About

Herding Together is a Community Development and Corporate Training consultancy aiming to build strong and connected community. The core value driving the consultancy is that the creation of a good community lies within the community itself. The power to drive change lies with the strengths and assets of the members of the community and in the strengths of the organisation.

Herding Together’s core value is that the creation of good community lies within the community itself. Similarly, the creation of a successful and strong organisation lies within the organisation. The power to drive change resides with the strengths and assets of the members of communities and organisations. This value underlies both Community Building/Development and Corporate Training services.

Herding Together provides support, consultancy and training to community, community organisations, the not for profit sector and government agencies. Our work is aimed at anyone wanting to create connected, strong, safe and resilient communities. Herding Together works from strengths based approaches and utilises Assets Based Community Driven Development (ABCD) strategies to build community from the bottom up as well as Appreciative Inquiry approaches to build strong organisations.

Alan Blackshaw is the founder of Herding Together. He is a community builder working from an Assets Based Community Development (ABCD) perspective. He has spent his career working to serve and build community. He has experience as an educator, public servant, disability support worker, local government officer and in community development – both as a frontline worker and as a manager of a team of community development workers. He has over 30 years experience in working with the community, the last 16 in local government. He has experience in building community from the grassroots up. He is now continuing to serve the community by working to create strong communities and organisations.

He holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Masters Regional and Community Development. At the core of his practice are social justice principles.

Alan is currently based in Cairns, Queensland, Australia