organising is identifying and working with community leaders. These are people who have a passion and want to improve their community through projects, campaigns and enterprise.

Case Study – Friends of Gloucester Park
Community Organising Project, this project includes Gloucester Skate Park

This project started as a commissioned piece of community engagement work for Gloucester City Centre Community Partnerships (GCCCP). They required some intensive engagement work around Westgate area of Gloucester. We knocked on doors and in a 6 week period (2 days per week) we engaged with and listen to over 200 residents. GCCP saw the quality of our work, resulting in them commissioning us for a further year (1 day a week). From the evidence of our engagement work, we identified Gloucester Park and Skatepark as two main priorities of residents in the area and revisited residents and park users that showed passion and energy with ideas for change.

We brought these residents together to explore their ideas further. There was energy around working together to update the Skate Park area, improve the look of the park, improve safety and renovate the aviary. The residents who are a diverse group of people are now called the Friends of Gloucester Park and with our support are busy taking action and making plans that will improve both the Skate Park and Gloucester main park.

Case Study – The Living Room
Community Organising Project, development of a community hub

This project evolved as a result of intensive door knocking in an area known as Rowanfield, Cheltenham. After knocking on every door and listening to over 600 residents living in the area, we identified key themes and passionate people who wanted to improve the community and their lives. Through bringing people together and analysing the information, it was identified that a community hub was missing, residents felt they had no-where to meet their neighbours and take part in community activities, in fact the general feeling was that residents felt they were forgotten as a community. There was a suitable site, which was a shop on Rowanfield Exchange which was ideal for the community to develop.

Further analysis of the information gathered helped to identify community leaders with ideas for projects. Ideas they felt would benefit the wider community if available at the Living Room. We supported the development of project ideas, often helping to identify small pots of funding to ‘kick start’ ideas. Projects are led by local people who have the passion, skill and knowledge about their idea and we use community organising techniques to build in engagement and sustainability so that projects can continue long after we have taken a step back.

Case Study – Community Leaders
Developing community leaders Will and Dave

We met Will and Dave at Gloucester Skate Park when we were working in the area and engaging people in Gloucester Park. It was clear from the offset that they were very passionate about the skate park and had a vision of how it should look. They spoke with real commitment about the potential of the site and how they would like to leave a legacy for young people and indeed for their own children in the future. They felt that BMXing was an Olympic sport and they should have an Olympic standard skate park so that Gloucester City attracted top BMX riders.

Since engaging young people at Gloucester Skate Park Will and Dave have become members of the Friends of Gloucester Park Association. Ensuring that the voices of the young people at Bakers Triangle are heard, which includes the MUGA and basketball court as well. Will was elected the Vice Chair of the group and Dave is a committee member. Through their interest in community organising they have taken part in a leadership course and are busy organising events and fundraising for a 100k refurbishment of the Skate Park which they are championing.

“If people don’t think they have the power to solve their problems, they won’t even think about how to solve them.”

― Saul D. Alinsky

Community Organising is the work of bringing people together to take action
Around their common concerns and overcome social injustice.
Community Organisers reach out and listen,
Connect and motivate people to build their collective power.