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ResourcesSome Community Development Tools for use by churches and community groups
Adaptability CD A diagnostic tool for churches to assess their current level of community action. Provides ideas for future activity planning. www.eauk.org Tel. 0207 7207 2100.
Cash-online The website & information sheets aim to provide people with the basic financial skills needed to run successful charities and voluntary organisations. Published by Community Accountancy Self Help. www.cash-online.org.uk
Community Audit (downloadable on web). A comprehensive guide to help churches to research their community. Includes helpful section on conducting surveys. www.faithworks.info Tel. 020 7405 9052.
Community Research A detailed resource pack for small groups to undertake community research by the Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector. Tel. 0207 704 2315.
Community Tool Box Community planning, group facilitation & social marketing tools aiming to ‘support your work in promoting community health and development’. http://ctb.ku.edu
Community Website Builder This allows registered UK charities, non-profit making organisations and volunteer led groups or organisations to build and maintain their own website free of charge. http://www.communitykit.co.uk/
Community Work Skills Manual This is an extensive workbook about community work including research & information gathering skills & methods, working with groups, group organisation & much more. www.community-work-training.org.uk Tel.0127474551.
Directory for Social Change Distributes a free monthly email newsletter to help keep voluntary organisations up to date with their latest training and events, publications, campaigns and special offers. www.dsc.org.uk Tel. 020 7391 4800.
DIY Media Manual Produced by some Scottish sector bodies, including Community Learning Scotland, but also useful for other parts of the UK. Aims to help voluntary organisations work effectively with the media. www.acmediamanual.com
Doing Community Research (downloadable on web) Gives reasons and rationale for effectively researching local communities, with contributions from various networks and grassroots organisations. www.bassac.org.uk Tel. 020 7735 1075
ENSURE A useful guidebook which includes the reasons and methods for ‘Getting to know the Neighbourhood’ www.ensure.org
FairTrade Fortnight Churches Action Sheets, General Action Guides, information, posters and samples to raise awareness about the importance of fairtrade and social justice. www.fairtrade.org.uk Tel. 0207 405 5942.
Faithworks Resources Faithworks has developed an excellent range of books, tools, services and resources to support local churches in identifying and responding to the real needs of their community, including a Community Audit, a Church Audit, a Skills Bank of consultants and practical books. www.faithworks.info Tel. 0207 450 9052.
Free management consultancy Provided by The Cranfield Trust to organisations involved with people who experience poverty, disadvantage and disability. It has a register of 500 volunteers from the private sector. www.cranfieldtrust.org.uk Tel. 01794 830 338.
Fundraising events The Directory of Social Change has produced Tried and tested ideas for local fundraising events. Useful for first time fundraisers with lots of practical advice, it also covers practical and legal areas. www.dsc.org.uk Tel. 020 7391 4800
Getting to know your neighbours This is an introduction to finding out about your community, including different consultation methods. www.shaftesburysociety.org Tel. 0845 330 6033.
Go for It? A pack of group discussions for reflection on the Bible and based on The Full Monty film. Similar materials for Billy Elliott, plus many more participatory discussion resources based on the See, Judge, Act process of linking our everyday experiences to faith and the Bible. Some excellent materials from UNLOCK. www.unlock-urban.org.uk Tel. 0114 276 2038.
Homelessness Sunday Pack A resource pack of prayers, sermon notes, practical ideas and activities to enable churches within the UK to come together in prayer and action against the scandal of homelessness. www.homelessness-sunday.org.uk (or via Housing Justice)
Ideas Annual An excellent publication by Community Links of good ideas and community events produced by local community groups. Lots of practical hints and tips to do it with your own groups.
IT Support A free IT volunteers programme offering database design, website development, systems reviews and advice for your organisation. www.it4communities.org.uk
Making News All the details needed to produce a community newsletter. www.communitymatters.org.uk Tel. 020 7837 7887.
Mission and Young People at Risk This excellent resource and training pack is available on CD-ROM from Frontier Youth Trust. Sections include Community Mapping, Church-what’s that got to do with community, Interaction of church on community and Community as God’s heart. Each session includes quotes, background information, images, music and film clips. www.fyt.org.uk Tel. 012 1687 3505
Neighbourhood Surveys Info. Sheet 48 from Community Matters is a brief but useful description of why community groups should regularly survey their neighbourhood & how to go about it. www.communitymatters.org.uk Tel. 0207 837 7887.
One World Week packs OWW is the development education programme supported and sponsored by members of the Churches World Development Network. Excellent Action Packs and training are produced each year around issues of poverty and sustainability. www.oneworldweek.org Tel. 0118 939 4933.
Participation Works! 21 proven techniques of community participation from around the world. www.neweconomics.org Tel. 020 7089 2800.
Partnership
for Theological Education Plugging the Leaks A programme that enables people to see how money can stop being ‘leaked’ out of the local economy by circulating several times in a community before it leaves. Details of organisations that help plug leaks are on the NEF website or on the ‘Brave New Economy CD-ROM’. www.neweconomics.org Tel. 020 7089 2800.
Possibilities This is a training development consultancy that helps individuals, teams, departments and organisations as a whole, specialising in development, leadership and management skills, including managing change. It also provides skilled facilitation for groups going through transition. possibilitiesnow@aol.com Tel. 01789 765 634.
Prayer, Action, Reflection Cycle This describes a process and way of approaching church-based community activity. www.shaftesburysociety.org Tel. 0845 330 6033.
Purple Packs for Planning Projects 4 excellent, practical packs with detail about community surveys and planning, setting up and managing church & community projects by the Southwark Diocesan Board for Church in Society. Tel. 0207 403 8686.
Rachel’s Digest An informative weekly email newsletter summarising all the developments with housing policy, homelessness, social policy and regeneration. digest@housingjustice.org.uk Tel. 020 7723 7273.
Racial Justice Packs Resources for churches to focus their worship on the theme of racial justice and to take action to work for racial justice. www.ctbi.org.uk Tel. 020 7523 2121.
Restoring Hope in our Church This is a tool to help local churches refresh their vision and obey their primary calling – to love God and to love their neighbour. The resource pack contains three booklets and a video which seek to challenge and inspire local congregations to reassess their spiritual health. Designed to be viewed and discussed – maybe over a meal – the video outlines the Archbishop of Canterbury’s vision for a 21st century Church as well as giving an honest assessment by senior church leaders of the challenges facing the Church today. www.restoringhope.org.uk
Resources & Equipment Voluntary organisations in Scotland can search or appeal for equipment and materials, via an online database and a weekly newsletter. www.equipscotland.co.uk
Skills in Neighbourhood Work This is a comprehensive textbook from the Community Development Foundation for people wanting to work effectively with communities, including an appendix about community audits. www.cdf.org.uk tel. 0207 226 5375.
Social Action Journey This describes the basic stages of researching, establishing and evaluating a community project. www.shaftesburysociety.org Tel. 0845 330 6033
The Ideas Pack Prayer & worship ideas, ways to build church and local communities, ideas to explore and declare faith, and how to work for social justice. Actual examples and stories from the Southwark Diocesan Board for Church in Society. Tel. 0207 403 8686.
Time Banks These are a tool for building community. By encouraging local people to help each other, and get their time recognised, time banks create ways to build community cohesion. The free TimeKeeper software keeps records and sends out time statements depending on the time people have given and received services. www.timebanks.co.uk Tel. 0870 702 428.
Toolkit for Practitioners Tools for Regeneration: A Holistic Approach for Faith Communities from the Faith Based Regeneration Network including modules on how to set up and manage a community project, funding & working in partnership. fbrnuk@aol.com Tel. 0208 8947 6160.
Truth on the Streets A study resource that helps home groups and individuals relate to contemporary society by engaging with issues such as materialism, relationships and spirituality. www.eauk.org.uk Tel. 0207 7207 2100.
What Now?! An excellent card game activity from UNLOCK designed to help a church think together about its priorities, involving as many church members as possible in the decision-making process. Choices have to be made about church worship, neighbourhood work, the church family, mission and finance. www.unlock-urban.org.uk Tel. 0114 276 2038.
Wired Up This is an excellent, short, bi-monthly publication produced by the Shaftesbury Society and Tearfund, offering up to date funding, training, resources and information for churches interested or involved in their communities. wiredup@tearfund.org Tel. 020 8239 5527.
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