Introduction to ABCD approaches and techniques

JOIN US ON THIS FANTASTIC 3 HOUR ONLINE COURSE, PRICED FROM JUST £29.70* FOR DCT MEMBERS!

*This price includes an early booking discount for those who book at least 4 weeks before the course date. As well as this discount that's available for everyone, DCT members also enjoy major savings on many of our training courses, including this one. We welcome new members at any time and you can start saving straight away! Membership costs from just £24 per year so you can recoup this cost very quickly and continue to book future training at membership prices too!

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WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR AND HOW WILL IT HELP?

Ideal for any local council, community group or any person who works on community projects.

With Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) being increasingly adopted by councils across the country, this course will explore ABCD in contrast to other methods of community development and how it can be a suitable method in the current economic, funding and political climates.

This online course is an introduction to a topic which can be explored in great depth and so will look at and reflect on the basic principles of this form of work. ABCD as an approach can seem, and feel ‘messy’ as it inherently involves community engagement and an openness to non-linear ways of working. This course will address this by outlining helpful values and attitudes, as well as practical boundaries.

The course will have an emphasis on practical exercises and skills to draw on participants’ experience in their own community to help illustrate discussions on principles. Participants will leave with practical ‘maps’ and action plans that explore their particular problem. In addition, the simple practical exercises used can easily be taken outside of the training and applied in participant’s daily work.

To note: this course will not go into depth on legal models (such as community ownership), but helpful web links will be provided.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Better understand the ABCD process.

2. Understand the types of listening, and their importance, in building relationships.

3. Better understand power and power dynamics and their relevance to the ABCD process.

4. Explore moving from community-listening and asset mapping towards action.

5. Have considered their own next steps.

YOUR TUTOR: HARRY BONNELL

Harry is experienced facilitating a wide variety of multi-stakeholder, grass roots processes from single workshops through to extended consultation, engagement and project development. He has been working at Devon Communities together for over 2 years, having previously spent 3 years working in a North London neighbourhood developing grassroots projects, actions and campaigns, trained as part of Localities national ‘Community Organiser’ programme. Harry’s approach is rooted in principles of Asset Based Community Development and Design-Led Thinking.

Harry has enjoyed adapting to different organising styles necessary for community development in a rural context compared to working in London. Projects at DCT have included supporting social enterprises to connect with community projects, developing an action-research project to improve local disability and learning difficulty provision, and developing local social prescribing pathways for social inclusion. Previous projects organized around have included a parent-led tuition group, a community based exercise class and crèche, a campaign to open a local sports pitch, and a local community festival.

Harry is especially passionate about addressing the climate emergency and holds an MSc in ‘Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability’ from BTH University (Sweden) which is rooted in facilitation and systems thinking across disciplines. Harry represents DCT on the Devon County Council’s Net-Zero Task Force, working to develop a Net Zero Carbon Plan for Devon.