Reaching out - involving communities
How do you reach out to and engage the people who normally don't participate in community decision making?
For ADEPT that is what we do!
Engaging with and involving members of the local community who are regularly overlooked, ignored or considered too hard to reach - that's our specialism!
Our team members are experienced in the techniques used by community development practitioners, and which have been honed and adapted over the years.
Over the summer, ADEPT has engaged with local communities in two areas of Coventry to involve them in the designs of 2 new play areas.
We have spent time walking the streets, chatting in cafes, standing on windy and wet corners asking people to tell us what they thought, making sure local residents knew who we were and why we there.
It paid off, and by September when we intensified the consultation, we were being approached and asked for updates by the young, youth, middle-aged and older members of those local communities - for a brief time we became the 'Parks People'!
The participation of the local people was tremendous, and involved both those who always take a keen interest, as well as those who had never made any such contribution before - people appreciated being asked their views and listened to - and that went much wider than play areas, never be fooled that local people are not politically minded!
We involved local community groups, and Council and Housing workers, as well Youth workers and early years professionals.
Everyone felt they had and played a part. The resulting designs, while not encompassing everything everyone wanted, represented the overall view - many acknowledged that the majority view must prevail, and that other issues such as ensuring those with a disability could use the areas, maintenance and money meant things couldn't be exactly as they wanted.
This isn't rocket science, but as an organisation external to the statutory sector, and who clearly had no stake in the outcome, enhanced our ability to get closer to people, and develop a limited level of trust.
If you would like to discuss how we can assist you engage with and involve local people in your projects, contact Denise.