Empowerment Works has been far from the only effort to energise people to create an alternative narrative to the Big Society that has decided to jack it in. The admirable Our Society website and its crew have done the same, and I can't do better than Julian Dobson in describing why things are as they are in what has turned into an empty space, so far as lively collaboration is concerned.
Empowerment Works is a movement of people and organisations committed to building support for community empowerment in the South West and beyond. For more information please visit the Empowering Communities website.
Showing posts with label community empowerment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community empowerment. Show all posts
Monday, 1 October 2012
The last post, maybe
This blog should have
been put to rest some time ago, I guess.
But late last rites are, I hope, better than none.
Empowerment Works has been far from the only effort to energise people to create an alternative narrative to the Big Society that has decided to jack it in. The admirable Our Society website and its crew have done the same, and I can't do better than Julian Dobson in describing why things are as they are in what has turned into an empty space, so far as lively collaboration is concerned.
Empowerment Works has been far from the only effort to energise people to create an alternative narrative to the Big Society that has decided to jack it in. The admirable Our Society website and its crew have done the same, and I can't do better than Julian Dobson in describing why things are as they are in what has turned into an empty space, so far as lively collaboration is concerned.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Big society – some evidence
‘Crowding out’ is the notion that if the state withdraws, others will rush in to fill the gap. It’s popular with big society thinkers. They may be wrong when it comes to volunteers crowding in, according to the authors of Public Spending and Volunteering: "The Big Society", Crowding Out, and Volunteering Capital.
Monday, 19 December 2011
The Localism Act — Santa or Scrooge?
I’ve opened the shiny present in the capacious Christmas sack of the Localism Act marked ‘new rights and powers for local communities’, and had a horrid disappointment. It rattled enticingly, but what has fallen out of it strikes me as having greatly more potential to disempower than to empower. The year’s labour of the Elves over the Bill has, I fear, been wasted. It’s time to move on.
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
What we know and what works - update
Over 70 people gathered to discuss the past and future of empowerment in the region at this sell-out event on 29th June at the Albemarle Centre, Taunton. Visit the Creating Excellence website for speakers presentations, list of delegates and more.
The afternoon session got people talking about their successes and achievements, hopes and aspirations and generated a long list of resources, contacts and offers (Word file).
The afternoon session got people talking about their successes and achievements, hopes and aspirations and generated a long list of resources, contacts and offers (Word file).
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Learning lessons - and remembering them!
Most of us have expostulated at some time or another about the facet of British organisational culture which means that when someone new takes over the running of something, they have a tendency to disregard what went before. Lessons learned from programmes and initiatives are forgotten or rejected as 'old hat', products of projects - tool-kits, courses, evaluations and so on - lay gathering dust on real or virtual shelves. Everyone starts again from scratch.
We have been evaluating South West Empowering Communities during 2010-11 and are impressed with its innovative approach to counteracting the 'not invented here' tendency.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
What we know and what’s next – join the debate
On 29th June community empowerment practitioners and activists will gather to review what has been learnt about successful community empowerment over the last few years, and discuss where to go from here. The conference will explore how to meet the current challenges posed by government reorganisation and funding shortages, and ensure that people, particularly marginalised and equality groups, are empowered to make a difference to their lives. We're starting the debate here...
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