What Can ABCD do for You?

What Can ABCD Do For You?

Between 2019 and 2024, East Sussex County Council Public Health commissioned a 5 year programme to explore and learn about how an ABCD approach could build activity and resilience in their communities. The project, called Making it Happen, led to numerous resources that were designed to be used by anyone who wants to try ABCD. These resources provide the foundations of this tool and links are given at the end so that you can explore them in more depth.

What best describes your current role[Checkboxes]

Individual community member

Volunteer with a local community group

Volunteer group leader/trustee

Staff member of a voluntary sector organisation

Employee of a formal public sector service

Student or researcher

Other

What would you say are the most important reasons as to why you are interested in exploring an ABCD approach?[Checkboxes]

General interest.

I have a community idea and want to learn how to get started.

I may be interested in volunteering.

I am a volunteer but would like to get more involved.

I am involved in a community group that wants to grow/develop

I help run a group and we would like more volunteers

I help run a group and we would like more people to benefit from us.

I help run a group and we would like to connect and collaborate more with other groups.

I want to support community to build on their ideas.

I want to help build community strength and resilience.

I want to help people and groups connect with each other.

I want to be able to consult with community more effectively.

As part of an organisation/service, I want to collaborate with community more.

I want to co-produce a project proposal or service design with the community.

I am doing some background research for my formal/informal studies.

I am doing some specific research that ABCD is directly relevant to.

Other

Making it Happen adopted the principles and values of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) in its approach to working with communities.

ABCD is an approach that centres on communities themselves: their citizens, their capacities and their assets.

The starting point is recognition that it is the assets and strengths of people and places, and not deficits or needs, which are the true foundations for healthy communities:

“Building on the skills of local residents, the power of local associations, and the supportive functions of local institutions, asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future.”

ABCD Institute.

How familiar do you feel about asset-based community development and its principles and approaches?

This is the first I've heard of it!

I've heard of it and have a vague idea.

I know quite a bit and have tried a few ideas out.

I feel confident and use an ABCD approach regularly.

Did you know that an ABCD approach can be undertaken anywhere by anyone? You are probably doing at least some of it already. All you need to do is recognise what you already have, listen, share, connect and, together, grow ideas. The following diagram illustrates the 6 main principles underlying an ABCD way of doing things:

Which of these core principles do you feel confident with?

We've not thought about this before	We do this informally, as it happens	We actively plan to do this
Starting with what is already present

Taking time to listen, learn and share ideas

Connecting with other people/groups and local resources

Valuing everyone's voice and contribution

Encouraging equality and social justice - thinking about who is not being heard

Seeing that residents/community are taking the lead.

The Making it Happen project identified six steps to the ABCD approach in East Sussex. They are reasonably simple but show how building ideas from the ground up is the way to help things grow in a sustainable and collaborative way.

The first three steps - start small, build relationships and make connections - are the fundamental factors that underpin the whole approach.

This example from the learning resource pack, helps illustrate what these steps look like.

Start Small

If you click on the image below you will see a video opening in a new window. Play this video and then come back to here.

In the video the speakers make reference to ‘starting small’ using the connections they already had to get the project off the ground slowly, and starting with just a few people so as to not bite off too much in one go.

Do you have examples from your own work of starting a project or activity with only one or two people which grew over time? Why do you think that happened?

The video spoke about the activity growing by word of mouth and as people build relationships. Have you experienced this with your community? Did relationships grow, change or ripple out? How did that impact on your project?

We have been talking about Asset-based community development but what do we mean by assets? Broadly, assets are the elements that already exist within a community that can be accessed to develop ideas and activities. The infographic below outlines the 6 main categories of community assets.

Part of an ABCD approach is recognising the skills, knowledge and experience of individuals and building on these for the benefit of the community. The volunteers on the video demonstrated some, which are useful to reflect on. What examples of people's strengths (including your own) do you have, that have led to things happening?

The video mentioned a few types of assets that the volunteers used to help build their activity. What assets have been most useful for you in your community, and are there others that you would like to use more (look back to the diagram of the different types of assets if that helps)?

The above three stages are the building blocks of an ABCD approach. The other three below are principles that underpin and shape the ethos. We are not exploring them in more depth here but are included for your information.

This learning tool is an introduction to the world of ABCD. There is so much more to discover.

There are practical tools, case studies and places to find more information.

So, would you like to learn more?

The Making it Happen website shares lots of information on ABCD in East Sussex and links to other sites of interest.

It also has the full Learning Resource Pack that you can download.

In addition you can find the TV series "Phenomenal Happenings" that cover the MIH work in all 5 areas ( the example in this tool is from the Wealden programme).

"What can ABCD do for You: The Event" is on Tuesday 3rd November, 11 am - 1.45 pm at Uckfield Civic Centre. This will be an opportunity to learn a bit more, connect to other like-minded groups and share your stories, activity and ABCD approaches.

To book a place, please go to Eventbrite.

If you were to attend this event, what theme would be most important to you - click on your first choice first, second next and so on.[Please sort the items]

Developing a new idea
Finding new volunteers
Accessing more funding
Asset Mapping
Evaluation
Other (please specify)

10.

If you would like to receive updates on the event and the learning from it, please enter your name and email below. Your contact details will only be used to share information about this event and the report/learning from it.

Name:

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11.

Email:

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Further Support - Community Buildings

Some of the key assets for communities are their buildings.

There are over 400 village and community halls in Sussex, where people come together to meet, have fun, exercise, celebrate, learn, vote, and access services.

Action in rural Sussex offers friendly, practical advice to the trustees, volunteers and staff who run these and other community buildings, such as Scout huts, church halls and sports pavilions.

Our aim is to build your confidence, share knowledge and support you to keep your community building flourishing for generations to come.

We believe these much-loved spaces should not just survive, but thrive.

For more information contact our Community Buildings Team at:

[email protected] or visit https://www.ruralsussex.org.uk/

Further Support - Community Groups

For support on completing this tool please contact Laura Heales on:

Mob: 07905 745384

Email: [email protected]

For further support for your group and to get involved with developing ABCD approaches in Wealden and Eastbourne, please contact Community Action East Sussex email: [email protected];

Tel: 0300 124 6810;

Web: www.communityactioneastsussex.org.uk

For support for your community group in Hastings, please contact Hastings Voluntary Action on:

Tel: 01424 444010

Web Contact: Contact us - Hastings Voluntary Action

For support for your community group In Rother, please contact Rother Voluntary Action on:

Tel: 01424 217259

Email: [email protected]

Web Contact: Contact - Rother Voluntary Action

For support for your community group in Lewes (district), please contact SCDA on:

Tel: 01273 517250

Email: [email protected]

Website: SCDA • Making A Difference In Our Community

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