Find out about past NWTWC events - reports, feedback, presentations
NWTWC supporting FREE Big Society & Community Activists Conference - Manchester 2nd September 2010.
Thursday 2nd September 2010 at Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD from 9.30am - 1.30pm including lunch.
NWTWC is supporting this FREE Big Society & Community Activists Conference.
What does Big Society mean to thousands of volunteers already active in their communities? Take the opportunity to find out when Neil Smith, Policy Manager for the Community Action & Campaigning Team at Cabinet Officer speaks to a gathering of community activists from across the North West.
His presentation will be geared around questions and topics forwarded in advance from the North West Community Activists Network. These include:
- The role of community organisers.
- Who will appoint them?
- What choice do neighbourhood groups have regarding community organisers and their training?
- How will neighbourhood groups hold Local Authorities to account after the dismantling of Regional Government & Regional Agencies?
- How will Big Society give power to neighbourhood groups and what will that power be?
Oldham's own Maxine Moar from the National Association for Neighbourhood Management Steering Group will also be speaking as well as a representative from the National Coalition for Independent Action.
Information about the North West Community Activists Network can be found at www.nwcan.org
Download flyer for the event here.
NWTWC Network Seminar - Neighbourhood Governance: Reflecting on UK & European Experience.
Wednesday 30th June 2010 at Blackburne House, Liverpool.
This seminar hosted by Liverpool City Council and run in collaboration with ECOTEC Research and Consulting explored the findings of neighbourhood governance to date from across the UK and Europe. It provided an opportunity to debate the policy implications for he local and national government in the context of the Big Society.
Speakers from London School of Economics, ECOTEC, Liverpool CC, De Montfort and Manchester Universities.
Download agenda and speaker details here
Download morning presentations here
Download afternoon presentations here
Making an Impact: communities and change
More and more local people are demanding a greater say in how their areas are run, with all political parties saying they support increased community ownership, control and empowerment.
For the last three years, NWTWC has been funding a wide range of innovative projects across the region from Action Learning to Gender Training, from Community Activists to Green Issues, from work with Migrants to Equality and Inclusion programmes. A wide selection of these urban and rural projects and other projects from Lancashire and beyond were showcased at this exciting event.
As well as afternoon workshops and a special Lancashire section, we visited local East Lancashire Community Projects.
Held at the Nelson ACE Centre the themes of this event were to learn, share and discuss how communities must continue to speak for themselves especially in times of financial uncertainty, recession and possible cuts.
For information about this past event please contact Dave Hannay Community North West: Tel: 01282 692323 info@communitynw.org.uk
Download Ed Cox's address here
Download Ed Cox's presentation here
Community Cohesion is about Good Migration
Cheshire East Migrant Project supported by North West Together We Can
Tuesday 27th April 2010 at Lancaster Town Hall from 9.30am - 1.30pm
Wednesday 26th May at Carlisle Racecourse from 9.30am - 1.30pm
Following last year's successful 'Good Migration' event in Crewe, the Cheshire East Migrant Project, supported by NWTWC and Cheshire East Council has organised two half day follow on seminars.
These 'Celebrations, Evaluations and Solutions Seminars' will be held in Lancaster and also in Carlisle in partnership with Cumbria CC.
Both seminars aim to:
- Showcase local projects and initiatives supporting migrants and their families.
- Identify key issues and explore solutions through a learning exchange workshop.
- Allow regional initiatives to make connections with new groups.
- Provide a space for individuals to come together and network over lunch.
Participation is encouraged from anyone with an interest in migration, who is willing to learn from others, share knowledge and experience, identify key challenges and suggest practical solutions.
Download the Lancaster event report here
Download Good Migration Paper by Viv Cuthill, Lancaster University
Download the Carlisle event report here
North West Together We Can Policy & Practice Workshop with ipprnorth and Manchester Business School Incubator.
Thursday 29th April 2010 at 5 Bridge Mill, Beswick, Manchester with lunch at 12.30pm and a prompt 1pm start - 4pm.
Social and community enterprise is likely to be at the forefront of public policy making in the coming years, with all political parties and local government recogonising its importance in transforming public service delivery as the UK economy recovers from recession and begins to tackle the huge public defecit. This workshop will explore the support needs of social and community enterprise in the North West to enable them to continue to rise to the challenge.
The workshop will draw on research being conducted by ippr north and Manchester Business School, but will also provide an opportunity to feed into the research through a roundtable discussion of the critical success factors for community and social enterprise. The discussions at the workshop will play a vital part in shaping the final report.
To you would like to attend please email your details to north@ippr.org and await confirmation.
NWTWC working with IDeA - Action Learning Set: Mainstreaming Community Engagement & Empowerment.
Action Learning Set comprising of 4 sessions:
Thursday 25th February 2010 from 12.30 - 4.30pm at GMCVO, Manchester (Lunch served 12.00 - 12.30pm)
Thursday 11th March 2010 from 12.30 - 4.30pm at GMCVO, Manchester (Lunch served 12.00 - 12.30pm)
Thursday 1st April 2010 from 12.30 - 4.30pm at GMCVO, Manchester (Lunch served 12.00 - 12.30pm)
Thursday 15th April 2010 from 12.30 - 4.30pm at GMCVO, Manchester (Lunch served 12.00 - 12.30pm)
NWTWC is committed to encouraging collaborative learning and improved practice in empowerment and engagement across the North West. As part of this commitment we are pleased to be working with IDeA, the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government, to offer the opportunity of taking part in an Action Learning Set. This set will be for officers who are facing the challenges of ensuring engagement and empowerment is part of the mainstream of their Council's activities.
For those unfamiliar with Action Learning, this would be a good chance for you to have a try and see if this is an approach for you.
If you're asking - Why Action Learning?
Action Learning has proved effective at working on issues that are complex, messy and maybe have a sense of an ongoing, repeating pattern about them: common characteristics of issues related to community engagement.
Action Learning implies both self-development and organisational development. Action on a problem changes both the problem and the person acting upon it.
We need you to be available for all the four dates.
Download a flyer for this event here
NWTWC supporting Manchester City Council & Oldham City Council Event - Sharing Good Practice.
Tuesday 30th March 2010 at Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester, M60 7HA from 9.30am - 4pm.
NWTWC is supporting Connecting Communities in the North West through a targeted Support Funding programme which aims to improve the effectiveness with which local authorities engage with local people and the way in which they respond to their concerns about public decisions and services.
As part of this programme, we are very pleased to announce that colleagues from Manchester City Council and Oldham City Council have organised this free sharing good practice event.
it will be of interest to a range of people who engage with communities, including Officers, Elected Members and key community respresentatives. Go along to find out more and share good practice around Neighbourhood Day Grants implemented by the City of Manchester Council and Neighbourhood Agreements piloted by Oldham Council.
Download event information and agenda here
Faiths4Change and NWTWC Action Learning Sets in Your Area.
This is a fully funded opportunity to participate in one of three Action Learning Sets (ALS) being run by Faiths4Change and funded by NWTWC in Burnley, Speke and Oldham from January to March.
The theme is Empowerment, Equality & Economic Inclusion and it is suitable for paid workers, volunteers, local councillors and others but places are limited so take advantage of this opportunity now.
This theme will be relevant to those of you working on the following programmes, agendas or in related fields such as Welfare to Work, Every Child Matters, Sustainable Communities including transport and travel, Young People Not in Education, Employment or training, Promoting Employability, Basic Skills, Enterprise Skills, Community Cohesion, all equalities strands and Women and Work to mention some.
ALS is a participative approach to finding solutions to work related challenges. it enables you to put forward challenges that you are facing, share experience, find and try out solutions with peers from other organisations.
Download flyer for Burnley Action Learning Set here
Download flyer for Speke Action Learning Set here
Download flyer for Oldham Action Learning Set here
For more information or to book a place please contact Marjorie Griffin on 0151 705 2111 or marjorie@faiths4change.org.uk
NWTWC & GAP Unit - Arise and Shine Play and Workshop.
Wednesday 24th March 2010 from 3pm onwards at Zion Arts Centre, Manchester, M15 5ZA.
This Arise and Shine advocacy project, funded by NWTWC aims to increase understanding of the issues faced by women asylum seekers and refugees among those who provide services to this community or play a role in developing policy which touches them in some way. The aim is to create new channels of communication between these marginalised women and service providers and policy makers.
The event is in two parts:
- 3pm - 4pm A play called 'How I became an Asylum Seeker' by Lydia Besong, performed by Women Asylum Seerers Together (WAST).
- 4.30pm - 5.40pm A discussion and workshop facilitated by women asylum seekers from the Arise and Shine campaign steering group.
The target audience is local authority officers and councillors, frontline staff and policy makers who interact with this community in the course of their work but who have had little or no specialist training to guide them.
Together with the workshop and information pack all delegates will receive, it will equip participants to work more sensitively and to recogonise and counter mistaken assumptions and stereotypes.
It is anitcipated this will be oversubscribed so your booking will be confirmed in due course.
Download an information and booking form here
NWTWC Learning Exchange Seminar - Measuring Impact: What Does the White Paper Require? How Do You Do It?
Thursday 18th March 2010 at Ditton Community Centre from 9.45am - 1pm including lunch.
This NWTWC learning exchange seminar, hosted by Halton Borough Council, will explore what local authorities are required to do to measure empowerment and how a range of local authorities have used frameworks. It will enable participants to consider how to choose the best framework for their situation and how a framework might help an authority understand their empowerment work and take it forward. The seminar is aimed at people working at a strategic level.
Introduction: Dwayne Johnson, Strategic Director, Health & Community.
Speaker: Stuart Pate, Head of Community, Cumbria County Council.
Case studies from Halton, Wirral and Salford.
There will also be an up to date report on other approaches supported by Communities and Local Government.
Download a copy of the programme here
Download a copy of Stuart Pate's presentation here.
Download a copy of Halton Case Study here.
Download a copy of Wirral Case Study here.
Download a copy of Salford Case Study here.
Download a copy of the seminar report here.
NWTWC Learning Exchange Seminar - Communities in Control: What Does AI Have to Offer?
Tuesday 9th February 2010 at Riverside Hotel, Kendal from 10.30am with networking lunch closing at 2.45pm.
This NWTWC learning exchange seminar being hosted by Cumbria County Council will explore how Appreciative Inquiry (AI) can be used by organisations committed to changing the way they work in order to enable communities to take greater control. The seminar should be useful to people who are or want to actively work with communities, those who would like a taster to find out what AI is about and those who would like to engage people using the approach in the North West.
Many people wanting to engage communities are keen but want to know more about methods. Over the past year several people working with NWTWC and others in the North West have tried Appreciative Inquiry. AI is a method of whole systems change which starts from the strengths of communities and organisations and focuses on solutions rather than weaknesses and problems. Judith Emanuel is an Appreciative Practitioner and will introduce the approach alongside people who are using AI in their work.
The day will build on methods used at our seminar in Preston in January giving participants opportunities to explore the questions that matter to them. All case study presenters will offer workshops looking from the perspective of officers and elected members to boost the esteem of an area, for Overview and Scrutiny reviews and as professional development.
Speaker: Judith Emanuel will present examples of AI in practice from Cumbria, South Ribble, Rochdale, Leyland and Salford.
There will be case study workshops - world cafe style.
Download a copy of the programme here
Download Judith Emanuel's presentation here
Lovin' the Big Society - Speed Dating Do.
Thursday 21st October 2010 at Stockport Town Hall, SK1 3XE from 10am - 3pm.
North West Together We Can and Neighbourhoods NW are playing the Big Society matchmakers. We want practitioners to be able to meet people who are involved in practical projects which are having a real impact on creating a Big Society in neighbourhoods and communities.
So we are staging the 'Big Society Speed dating Do' on October 21st at Stockport Town Hall.
There will be between six and eight Big Society 'dates' who will be ready and waiting to be interviewed about their Big Society projects.
Delegates will have time to chat with each of the Big Society 'dates' about their projects, how they started, what they have achieved, pitfalls they have had to overcome and the benefits they have gained.
There will also be a workshop looking at Big Society working and what it means for neighbourhoods practitioners on the ground and how they can deliver on the Big Society agenda.
Delegates will also leave the event with practical help and guidance on how to put in place the lessons learned from the speed daters into their own areas and communities.
The 'Big Society Speed Dating Do' registrations from 9.30am with the event starting at 10am until 3pm with lunch included.
Cost is £125.00 per delegate with 25% discount available for Neighbourhoods NW members.
To register you will need to follow the link to Neighbourhoods NW website: http://www.neighbourhoods-nw.co.uk/lovin-the-big-society-speed-dating-do.html
NWTWC Learning Exchange Seminar - Neighbourhood Charters: Urban and Rural.
Wednesday 13th January 2010 at County Hall, Preston from 9.45am - 1.15pm concluding the morning session with a networking lunch.
This NWTWC learning exchange seminar will include national research and case studies illustrating the use of Neighbourhood Charters in rural and urban areas.
The aim is to inform and enable participants to assess the relevance of Charters to their own situations.
It is for interested individuals with limited previous knowledge or experience of Neighbourhood Charters with the format maximising opportunities for participants to identify what they know and need to know and to get their questions answered for informed action.
Case Studies:
Vicky Etheridge, Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk
Ruth Reeves, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Speaker: Liz Richardson, Institute for Political & Economic Governance
Download a copy of the programme here
Download Ruth Reeve's presentation details
Download Liz Richardson's presentation here
Download a copy of the event report here
NWTWC Learning Exchange Seminar - Communities in Control: Asset Transfer
Thursday 10th December 2009 from 12.30pm - 4pm at Phoenix Centre, Heywood, OL10 1LR
This first NWTWC learning exchange seminar of the season will focus on how Councils can make the legalisation of Asset Transfer meaningful and worthwhile and will be hosted by Rochdale MBC. It will include information about Asset Transfer regionally and nationally, available sources of support within the region and opportunities to network and discuss good practice.
Knowing your Assets from your Elbow: Speakers: Debbie Lamb and Jeff Scales from Development Trusts Association and Steve Conway, Community Matters.
The speakers will cover the national context, the key drivers, implementation of the policy at local level and some examples.
Case Study: Stephanie Thornton, Community Affairs Manager, Rochdale MBC will talk about their most recent asset transfer, Norden Library, and how policy has been developed with the help of DTA.
Download a copy of the programme here
Download a copy of The National Context presentation here
Download a copy of The Local Authority Perspective presentation here
Download a copy of The Third Sector Perspective presentation here
Download a copy of the event report here
NWTWC Duty to Involve: A Reality Check. What does it mean to us and how do we make it work?
Monday 16th November 2009 from 10am - 3.30pm at Burnley Football Club
Our next event is being run in collaboration with Urban Forums' Nick Bird and Kate Hathway who will be running the programme on the day.
The event is designed to build understanding, explore implications for practice and assess progress and demonstrate effectiveness.
The programme includes:
- An interactive survey to assess participants' current knowledge.
- Tom Archer, Practice Officer from Community Development Foundation (CDF) and Rose Sibley, Care Quality Commission will share examples of good involvement practice to inspire and challenge. Tom is one of the authors of the CDF published guide 'Duty to Involve: Making it Work.'
- Participant group working and feedback sessions.
- Summing up and support.
This event is aimed at:
- Council members and officers
- Voluntary and community organisations
- Health workers, the police and all those engaged in partnership working
Click here to visit Urban Forum's website
Download a copy of Tom Archer & Rose Sibley's presentation here
NWTWC Local Authorities Network Workshop - NI4.
6th October 2009 Blackburn House, Liverpool
This will provide an opportunity to learn up to date information on the place surevy results and network with colleagues across the region.
Bobby Duffy, Managing Director Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute who will give a presentation on: "Understanding NI4 – What factors are most associated with feelings of influence?” and Liz Richardson from Manchester University will also give a short presentation on: 'Evaluating the impact of community empowerment work on NI4 scores'. There will also be a short case study from Liverpool on new approaches to engagement.
The NWTWC Local Authorities Network has a special role in contributing to this agenda and these two initiatives. there will also be an oppportunity to help us develop our programme of activity going forward so it is of relevance and interest to Local Authorities in the North West.
Download Bobby Duffy's presentation here
Download Liz Richardson's presentation here
NWWTC Community Empowerment Award Scheme Workshop.
16th September 2009 The Honeywell Centre, Hathershaw, Oldham.
The benefits of this free award scheme are that it offers a way of independently vaildating and proving the worth of good empowerment and social cohesion activity. It should assist Authorities undertaking CAA by highlighting their good practice in delivering empowerment and social cohesion initiatives.
There will be a requirement for applicants to collect evidence of their chosen activity. This will then be independently assessed and verified and if the impact can be successfully demonstrated then an Award will be made. Support will be available throughout the process if needed.
Entry form available for download in the news section of this website.
Communities for Change
12th September 2009 Mancheseter Metropolitan University's Didsbury Campus.
The food room is offering practical workshops on Herb Drawing from Manchester Permaculture Network, a plant swap. Herb cutting from Hulme Community Garden Centre, organic food tasting game from Unicorn Grocery and juicing fresh fruit with Abundance Manchester.
There will be a Transition Journeys Room documenting the travels with Greater Manchester community groups taking action on sustainability.
The outdoor music stage will be compered by Mancunian poet Mike Garry and will feature music from Tanglewood, You and Boo of Single cell Collective, Aidan Jolly and Combo Nangi.
Films showing will include Age of Stupid and Grow Your Own.
The Transition manchester room will feature soap and wine making workshops and mapping transition town projects across the North West.
An Open Space area where you can raise ideas and issues you and your groups want to discuss.
Keynote listeners from institutions including NWDA and Salford University.
Cheshire East Council Event - Good Migration!
Friday 10th July at Crewe Hall, Crewe
This event wss open to anyone with an interest in migration
Keynote speakers from the Institute for Public Polic research, HM Treasury and Government office NW will share the national and regional context. Topics for discussion include:
- Migration outcomes - impacts and benefits
- Migrany workers perspectives
- mental health issues and strategies
- Housing needs
- Estimated benefits of migration impact funding
- Dealing with the economic downturn
- Effective communication and data sharing
- Potential for future migration projects
On Target: Community Empowerment and Feelings of Influence
Thursday 18 June, Urbis Museum, Manchester
Councils across the country including Greater Manchester have included National Indicator 4 - % of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality - in Local Area Agreements or as a local target.
This Event will allow participants to consider:
• How Councils best engage communities and how does this target link with other decision-making processes?
• What can be done now to ensure that communities feel they have influence on local decisions and respond positively on the next Place Survey?
Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss their issues and concerns regarding their plans for empowering communities and how this might impact on NI4 and other PSA Indicators.
Speakers will include:
• Community Empowerment Delivery Division, Communities and Local Government (CLG) Kerry Williams
• Government Office North West - Jane Groves
• Ipsos Mori - Bobby Duffy
• University of Manchester IPEG - Liz Richardson
• Relevant Case Studies and resources from across Greater Manchester and beyond.
Download Bobby Duffy's presentation here
Download Maxine Moar's presentation here
Download Brad Webster's presentation here
Download Kerry William's presentation here
Download Liz Richardson's presentation here
FREE TRAINING DAY– Introducing Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and Exploring How It Works for Community Engagement
7th May 2009 The Mechanics Centre Ltd, Manchester
What is AI?
- a positive, energising, participative and rapid method of engaging people in change management
- makes a contribution to service redesign and improvement, to ‘place-shaping’ and public engagement
Due to a waiting list from our last AI Training Day places are limited. Please register for the day and we will confirm if we can allocate you with a place. Please do not make travel arrangements until you receive our confirmation. Thank you
Community Charters; the latest – Free Learning Exchange Seminar
Eanam Wharf, Blackburn on 9th April 2009
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Key speaker Joe Micheli, Principal Social Inclusion Officer, Community Planning, Barnsley one of 12 national pilot areas for Community Charters.
Download further information about this event click here
For details of the presentations please contact Liz Wood on 0161 218 1195
Community Led Planning – Regional Conference
23rd March 2009 Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, Cumbria
A one day joint event in partnership with Cumbria Rural Forum, Action with Communities in Cumbria and Cumbria County Council, to be held in Kendal.
Key speakers for this event were Gillian Bishop, Sylvia Brown, Barbara Cannon, Alison Roylance-White, Rob Hindle.
Download the presentations from the event
Download Gillian Bishop's presentation
Download Sylvia Brown's presentation
Download Barbara Cannon's presentation
Improving the Dialogue: How Officers can meet communities’ aspirations
FREE Learning Exchange Seminar and case study visit hosted by Liverpool City Council
Tuesday 17th March 2009 The Neurosupport Centre, Liverpool Case Study Visits:
The WAVES project: Stephanie Harrison – Director of Housing Services, Cobalt Housing
Integrated Work and Learning Centre: Phil Knibb – Executive Director, Neighbourhood Services Company
Learning Exchange Seminars
Key speaker: Dr Kathryn Ray, Senior Research Fellow, Policy Studies Institute, London
Please note Case Study Visits and Learning Exchange Seminars must be booked separately
Communities in Control; The Case for Community Development – Free Learning Exchange Seminar
18th February 2009
Key speaker: Mandy Wilson COGS. To be held in Crewe. COGS are an independent organisation specialising in policy and practice development in the areas of community engagement, empowerment and development. They have recently undertaken a study on the role of community development in Local Authorities.
FREE TRAINING DAY– Appreciative Inquiry
28th January 2009 The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester
What is AI?
- a positive, energising, participative and rapid method of engaging people in change management
- makes a contribution to service redesign and improvement, to ‘place-shaping’ and public engagement
We are considering running another training day, for more information please contact us at NWTWC.
North West Together We Can Network FREE Learning Exchange Seminar
18th December 2008 Hatworks, Stockport
Communities in Control: How can Local Authorities put the words into action?
This free event, hosted by Stockport MBC, featured an introduction entitled “Will the White Paper empower local communities?” by Beth Longstaff, Research and Policy Officer, Community Development Exchange followed by two case studies:
“What can we learn from local experiences?” by Marc Godwin, Senior Community Development Officer, Stockport Council
“Using Appreciative Inquiry for an Overview and Scrutiny Review” by Judith Emanuel, formerly Public Health Network Co-ordinator, Stockport Centre for Health Promotion
Download the presentations here:
NWTWC Local Authorities Network Workshop
4th September 2008 hosted by Blackburn with Darwen Council
There was a presentation on the new Community Empowerment White Paper, with Stuart Hoggan, Deputy Director, Local Democracy and Empowerment, Department of Communities and Local Government.
This was followed by a discussion on “What are the Opportunities arising from the White Paper? What are the Challenges? How can we overcome these?”
NWTWC Annual Conference 2008
NWTWC Annual Conference, organised with the help of Seedley and Langworthy Trust and Salford City Council, looked at the relationship between empowerment and environmental issues, locally, regionally and nationally. The Conference included visits to projects and initiatives in Salford and there were a variety of workshops on all aspects of promoting the green agenda.
Download the NWTWC Annual Conference report here