A Southerly Aspect
fresh perspectiveArchive for rural
communicative art
How many times have you heard someone say ‘I didn’t know about that’, or ‘but no-one told me’? Those are the two phrases I hear repeated more than any others in my day to day work. The cynical amongst us may suggest that they are simply excuses, ways of avoiding a meeting or event which we just can’t be bothered attending. But perhaps for many they are real and legitimate concerns, phrases which are symptomatic of a much wider communication crisis which is manifest in so many groups, organisations and communities.
In my work, I’m privileged enough to be able to attend and participate in a huge number of local groups. I find myself constantly overwhelmed by the volume of information which I’m party to, and struggle to keep track of developments and opportunities. And that’s my work – how on earth is a volunteer juggling numerous commitments ever expected to keep abreast of such things?
Conversely, it’s always easy for an individual or a group to become comfortably ‘in the know’ and to forget about the wider community who are equally entitled to access to that same information. It’s very easy to get caught up in the day to day business of an organisation and forget to report progress and developments to the wider world and before long the shape of a project or an idea can have changed so much to the extent that it’s no longer recognisable. The phrase ‘knowledge is power’ often rings true.
In an attempt to address some of the issues I’ve raised above, here in Douglas we’ve established a group which has become known as ‘Douglas Talking’. A forum which is open to all, it aims to improve communication within our community and increase opportunities for participation. The group meet face to face every few months and the discussions which take place are summarised and published in the local newspaper. The group hope to erect a Village Notice Board and utilise our local community council website to share the information which they possess. An online communications forum has also been developed to which documents and files can be uploaded, shared and commented on by anyone in the community. None of these methods of communication can stand alone; there are barriers to them all, but by providing information in a variety of formats it’s hoped that access will be maximised.
Very much in the early stages of development, forum attendance to date has been sporadic and momentum has been difficult to maintain. Perseverance will be required if it is to succeed, and a commitment of time and energy from many already busy people required. That’s important to recognise – an effective communication strategy requires significant resourcing. Meetings require advertising and facilitation. Community newsletters require coordination, compilation and cost money. Websites need updating and online hubs and forums rely on people setting aside time to contribute – all this on top of running an organisation or developing a project! It’s no wonder commercial firms and businesses often employ communications officers!
But regardless of the extra resources required to help communication happen, I think it’s important to recognise that it’s often a dialogue with the wider community, a free flow of information and an open and transparent method of operating which can be the difference between success and failure of a group, organisation, even a community. No-one likes a clique or a closed shop, or a group which sends out a clear message of disrespect when it maintains that the information it holds shouldn’t be in the public domain. But a group or a community which shares information, which recognises the importance of doing so and which works hard to eradicate the phrase ‘but no-one told me’ is surely one which has a characteristic of success fixed securely within it
gala week
’tis Gala Week which means much fun and frivolity! Be it fun runs, rounders tournaments, the annual pub quiz or the infamous ‘Superteams’, there’s something for all the family! I will of course be featuring in Saturday’s parade before catching up with friends, old and new, down the local. Here’s hoping the weather improves!!!
inspirational places, inspirational people
Last Sunday, four of the committed individuals from our Coal Yard Development Group set off to visit two of Dumfries and Galloway’s most inspirational places. I don’t use the term ‘committed’ loosely – asking anyone to give up half of their weekend is a big thing! The purpose of the visit was to meet with the people who had successfully managed to realise their dreams, and to learn how they’d gone about doing so.
Our journey took us to Auchencairn on the Solway Coast where ‘Auchencairn Initiative’, a group of hardy volunteers, have built an enterprise centre consisting of a post office, village store and childcare facility. The £500,000 development took them around six years to complete, and wasn’t without its ups and downs, but the results are truly outstanding. Not only does the centre provide essential services for the rural population, it also generates an income for the Initiative which they plough into other local projects.
Second stop was ‘The CatStrand’, Dumfries and Galloway’s newest Arts and Community Venue. This £1.2 million project has linked the six communities of the Glenkens and provides a vast range of services and activities for both locals and visitors.
It was obvious that each project had its champion, the individual who ran with the idea, took the risks and met challenges head on. Linked to that was the way those champions had led the project, their style of leadership, encouraging the support and ownership of the wider local community at all stages. It was a time consuming and at times frustrating style of leadership, but acknowledged as essential to the projects’ success. Perhaps surprisingly, when asked if they’d do anything differently if they were starting over again, both replied ‘very little’, evidence that suggests that despite the hurdles, the experience had been both rewarding and enjoyable.
The journey home was an interesting one. In the space of one day, people had become much more aware of the processes involved in successful projects. They had also been inspired by the enthusiasm and patience of one or two individuals. It takes special people to realise these special projects, and it’s the four individuals who were prepared to give up their Sunday that we need to be able to offer more support. I’d humbly suggest that we can prepare plans and strategies ‘til the cows come home, but without investing in individuals, nothing much will ever be achieved. We need strong, confident groups of people working together at a very local level. Let’s support and empower them to do the rest.
building effective capacity
Last week South Lanarkshire Rural Partnership held their annual Communities Conference. For some unknown reason, I was asked to facilitate a workshop on ‘Community Capacity Building’, this being one of the themes of their new Leader programme. Aside from feeling I didn’t make a very good job of facilitating the workshop (It was our local panto the week before and I’d been treading the boards for four nights on the trot. That, coupled with a stinker of a cold was the major factor affecting my lack of effectiveness!), it really got me thinking. Just what is this ‘community capacity building’ that we keep talking about? And how can we ensure that it’s effective? Skinner (Strengthening Communities, 2006) defines it as ‘Activities, resources and support that strengthen the skills, abilities and confidence of people and community groups to take effective action and leading roles in the development of communities’ For me, the success of community capacity building lies in the way the activities, resources and support are delivered. Training courses, seminars and workshops all have their place, but surely there’s nothing better than getting stuck in and having a go!
In Douglas, we’ve been having some cracking meetings recently with a group of people who are keen to develop a former coal yard site in the centre of our village. The group has been meeting now since around September of last year. The site in question is owned by the local estate and the group would like it to become something of a focal point for our community, triggering the regeneration of the village. From a ‘Communities on the Edge’ perspective, it’s exactly the kind of thing we’re all about!There are about ten local enthusiasts involved at the moment.
We’ve lost and gained a few others along the way, but a pretty distinct core has emerged over the last few months. I think it’s important never to underestimate the message that an open door sends out. It’s too easy to get lost in the enormity of a project like this, and perceptions of a clique or ‘closed shop’ can develop quickly in a small community. So continually checking in with local people, offering them opportunities to contribute and encouraging participation is a really important part of the process.
The group made the pretty huge step of agreeing to formally constitute in order to take the project to the next stage just last week. It may not sound like a big deal, but it means lots. It means that for the first time the group will have a formal identity, and members of that group will be committing time, energy and very probably some sleepless nights over a number of years before any building work starts!
The next stage in the process is about feasibility. It’s a term that makes everyone sigh with boredom, but it’s a really important stage in the development process. We’ve been supporting people to become really familiar with the ins and out’s of it all and as a result they understand and appreciate the need for this next stage. It’ll be an interesting and challenging time. But I’m pretty excited! So yes, making progress, obvious progress, but there’s also the less obvious stuff like the change I can see in the individuals involved. They’ve learnt so much about so many things in the past few months (a relatively short time!) and it’s a privilege to have been a part of that. It’s most certainly been about getting stuck in and having a go. Skills and knowledge has been amassed through a learning experience which has been tough, exciting and fun. As well as the skills and knowledge which has been collectively accrued, the group has become stronger and more resilient, ready for the next challenge which no doubt awaits!
Surely this is effective community capacity building?
the boy who never grew up
Last week was panto week in Douglas and I’ve only just recovered! I was playing John, Wendy’s little brother in the Douglasdale Players production of ‘Pan-to-Mania’, our local take on Peter Pan. It’s a cracking week but it’s heck of a tiring! I usually manage to take some holidays but this year work wouldn’t allow it. I’ll plan ahead next year!
I’ve been treading the boards now for fourteen years! I’ve never stuck anything for that long, ever! It says something for the organisation – it’s such a mixed bunch. Our youngest member is about 5, and our oldest 85. How’s that for inter generational working!
I’ve been challenged to write a show sometime in the future… maybe when time permits! Until then, I’ll continue to play alongside a cracking bunch of people I’m pleased to call friends.
for one night only…
Tomorrow night, as a one off, I’ll be appearing as a barman at a fund raiser for our local community centre! No fancy cocktails, but service with a smile guaranteed!
On a more serious note, it’s an essential effort to raise a wee bit of cash for our financially unstable village hall. We’re not alone in our predicament – last week I had the privilege of being able to attend Scotland’s first ‘Village Halls Summit’ in Aviemore which was a tremendous gathering of people from all over Scotland who had come to raise and talk about their issues and concerns, to celebrate the massive part that these vital meeting spaces play in the lives of the community and to try to develop a way forward for the often vulnerable groups of people who are brave enough to take responsibility for their local halls.
With keynote addresses from Richard Lochhead and appearances from many of the funders who support village halls, it was a pretty high profile occasion. Look out for a full report of the event at http://www.scvo.org.uk/VillageHalls
In the meantime, I’m off to pick up the bevvy!
venturing into the unknown
I’ve been really struggling recently with people who aren’t prepared to take risks, to leave their so-called comfort zones and try something new, regardless of whether or not their idea will succeed. It’s the same with local authority and government, where creativity and zest for life is lost in the paperwork and feasibility studies.
Why are we so scared of failure? For me, it’s where the richest experiences of life are found.
I’m a firm believer in ‘informal learning’ and learning through doing, but it just amazes me how limited we are in our current culture to actually do this. We still insist on a ‘petrol pump’ education system and measure the results of it by making people sit exams? When will we ever realise just how much that stifles creativity and imagination, how much it actually holds us back rather than empowers us? We’re now living in a world which loves convention – and as soon as you try to do something a wee bit out of the ordinary, you’re jumped from behind and treated as a leper.
All my waffling has brought me in mind of a simple yet powerful little story:
‘Once upon a time, an explorer found a beautiful undiscovered land. After some time, he returned to his home and he told his friends about this country. He described the valleys; and he described the hills, the rivers, the trees, the animals and plants. He told them:
‘You must go there for yourselves, my words cannot do justice to that land.’
His friends were excited and keen to hear more about the land for themselves. They asked the explorer to draw them a map to guide their journey, and to show them exactly where this wonderful land was. The explorer refused, and said to them:
‘No, you must set out and find the way for yourselves. There are many different routes and I know only one.’
However, they insisted, and after a time the explorer relented and drew a map for them. His friends were excited by the map and spent days planning for the journey. They discussed which route they would take. They talked about what the land would look like.
But they delayed, deciding that they had better prepare thoroughly for their trip. Perhaps too, they needed to know more about maps – and how to read them. They thought they needed to know how to understand what picture the map showed.
Years passed. The map was studied. Then it was copied – and passed on to others. Schools were set up in map reading.
The explorer was sad and went away.
No – one visited the land’
Pretty sad, eh?
So are you planning on defying convention, or is it back to the Monday/ Friday grind tomorow? Choice is a marvellous thing. Will it be the status quo, or will you visit the land?
my name’s john, and i’m a community animator
If there’s one thing that’s stirred up more conversation than anything else in the past year since I took up my post with the Southern Uplands Partnership as a ‘Community Animator’, it would have to be my title!
‘One who gives new spirit and life to’* was not a phrase which featured in my job description, nor do I claim to live up to that awesome task, but it’s a phrase to which I return often in an attempt to reassess myself and my role in the light of progress.
In that year I’ve also managed to coin my own phraseology, which I think describes the work that I do. I ‘animate local people into action’, if you like, stir up activism and try to help communities to discover and realise their potential. However, my work with the Communities on the Edge project has been every bit as much about a process of self discovery and personal growth than anything else, and I look forward to reflecting on my journey with you in the coming months.
For those who are unfamiliar with the COTE project, you can find out more here.
‘Awareness’ has been a key theme for me recently. Self-awareness, the awareness of others around me, peoples varying perceptions and misconceptions. I’ve also become aware of the way I see the community in which I live and have begun to understand the way others view that same community. It’s been a hugely rewarding and challenging time. The challenge, I suppose, lies in the question ‘So what do I do with this new awareness?’
I’ve always been a firm believer in a positive attitude. It’s such a productive energy and can overcome the most daunting of hurdles. And when that’s combined with a passion for place, an appreciation of all that is good about a community, the results can be overwhelming. I recently had the privilege of visiting The CatStrand, a community facility in New Galloway created by the people of the Glenkens Community and Arts Trust. Their magnificent building is a living, breathing space, which is testimony to the hard work, enthusiasm and positive energy of one small community.
Back home in Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Communities on the Edge promotes an asset based approach to rural community development. It’s a process, which challenges traditional needs-based models of rural development, but it also challenges communities to appreciate the uniqueness and diversity of their own place. It’s a process which resists getting caught up in identifying needs and creating wish lists, but emphasises the good things about an area around which people can come together to develop ways in which to build on the assets in order to sustain and enhance them for future generations.
More and more, I see my job as enabling local people to see their communities in a different light, in an alternative way. The transformational effect that different ways of looking at things can have has impacted on me greatly over the past year. It’s now my turn to help others have that opportunity.
Perhaps ‘one who gives new spirit and life to’ isn’t so far off the mark after all . . .
*Anne Hope and Sally Timmel, ‘Training for Transformation’, ITDG, 1984
