How do strength based approaches work?

In its most basic form the process can be broken down into 4 simple steps.

Instead of talking about issues or problems we start by focussing on what is working well and build from there to achieve our goals. For example if a local facility is closing down you could harness active community members to explore what exists already and how this can be developed instead.

Spend time making sense or exploring the goal with the people you are working with. Can you go about achieving the goal in another way?

Instead of discussing issues or problems Butterfly Beacons started to reframe their conversation by starting with what is working well, developing their organisation and building on that to reach their goals.

The Butterfly Beacon Bus goes out into the community offering training and enterprising programmes. They deliver creative circles that enable women to come together to sew, share skills and focus on upcycling textiles. This reduces landfill waste and supports families in improving their emotional wellbeing, delivered in both fixed and mobile spaces.

They have had incredible support by Local Area Coordination in South Wigston, Mary Flynn.

You can find out more about the Butterfly Beacons story in the blog post below.

By starting with what is strong in an area or community you can "Map your strengths, skills and community resources". This will help you to identify and gather all the resources that already exist. These could be skills, knowledge, passions, interests, physical buildings or people and resources that can be accessed to support community development.

Think about what assets you have and what are needed.

The Ashby Community Roadshow provides a good example of strength based mapping in action.

The Ashby Community Roadshow was organised in partnership between Leicestershire County Council, Voluntary Action Leicestershire (VAL) and North West Leicestershire District Council, to provide an opportunity for local community groups, organisations, businesses and the public to find out more about what groups and activities are available in and around Ashby, and how to get involved.

A networking session aimed to identify the collective 'assets' of the group and see how participants could support each other in Ashby. By 'assets' we mean the strengths identified in the community.

A 'community asset tree' was developed during this session seen in the picture here

Participants identified three key areas for development:

• Greater awareness and promotion of local groups and activities
• A platform for sharing and utilising skills, knowledge, expertise and assets amongst existing groups/ the community
• Better communication and on-going support

The above was followed by a marketplace which attracted 60-80 residents showcasing the work of those who participated in the asset based networking session to the wider community.

Over 30 people from 23 local groups were represented at the event including community groups, charities and partners.

Connections were made since the event, strengthening local relations, referring people to other groups and activities, and sharing of information/events.

The Ashby 'Wall of Fame' has been transferred to Ashby Library, providing useful information to residents on local groups and activities, and the opportunity for all groups to add and amend as necessary. Groups who took part in the roadshow will be invited to a follow up meeting in mid-reviewed thier aspirations identified in the 'Tree' and considered how they moved forward.

By creating the space for connections to be made and solutions to be shared, people come together to use their strengths to achieve agreed outcomes. Local communities know their areas and residents better than services and are best placed to help shape and design their own solutions.

Make sure you have created the space for people to come together and share individual and group strengths including their thoughts and actions.

Communities can make space for action through our Communities Network and Community Roadshows. Below is an example of how the network works in practice

Community Volunteering - How to get them involved and keep them involved was an online zoom session as part of our Community Network Series which took place on 1 February 2024

At the session community organisations residents and partners had the opportunity to learn from each other, share tips on how to keep volunteers, learn how to use and develop thier skills, and hear about the Community fridge initiative. Voluntary Action Leicestershire shared thier knowledge and tips on recruiting young volunteers.

This is where you come together to put your plans into action. There is not a ''one size fits all'' model because all communities are different. Depending on the strengths in your community it will take different approaches and paths but will always be based on the steps above.

Keep focussed on the main outcome you want to achieve, you may need to change the way you reach your end goal as you work with the assets available to you at the time.

A good example of volunteers working together is Churchgate Community Centre in Lutterworth

A number of Lutterworth based volunteers have worked tirelessly to completely renovate a community centre, located next to St Mary's Church in the town.

The Churchgate Community Centre is a building of historical significance, but over the years had become dilapidated. A group of volunteers have now seen the fruits of their efforts come to fruition, with the building now more modernised and fit for purpose for community use.

Volunteers and supporters managed to secure around £140,000 through fundraising activities, in order to bring the centre back to life. The fundraising included a contribution of £5,000 from Leicestershire County Council.