How can the Communities Team help?

There are a number of ways in which you can see how strength based thinking has been developed or how you can practically deliver strength based solutions.

The Communities Network is a forum for Leicestershire communities to connect with each other about initiatives, projects, and activities which demonstrate local positive community action. We organise Communities Network sessions on various topics and themes.

Communities Network sessions are online or face to face sessions aimed at providing information, support, and advice to Communities across Leicestershire on a range of themes and topics. Sessions are for organisations, businesses, or Leicestershire residents with an interest in their community. Below you can find more information on Communities Network sessions.

Participants and presenters at each Communities Network session have the opportunity to share their skills, knowledge, expertise, and resources using the Strength Based Approach to connect and collaborate together on common topics and themes.

An example of how strengths, skills and resources were brought together can be illustrated when we organised a Communities Network Summit – Your Health, Your Community

The Communities Network brought together a themed summit focused on health and wellbeing, encouraging residents, community organisations, and professionals to share knowledge, learn, and strengthen connections across Leicestershire. The programme featured presentations on active lifestyle practices and from a social perspective. The Communities Network summit showed how connecting people through open dialogue, shared ownership, and accessible resources can empower communities to act on health and wellbeing.

We also publish quarterly Communities Newsletters which are designed to give Communities a platform to access and share information and make connections to address community issues. The Communities Newsletter gives you an opportunity to showcase how you are working within your own community and learn best practice from elsewhere.

Community Roadshows provide a platform for community groups, residents and local businesses, to convene in person and explore the range of available groups and activities within their locality. These events aim to identify the aspirations, strengths and skills of both groups and individuals. Opportunities and connections are made which enhance local relations and embrace the principles of the Strength Based Approach.

Many Communities work in an asset based way already, using a Friendly Connected model to deliver their projects, actions and interests. Often they will not call themselves ''friendly' but, when asked, they will say they are 'friendly and supportive'. The Friendly Connected Communities recognises and acknowledges these communities and it is trying to help that recognition by facilitating the adoption of the model. It is still early, but by recognising communities and supporting the ones that want to develop asset based 'Friendly'' environments, we hope to contribute towards more cohesive, collaborative and resilient communities

Conversations With… is a new method of engaging residents and colleagues on small, informal, but focussed conversations.

The aim is to gain greater insight on how to improve, but also recognise Leicestershire communities work across the county. The conversations focus on a specific project or activity, bringing closer to the residents of Leicestershire the rich variety of projects and initiatives that bring people closer together, but also that can help to improve local services and resilience.

During 2023 there were a variety of conversations that touched a wide number of topics, including learning about how a parish council works and what they do, to volunteering or how the Friendly Connected Community initiative has helped to improve relations at the Marlene Reid Centre, deploying innovative actions that brought closer community ties.

Conversations with... is sharing knowledge and expertise, mutual learning and gaining insights into the life of Leicestershire. We want to generate healthy debate about how communities can better utilise existing resources and how Leicestershire County Council can learn and apply that learning to support the communities that shape the geography of Leicestershire.