The word community is, without question, central to human experience. Being part of an engaging community gives us a sense of belonging. It enables us to share personal relatedness and support growth of each other, ourselves and our environment.

A community can be anything from a physical place or space where geographically people connect, or via a virtual space such as social media groups or private community platforms. Communities bring like-minded people together with similar characteristics and common interests.

This next session, week three, we are going to map your networks and your communities. This should help us see what we are part of and how much connection we have in our whole lives, and potentially see these connections.

Project skills and planning tools:  

Manchester Community Funding – https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/shared-topic-areas/funding  

General community project funding: https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/how-we-can-help/who-else/employment/grants-funding/community-projects 

Mapping your network: a guide to networking https://www.creativelivesinprogress.com/article/a-guide-to-networking-and-making-connections  

Examples of Social Action Projects https://www.youth-social-action.careersandenterprise.co.uk/examples-youth-social-action  

More info on project plans: https://asana.com/resources/project-management-plan  

This Incubator is all about a process. Engaging with the tools and scaffold we have put in place for the project, enjoying the journey, will help your end result. Even if you can really clearly see what that looks like, you feel you have a clear goal, go with the process and see how this well practiced process, can support your development!

Take some time to research what Get it Done do, how they talk about what they do to their audiences, and take note of how they go about doing it. Then pay special attention to, and reflect upon their WHY! Consider your why and how you might communicate this outward.  Take a look at the Get it Done website

An interesting article for anyone who is interested in carbon literacy, sustainability, health inequality and (well this should be all of you!) building communities.  A healthy society is just as much about community as healthcare

A very interesting report for anyone interested in the power of community, and community power. Want to enact change, see the potential of your community to take ownership and power of their needs or hopes? Have a read to see this evidence backed approach. Evidence unpacked: does community power boost wellbeing?Proof in the power: Six benefits of putting communities in charge

Creative inspiration books: 

• The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible 
• How to be a Craftivist: The Art of Gentle Protest  
• The Art of Protest: Political Art and Activism 
• Utopia for Realists  
• The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters