EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIESBreakout session

Connecting Policy with Practice

20 June 2013

Sophie Hostick-Boakye, Associate

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THE YOUNG FOUNDATION

• Social innovation and social change

• Work with individuals, communities and partners to find solutions

• Applied Innovation – grass roots, communities and agencies to deliver change

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THE YOUNG FOUNDATION AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT • Transforming Neighbourhoods,

Neighbourhood Action Network, Future Communities

• Led to question how digital tools can help community empowerment

• Local 2.0:• Tested with three local authorities how

hyper-local media/Web 2.0 can increase community voice

• Series of think-pieces

• Digital Activism:• Worked with six small community

organisations to explore how free and low-cost tools can help people campaign on local issues

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HOW TOOLS CAN BE USED

Councils engaging customers online:• Kirklees Council – Twitter for quick dialogue with residents about

local issues• Coventry City Council – Facebook (as Coventry) sharing council

information but linking people to the place rather than organisation• ASK Bristol – WordPress where Bristol City Council consults

residents on decision making

Campaigners engaging supporters and others online: • Hackney CAB Crowdmap – Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and

Crowdmap to highlight impact of housing benefit changes• Shelve It! – Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and Crowdmap to gather

stories and retailer ratings of lads’ mags displays• Mothers Against Gangs – WordPress to reach out to parents with

children at risk of joining gangs looking for support

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COUNCILS AND SOCIAL MEDIA A social media framework for local government:1. Listen to social media users and

conversations about local issues

2. Participate in conversations, building dialogue with citizens through social media – energise, provide spaces to support, empower through decision making

3. Transform service redesign, replacing or complimenting existing ways of working and adopting new models of working

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CAMPAIGNERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA1. Decide who to engage and

what you want them to do

2. Collaborate

3. Keep content accessible and up-to-date

4. Maintain momentum

5. Target influencers to amplify your message

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ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY USING WEB TOOLS What works well:• Can reach a wide range of

people• Allows people to take part as

much as they want and when it suits them

• Can help strengthen relationships and share information

• Issues that emerge on community sites are more likely to be raised in offline meetings or forums

• Can help to connect residents in need with active local residents willing and ready to help.

What works less well:• Not everyone is online• Not everyone is confident using

web tools• Not everyone wants to form

relationships with institutions or neighbours

• Requires time and dedication • Not a one size fits all• Web is not a silver bullet for

community engagement

• Community interaction online mirrored with community interaction offline

• Core group of people participate in online interaction

@_YF_Applied / @the_young_fdn