Barnwood Trust builds belonging in Gloucestershire. They have a long history of grant giving but also recognise that assets aren’t just financial, they include people. They acknowledge that something magical happens when residents turn ideas into action, form lasting social connections and gain the confidence to take control of their own lives. This is an amazing website to gain inspiration in terms of initiatives, programs and stories. They have recently started the Barnwood Trust blog which is especially useful in terms of sharing ABCD focused insights and stories. The blog is well worth checking out.

Blong is a community development and communication app. Anybody can form a community on Blong. The app allows users to search for community groups and clubs in their local area and gives them the option of requesting to join. Your community can publish newsfeed and event invitations. These can be restricted to just your community members or sent to all Blong users in the local area. In effect you can use Blong as an advertising vehicle to tell the local community all about your group and your great events. Blong also provides event management. The event notification allows members to respond and put the event in their calendars with the touch of a button. Change venue because of weather? Simply update the event and all the attendees are notified immediately.

Blong also has a built in market place for your members to buy/sell/swap and share rides.

Blong appears to offer significant advantages over common social media based communication platforms. Key is the very high level of privacy. Members of a community cannot see each other and searchers can only see the community not the members. Blong is not a social media site – no chat hence none of the related problems. And no advertising in the newsfeed.

Blong complements your website and social media presence. Blong newsfeed reaches out to a new audience not simply your existing membership. The links in the newsfeed and event notifications draw people back to the right page on your website to get the details.

Blong appears to be a flexible and easy to use tool. The app is free to small community groups and not-for-profit groups. For large organisations Blong sells Blong Pro – a communication platform for engaging across all the stakeholders in a large organization. This is how they make their money. The app is available in the app stores. Search Blong Connecting Communities.

The Tamarack Institute is the host of ABCD Canada. Visit their website to access a range of information.

ABCD Canada Home page

ABCD Canada Resources

 

 

The DePaul University has created a new ABCD website which has created a flexible platform for the ABCD community to participate in a forum, share news and connect with the University. Also available is an extensive range of resources developed by the ABCD Institute, as well as individuals and groups within their network.   Most of the resources are free and downloadable.

Home Page

Publications Section

Resources Section

The Second International ABCD International Festival, held in Goa, India (2017) was an inspiring week of learning and connecting.

Festival Resources

Richard Holmes from Gloucester, England created a series of podcasts from the festival

Nurture Development is the UK based organisation run by globally renowned ABCD practitioner Cormac Russell.  The Nurture Development Blog is an excellent and thought provoking resource that explores ABCD in its practical application to communities and within the modern global context.

The Abundant Community Edmonton, Canada is a neighbourhood engagement and organisation approach – basically, a way to build a culture of connection one neighbourly conversation at a time. This Initiative was started in the Highlands neighbourhood of Edmonton, Canada. Working with the city government, local minister and neighbourhood activist Howard Lawrence found people to act as “block connectors” for the neighbourhood. The block connectors ask residents what they are good at, what they are willing to teach others, and what they would like to help make better in the neighbourhood. The results of this experiment included a less isolated citizenry, more trust in the institutions of the city, and increased feelings of safety. The effort is now being replicated in fifteen additional neighbourhoods in Edmonton. Click here to download their very useful Resource Guide.

All We Need Is Right Here is an organisation based in Kalamunda, WA set up to help local residents discover, connect act upon and celebrate the assets of their local communities. Of particular interest is the interactive website they have created.  Interesting initiatives include – the Teddy Bear’s Picnic, 50 Things Kids Can Do in the Shire Before they Turn 12, the Meet the Neighbours Program, Community Builder Networking events and the storytelling initiative focussing on people, businesses, places and things.

Connect Warrnambool is a website and Facebook page initiative that acts as a virtual community noticeboard for residents. The idea is to ‘lift the lid’ on everything Warrnambool and allow the sharing of information including local events and activities, community projects and volunteering opportunities.

One Ilfracombe is a community led initiative that sets out to redesign the way services are delivered locally to achieve better outcomes for the people that use and pay for them. It offers local people more say over services and expenditure. By bringing services, businesses, schools and residents together into one team, communities can achieve so much more.

The Sprout Hub utilises the concept of a ‘community activation hub’ to connect residents in emerging and recently developed communities but could be adapted to suit any community.

An innovative, community-based program that pair’s people who find it difficult to prepare regular meals with those who love to cook. The Casserole Club is an Initiative that matches volunteer Cooks with Diners in the same area who would appreciate a home-cooked meal.  The community-led food sharing initiative was originally developed by UK-based ideas group, FutureGov, as an initiative to tackle social isolation and reconnect neighbourhoods through the sharing of wholesome food. “The program is a great way to encourage more people to eat fresh and delicious meals and it also helps to tackle social isolation—strengthening community connections with every bite,” (Cr Hackett).

Mixed Dozen is an Australian social enterprise interested in supporting local communities to invest in themselves. It simply runs playful, spirited meal events.  Mixed Dozen brings together neighbourhoods and local communities. It provides a space for them to play, create, converse and give through a shared meal. It does this by creating playful and intimate environments with their guests, which supports the rediscovery of the fun and enjoyment of knowing your locals and sharing the preparation of food with new and old friends. Mixed Dozen aims to reinvigorate the local. Mixed Dozen have developed a DIY Handbook for communities to instigate the initiative themselves.

Rochelle School based in the UK has a very impressive Community Charter.  It explains the how and what of their commitment to the community. It is a great example of a school that is fully committed to supporting and aligning themselves with the community and its aspirations.

Turning streets into communities is the focus of this national project that helps bring neighbours together, providing resources and support. Street by Street is an initiative of the Centre for Civil Society, a social policy and social innovation institute.

Wyong Alive is a unique and innovative story telling platform for the Wyong community.  It allows community members to share their stories and interests and showcase the great things about Wyong Shire.  Any community member can upload film clips to share with the community.  This website provides a great example of creative asset mapping.

The Welcome Dinner Project is a social inclusion program that seeks to connect established Australians with newly arrived Australians.  They facilitate dinners at people’s homes and community wide events. The aim is to create and hold spaces for experiences involving personal encounters, leading to ongoing transformations, both personal and communal.