What is Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)?

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) is an approach that recognises and builds on the dreams, ideas, potential, strengths, gifts, talents and resources of individuals and communities to create strong, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

ABCD is a powerful approach to community engagement that focuses on capabilities and potential, rather than problems and needs by uncovering the resources that already exist in a community. Unearthing community strengths is a powerful and productive way to address problems and realise a collective vision.

What You Can Do Following the Workshop.

Move from theory to practice by taking ABCD into your organisation and the neighbourhoods where you work. It will enable you to create stronger, more resilient, and creative neighbourhoods where people, families and communities come first.

Who’s It For?

The workshop is aimed at public sector leaders, frontline staff including NHS, Local Authorities, Housing Associations, Police, and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector.

Workshop Objectives:

1.     To understand how abundant communities thrive when you shift your focus.

2.     To create the conditions for insights and personal transformation.

3.     To realise for yourself the unlimited potential in our neighbourhoods

Day One:  Moving from Needs to Strengths

10.00am: Welcome and Introductions

10.30am: The Map is Not the Territory - Needs vs Assets

·      The Danger of a Single Story

·      Glass Half Full vs Glass Half Empty

·      Language and Labels

11.30am: Break

11.45am: Understanding the Principles and Building Blocks of ABCD

Discover the key building blocks that exist in every community, whilst exploring the underlying principles of ABCD

12.30pm: Community Building Stories

Real Stories, Real People and Real Places that inspire and transform your world.

1.00pm Lunch

2.00pm The Secret Sauce to Communication – Listening Conversations

Spend time in building deep rapport and creating powerful human connections with Listening Conversations.

3.00pm The Obstacle Course

Uncover and see through the nine obstacles to success and unearth the infinite potential in our neighbourhoods.

3.45pm Evaluation

4.00pm Close

Day Two: Building Community from the Inside Out

10.00am: Welcome and Reflections from Day One

10.30am: Making the Invisible Visible

Experience your community come to life as we make visible the invisible strengths, assets and gifts that exist in every neighbourhood.  Learn to value the power of these innate resources and learn how to mobilise them into inspired action.

11.00am: Big Ideas – Small Investment

Learn how small matching grants can lead to powerful impact when you invest into the ideas of community.

11.30am: Break

11.45am: Conversation Café

Interactive session where we explore three powerful questions designed to pull the lens back on current practice.

1.00pm: Lunch

2.00pm Street Quest

Take your learning to the streets and uncover hidden treasures in the neighbourhood.

3.00pm: No More Throw Away People – The Parable of the Blobs and Squares

This fun and thought-provoking session will bring to life the power of people and organisations working together on their dreams and goals for community.

3.45pm: Evaluation

4.00pm Close