WISH North West Strengths Based Community Development

In May 2018 WISH North West hosted a highly successful workshop event in Manchester focusing on Community Development. Julia Wolfendale presented an approach based on looking for strengths in communities and neighbourhoods, rather than highlighting the deficiencies. She outlined a four step approach which can be used:

1 Acknowledge and reflect

2 Adapt and reframe

3 Ask and discover

4 Act and do different

Some of the comments from delegates include:

“Great and thought provoking workshop, on strength based approach, leading by enabling, not empowering”

“Reframing how we think about customers - look at strengths and what we have in common rather than differences and negatives”

"It's sometimes the people who you imagine nothing of who do what you can't imagine" - thinking about the gifts we have to offer rather than what we need”

The feedback from the day was really positive, as this flipchart shows:

Thanks to our hosts, Great Places Housing Group, and to Julia for her presentation.