Insights - Lessons from the Journey
In September 2022 we gathered together in a small circle to think about the four areas that we’d like to keep our eye on:
- Rekindling the function of a community
- Rebalancing the relationship between communities and institutions (reducing paternalism)
- Midwifing and birthing commoning ways
- Local to global
We met to design a small developmental evaluation process that might provide some early insights to guide, deepen, redirect the work, and again to look at the outcomes.
One of the main early findings from the circle, was that we should share the process, practice and findings as it could be of use to others travelling along the same path or thinking about it.
So here is the harvest of our learning. We will add to this as we grow.
The circle thought that the convening style was key to the coming together of the community, and the growth in associational life and mutual peer support.
Evaluation Summary
The document captures the early learning and the framing of the developmental evaluation and was produced in September 2022.
Community Report May 2023
The Community Report provides some of the learning and insights from the evaluation. This report was shared with community members at a community party in May 2023.
Ey Up Magazine
The more we listened the more we learned that good news was important in cultivating a connected community, and that we needed ways of ensuring that every member of the community received an invitation to contribute. Thanks to support from GM System Changers, Awards for All and Cllr Phyll Cullen we were able to deliver the first issue of Ey Up through every door in the community during April 2023, with enough cash too for an Autumn edition. The magazine has been warmly received, and already we are seeing new people find their way into community.
Vocal Eyes Report
Learning from an experiment in participatory budgeting within Wigan borough communities during 2022-23 and funded by Power to Change.
