How to... engage communities in managing neighbourhood assets?
Why is this important?
In any neighbourhood, there are physical assets. These might be green or public spaces, housing, community centres, leisure facilities or other buildings.
Often, local people are best placed to decide how these assets should be managed. And they will have views on what new facilities are needed, and how these should be run.
Involving communities in developing, improving and managing local assets can be important. It can:
• Improve the way facilities operate – by using the expertise of local people to develop facilities in the way that communities need and want.
• Be an important driver for change – the hard work and enthusiasm of communities can lead to new facilities being developed or old ones coming back into use.
• Build the skills and experiences of local people – individuals and community groups can not only bring their own skills to help to improve facilities, but can learn new skills too.
• Ensure that people feel part of their local area – people can see that they can have a real influence over how their neighbourhood works.
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Find out more... Together We Can has produced excellent guidance on the benefits and costs of community management and ownership |
How can we do it?
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Involve communities in managing local facilities What have others done? • Coigach Community Hall – a community managed hall in one of Scotland’s most remote areas. • Bury Sports Facilities – this local authority has handed over management of outdoor leisure facilities to service users. • The House of Daily Life – a community centre in Italy which is managed by a group of 35 community organisations and the city council. • Vermeerveld Park – residents in this Dutch neighbourhood set up a Playground Foundation to manage a new park in their area. Guidance • Community buildings: maximising assets - guidance for local authorities about the ways that community facilities can be managed jointly with community groups. • Communities taking control - useful guidance for communities interested in managing their area. It includes particularly helpful information about controlling local services. |
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Involve communities in planning and managing public space What have others done? • Spelthorne Park Stakeholder Groups – local people have responsibility for directing the improvement and management of parks. • Mill of Haldane Green Corridor – a community led environmental project in West Dunbartonshire. • Environmental Community Boards – a successful example of involving residents, including young people, in decisions about the open space in their area. Guidance • It’s our space - A guide for community groups working to improve their local public space. It includes information on getting started, making changes and then managing and maintaining the space.
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Support people to own the facilities in their area What have others done? • Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust – an example of a rural community which bought the land it lives on, and now manages the whole area. • Examples from England – find out how nine councils transferred assets into community ownership. Guidance • Asset transfer: a can do guide – practical guidance on how to transfer assets into community ownership. Written for an English audience, but with useful lessons for Scotland. |
Some top tips
• It is vital that communities benefit from taking on responsibility for managing local space or buildings. Communities need to be involved in exploring whether facilities are likely to be an asset – or could be a liability!
• Take time to build capacity – of both staff and communities – to work together to manage facilities. It can take time and resources to build skills and experience so that people are able to take responsibility for managing space or buildings.
• Develop a business plan. This should include long term financial forecasts and a risk assessment. Communities should be very clear about their roles and responsibilities.
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Find out more... We have developed a Learning Point which explores how to develop buildings as community assets. This contains many more important lessons. |
