Building Strong Communities
Yesterday I read, with some sadness, about the high rate of suicide and imprisonment among members of the veteran community. While serving suicide rates for veterans are 48 % lower … Continue reading Building Community with Veterans
I came late to Community Development. By the time I started working as a Community Development worker I had already been a teacher, musician, pensions assessor and disability worker. I … Continue reading Returning to basecamp – “Building Communities from the Inside Out”
One of the things I really like about the tools used in Community Development is there versatility and how they can be used in a number of different settings and … Continue reading Gifts of the Head, Heart and Hands – a versatile tool
For as long as I can recall the “go to” tool for strategic planning, team building, vision creation and the like has been the SWOT Tool i.e. Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats. I don’t … Continue reading I Thought I SOAR a SWOT
Our photgraphs help us tell our stories. My father kept an old family Bible in his wardrobe. This wasn’t kept for religious observance but because it contained information about our … Continue reading Our Stories Are Important – They Connect us to Each Other and to Place
Introduction Local Councils can be confusing. They can cover a broad range of work in the community from roads, waste, water, parks, halls, facilities, amenities, parking, development assessments, strategic planning, … Continue reading Working with your local Council – some tips from a former insider
Introduction Local Government is the level of government closest to the community. From this it would be expected that one of the important functions of Local Government would be in … Continue reading Local Government and Community Building
This week is Homelessness Week. The week is annually coordinated by Homelessness Australia to raise awareness of homelessness. Homelessness is a social and humanitarian crisis that we need to be … Continue reading Homelessness Week
Over lunch today I had one of the local commercial radio stations on in the background. At one point they were promoting a Volunteer Expo happening at the weekend. The … Continue reading Social Connection – It’s that Simple
When most people think of safety or a safe street they tend to think of a place with low crime rates and when they consider how to make a street … Continue reading Want to live in a safe street?….then be a good neighbour.
A few further thoughts on the importance of community building and crime prevention or community safety. Perceptions of crime and fear of crime are powerful driving forces with people often … Continue reading Further Thoughts on Community Building and Crime Prevention
Recently, I was asked if Community Building, in particular, Asset Based Community Development, could reduce or prevent crime. My candid response was yes. The look on the questioner’s face reflected … Continue reading Community Building and Crime Prevention
Herding Together 