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A presentation for the Institute for Government's Connecting Policy with Practice programme. The presentation highlights some of The Young Foundation's past work in community empowerment, and shows how web tools can be used to support community engagement and empowerment.
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EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIESBreakout session
Connecting Policy with Practice
20 June 2013
Sophie Hostick-Boakye, Associate
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THE YOUNG FOUNDATION
• Social innovation and social change
• Work with individuals, communities and partners to find solutions
• Applied Innovation – grass roots, communities and agencies to deliver change
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THE YOUNG FOUNDATION AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT • Transforming Neighbourhoods,
Neighbourhood Action Network, Future Communities
• Led to question how digital tools can help community empowerment
• Local 2.0:• Tested with three local authorities how
hyper-local media/Web 2.0 can increase community voice
• Series of think-pieces
• Digital Activism:• Worked with six small community
organisations to explore how free and low-cost tools can help people campaign on local issues
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HOW TOOLS CAN BE USED
Councils engaging customers online:• Kirklees Council – Twitter for quick dialogue with residents about
local issues• Coventry City Council – Facebook (as Coventry) sharing council
information but linking people to the place rather than organisation• ASK Bristol – WordPress where Bristol City Council consults
residents on decision making
Campaigners engaging supporters and others online: • Hackney CAB Crowdmap – Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and
Crowdmap to highlight impact of housing benefit changes• Shelve It! – Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and Crowdmap to gather
stories and retailer ratings of lads’ mags displays• Mothers Against Gangs – WordPress to reach out to parents with
children at risk of joining gangs looking for support
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COUNCILS AND SOCIAL MEDIA A social media framework for local government:1. Listen to social media users and
conversations about local issues
2. Participate in conversations, building dialogue with citizens through social media – energise, provide spaces to support, empower through decision making
3. Transform service redesign, replacing or complimenting existing ways of working and adopting new models of working
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CAMPAIGNERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA1. Decide who to engage and
what you want them to do
2. Collaborate
3. Keep content accessible and up-to-date
4. Maintain momentum
5. Target influencers to amplify your message
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ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY USING WEB TOOLS What works well:• Can reach a wide range of
people• Allows people to take part as
much as they want and when it suits them
• Can help strengthen relationships and share information
• Issues that emerge on community sites are more likely to be raised in offline meetings or forums
• Can help to connect residents in need with active local residents willing and ready to help.
What works less well:• Not everyone is online• Not everyone is confident using
web tools• Not everyone wants to form
relationships with institutions or neighbours
• Requires time and dedication • Not a one size fits all• Web is not a silver bullet for
community engagement
• Community interaction online mirrored with community interaction offline
• Core group of people participate in online interaction
@_YF_Applied / @the_young_fdn