Building communities’ and third sector capacity is about creating a Leeds where partners work together to ensure that
support is in place to help build communities, so that they can take action
together and contribute to the development of the city.
Context: ‘Communities’ can mean different things to different people.
People can identify as members of a geographical community, or they may
identify with others who share their identity, experience or interest.
Community Development approaches and practice in communities
can help individuals to develop confidence and capacity and to take more active
roles as citizens, whilst communities build organisations and networks which
can deliver more wide ranging community participation. Councillors, other civic
leaders, community activists, involved citizens and professionals all have a
role to play in building communities and delivering improved outcomes.
Some communities have benefited from community capacity
building and support and now have strong infrastructure; others have had little
or no support, which limits their ability and opportunity for to influence,
shape and contribute. To support and develop these groups and communities will
be labour and resource intensive but will be necessary to ensure that all
communities can be engaged and can take active roles in the city. An overall
approach to community infrastructure development is needed.
Partner Commitments: Building communities’ and third sector
capacity
Creating opportunities for all to participate
Partners will:
- Aim to ensure that all communities have the opportunity to
engage in civic life and the shaping of their local community and the city.
- Aim to ensure that those communities who face barriers to
participating are appropriately supported and resourced to take active roles in
developing their communities and the city.
Connecting with communities
Partners will:
- Develop working arrangements where all partners share
knowledge, contacts and routes into particular neighbourhoods and communities.
- Use the existing contacts and groups in a particular
neighbourhood or community to develop a better understanding of the issues,
priorities and dynamics and specifically what needs to be addressed locally and
how best to do it.
- Recognise that there is a clear, central role for elected
members as community leaders within a strong local democracy.
Building stronger communities
Partners will:
- Identify where opportunities exist to build on existing work
or to strengthen local groups so that they can take action for themselves.
- Support local people to come together in groups to identify
and communicate their local issues and, where appropriate, take action
themselves.
Working together
Partners will:
- Ensure that there is strategic and operational commitment to
the principle and practice of community development and third sector capacity
building.
- Work together with other partners at strategic and
operational level to ensure that Community Development support is in place to
enable communities to take active roles.
- Coordinate resources and other support for third sector led
community capacity building and community development work.
- Identify opportunities for joint work on Community Development
with public, third sector and community partners and where appropriate,
identify a lead group for work with particular neighbourhoods or communities.
- Coordinate Community Development work between partners in
neighbourhoods and communities.
Building on what works
Partners will:
- Ensure that appropriate monitoring arrangements are in place
to track and analyse reach, participation, targeting and impact for communities.