In Brief

This ABCD programme is in collaboration with Adult Services, Thurrock Council, aimed at improving health & wellbeing & reducing the gap in health inequalities across the county.

“The ABCD approach is a powerful and compelling change model that advocates community development that is bottom up and sustainable. The role of professionals within this context is clearly one of initial leadership and stimuli, however there is also a robust expectation that the community take control of the process and embed the practice to ensure ongoing resilience.”

Les Billingham, Head of Adult Services at Thurrock Council.

Working with the Thurrock Stronger Together Partnership

Nurture Development continues to support the development of ABCD in Thurrock along with the Thurrock Stronger Together Partnership, which promotes local, community activities that strengthen the connections between people. Stronger Together also encourages local people to have a greater say in what happens in their neighbourhood and to take control over where they live and the decisions that affect them.

To support all citizens across Thurrock in these civic actions, the Stronger Together Partnership has commissioned a range of catalytic supports including Local Area Coordination, Asset-Based Community Development, and Time-banking.

The At the Heart of the Matter report has been released in October 2015. This report focuses on some of the many citizen-led stories that have emerged specifically as a consequence of Asset-Based Community Development efforts over the last year (2014-2015).

The team that has supported this work was made up of two on the ground Community Builders, namely Teresa O’Keeffe and Christopher Pease, both funded by Thurrock Council and managed by Thurrock CVS. Nurture Development provided mentoring/training and technical support.

The Partnership recognise the root causes of the vast majority of socio-economic and political issues are: disconnection and inequality. Research shows that one of the ways to address this disconnect is as close to people’s doorsteps as possible, since people will engage and connect around the things they care about, and most people will mobilise around the things that are close to home.

Illustrated stories on the At the Heart of the Matter report.

Community event in Thurrock.

Illustrated stories on the At the Heart of the Matter report.

Report on our work: At the Heart of the Matter: stories of welcoming community in Thurrock, October 2015. Download here.

Which of our team members is in Thurrock: Cormac Russell, Nurture Development Managing Director; Jennine Bailey and Paul Macey, Associates.

More info here.