Citizens, Bristol City Council, voluntary sector partners and community development practitioners have been coming together to strengthen their neighbourhoods. In 2015 the local authority started working in partnership with Nurture Development to develop  asset based community development across the city with a call to action for citizens and neighbourhoods to come together and take action on issues which are important to them. We originally had three ABCD learning sites in St Judes, Lockleaze and St Annes Park but have since adopted ABCD approach across 11 neighbourhoods and with other partners from across the city.

“My confidence has increased a lot. I now know a lot more parents in the area. They were all happy with the day. The parents said to me if you can do it we can do it as well. It has given them the confidence to get involved next time.” Aisha didn’t know many people in St Judes and wanted to create a space to bring families together. With her neighbours she organised a couple of Playing Out events and over 100 people attended. This has enabled more families to meet and get to know each other building local connections and strengthening social capital.

Find out more about community efforts and the ABCD approach in Bristol:

ABCD Learning Bristol

Community Development Bristol Story Map

Some of the things we’ve done in Bristol!

In brief

• We worked with Bristol City Councils Community Development Team and Communities Health Team for two years (2015-2017)
• We started with three neighbourhood learning sites in Lockleaze, St Annes and St Judes but the ABCD approach was expanded across 18 neighbourhoods where the community development was working. The team continue to use ABCD values and principles in their work across the city
• We facilitated a strategic group of partners to explore working in an asset based way across the city
• We facilitated monthly reflective practice sessions with community development and health team officers for two years – these continue as self-facilitated peer learning reflective practice sessions every six weeks to the present day

• We facilitated a monthly ABCD forum for one year open to practitioners from across the city wanting to deepen their community development practice
• We facilitated a monthly reflective practice group for one year for partners who wanted to deepen their community development practice
• We facilitated 8 introduction to ABCD 1 day workshops which over 300 community practitioners and activists attended. Bristol City Council continue to host these
• We trained 21 ABCD guides through 2 cohorts who have gone on to work alongside and train other professionals and activists in Bristol City Council
• We supported eight in neighbourhood mentoring sessions for nine community development practitioners
• We supported connections across the ABCD network linking Bristol to the Barnwood Trust in Gloucestershire and Croydon Voluntary Action in London

For stories and more information about what we are doing in Bristol:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/people-communities/get-involved-in- your-community