Resources for Community Groups
Updated 14/7/08
Follow the trail
This page
Content throughout VolResource is written for those involved with small to medium size voluntary or community organisations. There is huge diversity within this grouping, with for instance some community based groups being larger than various national bodies in terms of staff and funding. To separate out content as only applicable to a sub-sector would generally be wrong, but we have come up with some specific pointers and a few topics of interest.
- Support bodies.
- Other Resources.
- Community profiling and consultation.
Elsewhere
- Community Media is on the Getting your message across page.
- Local contacts Many community based sites. Includes ACRE, the rural communities group.
- Professional bodies: Community Matters (especially if you manage a community building), Community Transport etc.
- See under Social Economy for community businesses; Planning and Urban includes regeneration.
Context
This is a listing style page, in the Information Sources grouping.
Support Bodies
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Community Foundation Network provides support and common point of reference for local community foundations throughout the country, and advice for anyone wishing to establish one in a new area. Arena House, 66-68 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9HS, phone 020 7713 9326, email: network@communityfoundations.org.uk
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Community Work Education and Training Network (web site disappeared) is (was?) a Northern Ireland membership body, which promotes good practice in community development through education and training. Nearly all their online resources are in pdf (Acrobat) format.
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Federation for Community Development Learning 3rd Floor, The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, S1 4FW, phone 0114 253 6770 , email: info@fcdl.org.uk
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Scottish Community Development Centre You can join their mailing list, access their Health Network and info on resources for community development at their web site. Includes info on the (completed) Achieving Better Community Development (ABCD) project - link is to training info as resources section was blank at Jan 07. Also see Scottish Community Development Network, a member led organisation, for community wokers / community development workers, paid or unpaid. Good links page.
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Community Development Exchange (CDX). Membership organisation for community development - 'supporting people who support communities'. Scotia Works, Leadmill Road, Sheffield, S1 4SE, phone 0114 241 2760
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Community Development Foundation Web site covers such areas as Social Inclusion, Regeneration as well as community development and details of its own projects.
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Community Development Finance Association. Trade association for community development finance institutions. Room 101, Hatton Square Business Centre, 16/16a Baldwin Gardens, London, EC1N 7RJ, phone 020 7430 0222.
Other Resources
ARVAC, the sector research body, have a Community Research Project which helps community groups to undertake research, such as evaluating the effectiveness of a service, assessing the needs of users, or mapping existing provision. Some free training and support available.
Community Relations Council in Northern Ireland promotes better community relations and recognition of cultural diversity.
Community Tool Box aims to "support your work in promoting community health and development", but much of what they offer could be equally useful to others involved in community settings. Sample topics: group facilitation, social marketing, community planning, plus there are some trouble-shooting guides. Not sure the categorisation of material always works, but fairly easy to navigate.
Create a Council# from NALC - a guide to creating a parish council or town council (obviously where none exists already).
Neighbourhood Renewal Unit The government's contribution.
Planning Aid offers free, independent and professional advice on town planning matters to community groups and individuals who cannot afford to employ a planning consultant.
Village Halls site is for anyone involved with village halls and community buildings in Scotland.
International Association for Community Development "building a global network of people and organisations working toward social justice through community development".
There are some research bodies interested in community perpectives - see our listings page.
Community Profiling
Software
Two programmes to help you put together and analyse surveys at a community level:
Compass for Windows from Policy Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University. 30 day evaluation version, £95 + VAT single user licence for community groups. Phone 0113 283 1749, email: compass@leedsmet.ac.uk
Village Appraisals for Windows from Countryside and Community Research Institute. Launched April '98, £75 for a complete pack - probably no longer avaialble (spring 08).
Guidance
Bucks Community Action Village and Community Appraisals pages seem to have been removed as part of web redesign, summer 05. Their definition:
a survey of an area carried out by the people who live or work there.
a way of gathering facts and opinions about the community from local people themselves.
can be conducted in a village, parish or urban community.
involves all local people and which benefits the area.
may identify what needs conserving and what needs improving or changing.
Devon Facts and Figures Community Appraisals Background info and reports from appraisals which have been carried out.
Rural Resources is experienced in community consultation - see Consultancy Services.
Also see Achieving Better Community Development - Planning and Monitoring page.