Social Action Hub and Affiliated Training Provider

 

Community organising has always been at the heart of Community Roots. We grew out of the original Community Organisers Programme and became a Community Interest Company because we wanted to continue developing community organising in Gloucestershire and support more people to use it within their own communities.

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As our work developed, training became a natural part of that. Through our conversations and place-based work we were meeting people who wanted to become more involved, develop their confidence and skills, or take on organising and leadership roles. Training gave us another way to support that development, so we became a Social Action Hub and Affiliated Training Providers, joining a wider network of organisations committed to community organising and local action.

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As a Social Action Hub, our role is rooted in the same approach we use in our own work: listening to people, building relationships and supporting communities to organise around the things that matter to them. As an Affiliated Training Provider, we have been able to support people to develop those skills more formally, from one-day Community Organising workshops through to nationally recognised qualifications.

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Over the years we have trained more than 150 people. Some have used that learning within their existing roles, some have become more active in their communities, and others have gone on to develop as Community Organisers, trainers and leaders themselves. Our own history reflects that. People who first came into contact with Community Roots through local projects, volunteering or training have gone on to take on organising roles, become trainers and, in some cases, become Directors of Community Roots.

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For us, training has never been separate from the practical work - It is another way of supporting people to listen within their communities, build relationships, understand what matters to people and explore how they can take action together.

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Alongside our established Community Organising training, we have also developed our own short courses, drawing on what we have learnt through working alongside communities. We will continue developing this area as new needs and opportunities emerge.

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What community organising means to us

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Community organising starts with listening. It is about taking the time to understand what people care about, what concerns them, what ideas they have and what they might want to do themselves.

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From those conversations, relationships begin to develop. People with shared interests can connect, local leadership can emerge and communities can begin exploring what action they want to take. Our role as Community Organisers is not to arrive with the answer. We support people to recognise their own strengths, build relationships with others and develop the confidence and skills to act on the things that matter to them.

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When people are organised, their voices are stronger and they are better able to influence decisions and shape what happens in their communities.

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“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

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What being a Social Action Hub means for Community Roots

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Being a Social Action Hub reflects the way we already work - we are rooted in the communities we work alongside, and we use Community Organising approaches to:

• listen to people and build relationships;

• create opportunities for people to connect;

• support local leadership;

• help people explore ideas and take action;

• develop networks around shared concerns and interests; and

• strengthen the ability of communities to influence the things that affect them.

 

Our training work sits alongside this, giving people opportunities to develop Community Organising skills and then use them in ways that make sense within their own communities, organisations and roles.