Northern Devon Community Developers Forum

The aim of the Forum is to bring together Community Developers/Connectors/Ambassadors/Animators working in Northern Devon to share experience, best practice, opportunities and ideas. To develop a strong voice representing Northern Devon, connecting and promoting joint working, and tackling issues together which affect our communities.

This forum will offer an opportunity to meet every other month alternating with the One Communities OND meeting and is open to any orgnaisation hosting or employing staff supporting Community Development.

The first meeting will be on Tuesday 28th November between 10am and 12.30pm at Brynsworthy Environment Centre. Parking is free but limited so if you can car share that may help.

We will start our session with free some CPD on Building Team Trust lead by Change Facilitator from Nowlab which you will be able to take away and undertake with your own teams or groups. Trust is crucial in building strong, effective, and enjoyable teams. Trust fosters open communication, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving, empowering your group to make a significant impact in your local community.

Join us for an interactive session featuring the Trust Constellation Game, designed to cultivate connection and strengthen trust within your teams.

This session will equip you with practical strategies to create a more inclusive and supportive environment within your group, developing essential skills for effective communication, conflict resolution, camaraderie and more.

We will have an opportunity to hear about the NDVS/TTVS lottery funded Community Developer and Connector Roles with an overview of the National Standards being used to evaluate the project. Plus an overview of the Community Animators roles as part of the new Biosphere Lottery Funded project. Any other organisation wishing to update on new initiatives please contact Louise Flagg Partnership Officer NDVS to book a slot on the agenda [email protected]. This will give plenty of time to discuss our Northern Devon priorities and an opportunity for a round robin where participants can share where they are based and their current community projects.

Tea/Coffee and Cake are an essential part of our meeting.

Community Development National Occupational Standards Overview

Community development enables people to work collectively together in a structured and co-ordinated way to bring about positive social change to achieve equality, social justice, climate justice and human rights. It is underpinned by a clear set of values and ethical principles.

This long-term process starts with people’s own experience and enables communities* to work together to:

● identify the needs and actions they wish to address

● plan and take collective action

● build on and strengthen their confidence, skills and knowledge

● challenge unequal power relationships

● promote social justice, equality and participation in order to improve the quality of their own lives, the communities in which they live and societies of which they are a part.

The National Standards of Community Development identify 6 core areas

Key Area 1: Understand and practise community development

Key Area 2: Understand and engage with communities

Key Area 3: Collective Action and Group work

Key Area 4: Collaborative and cross-sectoral working

Key Area 5: Community learning for social change

Key Area 6: Governance and organisational development