We are one of eleven strategic partners of the ABCD Institute, and the lead partner in Europe. We have worked as ABCD social explorers, trainers, mentors, facilitators, researchers and consultants with change partners and disruptive innovators around the world. These include Communities, Charities, NGOs/NPOs, Faith-based organisations, Think Tanks; local and national Governments in over 30 countries.
Our ambition is to support the proliferation of inclusive, bottom up, community driven change.
We aim to achieve this by supporting local communities and supportive mediating/civic organisations to create the conditions where any neighbourhood can identify, connect and mobilise its assets to the benefit of the whole community.
We support citizens and disruptive innovators committed to the development of effective community alternatives to institutional responses. We work across a wide range of issues from incarceration of young people to the instituationalisation of labelled people. We do so because we are passionate about reducing institutionalisation. We believe people primarily want a life, not a service, and that the best way to get a ‘good life’ is by increasing interdependency in communities.
We work with people who passionately believe that the best solutions to society’s health, environmental, safety, economic and political challenges lie in the heart of communities most impacted by these problems. That is not to say that communities should bear the burden for resolving all socio-economic issues.
Of course there are external forces at play, and these must be addressed. However we believe that the primary assets/resources internal to the communities must also be mobilised if these external forces are to be held accountable and, where necessary, kept at bay.
With regard to the internal resources or capacities of communities, we believe there are at least 12 domains that fall uniquely into the competencies of communities of people related by geography and connected by assets. These competencies should be the starting point in community building and only after that, can services and systems be of enduring and sustainable support.
We are particularly interested in growing practical action and real-world examples at local grassroots level. We do this by supporting the development of what we call Learning Sites, which are neighbourhood areas that become local community-led examples of ABCD in action.
Some of our Learning Sites in the UK include: Croydon, Kirklees, Leeds, Gloucestershire, Thurrock, Lichfield, North West Manchester, Wirral, South Ayrshire and Fife.
Outside of the UK we have a strong presence in East African countries like Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, we have also worked in South Africa.
Additionally, we have delivered Asset-Based Community Development training workshops and consultancy in Singapore, Australia, India, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, and The Netherlands. More info here.
