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Community Development Part 1 The Ohafia people, one of the Igbo clans living in the Southeastern Nigeria, believe so much in community development that each of the 26 villages of Ohafia and its adjoining subclans, have transformed their environment through self-help effort. In this piece, this writer intends to tell a brief history of community development of the Ohafia people. Be aware, though, that many communities in Igboland have also emulated this feat. Community development began with education or training of indigent but brilliant individuals in the villages. This resulted in sending some people abroad for further studies, or other forms of training. The Ohafia clan, through this means, produced academic professors, engineers, medical doctors and other professionals space and time will elude me to enumerate. How did Ohafia people do this? you might ask. 1. Funds were raised by taxing or levying every adult, whether male or female, whether reach or poor, within the village. If Mr. Nwankita, for instance, has no money to give, his goat, sheep or anything that has monetary value around him will be taken and sold for money with which to support the indigent student. Frankly, the community did all this with all joy and in the hope that those so trained would come home to replicate the good deed of the community. 2. The age grade system played a tremendous part in that each adult belonged (and still does) to an age grade where money is contributed for a common good--training individuals or other projects that will benefit the entire community. 3. Launching. Different villages hold launching during August/September period when many come home for the new yam festival or in December when the populace in different parts of the world come home for Christmas. Money raised on those occasions go a long way to help the community embark on a given project or send their sons and daughters to school. Today, sadly, the tide has turned. This writer believes that if the collective goodwill of the people had been sustained, Ohafia and/or Igboland as a whole, definitely, our communities would not only have depended on government for amenities but also transformed the lives of countless number of individuals. I leave you, Dear Reader, with this question: WHY DID THIS LAUDABLE COMMUNITY EFFORT STOP? Rev. Kalu Ndukwe

⭐ The Community Project Fund deadline is fast approaching! ⭐ St Albans City & District Council's Community Project Fund aims to provide voluntary and community groups with a flexible funding opportunity to support the delivery of projects and activities that benefit the local community. - What can be funded? Time-limited projects and activities supporting vulnerable people in the District to enjoy community life and be included. This could include sports, arts, music, outdoor activities, or social groups. - How much will be awarded? Groups can apply for grants over £200 and under £2,000. - Who can apply? Voluntary and community-sector organisations, social enterprise organisations and community interest companies. - Deadline Midnight on Sunday 5 January 2025. For full criteria and guidance, and to download an application form, visit: https://buff.ly/3WSyhDG

3 tips for #communitydevelopment as a non-profit Engage and Empower Local Residents: One of the foundational steps in community development is to actively involve the local residents in decision-making processes. This fosters a sense of ownership and ensures that the initiatives are tailored to the community's actual needs and desires. Organize regular town hall meetings, focus groups, and surveys to gather input and feedback. Provide platforms for residents to voice their ideas and concerns and empower them to take lead roles in certain projects. This collaborative approach not only strengthens community bonds but also enhances the sustainability of the projects. Build Strong Partnerships: Collaboration with other organizations, businesses, and government agencies can amplify your impact. Identify potential partners who share your vision and values, and work together to pool resources, knowledge, and expertise. Establishing a network of support can help in leveraging various grants and funding opportunities, and it also opens up avenues for joint initiatives that can address multiple aspects of community development. Regularly communicate with your partners and maintain transparent relationships to ensure a cohesive and united effort towards common goals. Focus on Sustainability and Capacity Building: It's crucial to design programs that are not only effective in the short term but also sustainable in the long run. Invest in capacity-building initiatives that equip community members with the skills and knowledge they need to maintain and expand the projects independently. This could include training sessions, workshops, and mentorship programs. Additionally, consider the environmental, economic, and social impacts of your initiatives to promote a holistic approach to development. By fostering self-sufficiency and resilience within the community, you ensure that the positive changes you implement can endure and evolve over time. #atlashelps #atlasfoundation #mentorship #communitydevelopment

ANY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS? (NB not my opportunity, just sharing it!) National Lottery Community Fund – Grant Holder Support We want to deliver a package of funding and support to address the most common challenges that communities face. We’ve committed £150 million of funding to this until 2030. This funding will help increase the knowledge, skills and resilience of civil society organisations.   We’re looking for a partner to lead the development stage of this package of support. We’re offering £2.1 million in funding for this development stage from spring 2025 to spring 2026. As lead partner you’ll deliver support to our grant holders and organisations that need it most. To do this you’ll: ·      bring together a range of community, civil society and infrastructure organisations. Particularly organisations that represent communities who experience poverty, disadvantage and discrimination ·      bring in other partners that have specialist knowledge. Like organisations who help others to reduce their environmental impact, or increase inclusion. Or who can help others benefit from using data or digital approaches better ·      involve both emerging and established civil society organisations. For example, organisations that have been around a long time and those that are new or not mainstream.   The development process might include workshops and community engagement sessions. You’ll find out what existing and future customers need, and what support would help them. And identify what matters most to communities. Then use this to provide appropriate support in this development stage.   You’ll be the lead partner. You’ll need clear ideas around who to involve in the partnership. But you do not need the formal partnership in place to apply. We’ll work with you to build the partnership, and may suggest some suitable partners.   Funding size - One grant for a lead partner, supporting around 8 to 10 partners. With £200,000 for the lead partner. And £1.9 million funding for civil society organisations participating in the partnership and development work.   Application deadline - Send expressions of interest by midday on Wednesday 5 February 2025. More details and the application process can be found on the National Lottery Community Fund website.

We recently held a youth consultation to gain better insight into the impact YUAF has had on young people in our network. We were really pleased to hear the feedback we received. The top lines were "We have so much fun", "The opportunities are amazing" and "Networking and being in a creative community" has the biggest impact. Poll results from the consultations participants indicated a unanimous consensus (100%) among participants affirming the positive impact of engaging in YUAF programs, with most notable activities such as Industry Events, Masterclasses and YUAF Futures and Pathways being highlighted. Participants also emphasised the diverse benefits received from being involved with YUAF, including personal and professional development, increased confidence, and enhanced connections within creative communities. Insights further revealed improvements in mental wellbeing and access to opportunities facilitated by YUAF. Feedback from participants is crucial for helping us adapt and change to meet the needs of young people. We listen to what they say and work hard every day to meet their demands. Such positive feedback reinvigorates us to keep pushing! If you would like to be part of the journey and to help give young people a voice, please email [email protected] #youthvoice #consultation #community #youth #charity #support #partner

How do other social sector organisations mitigate public sector and academic approaches to participate in "open" conversations about issue areas (e.g. data trust) or practices (e.g. community engagement)? I'm conscious that both sectors are early in their journey in terms of understanding what it takes to do community engagement in a way that builds trust, shares power and ensures that participation is meaningful. Yet, VCSE organisations - who are able to do this work on account of the inherent trust from communities, and bring the relationships and expertise around how to practice - are asked to share their wisdom without recognising the value of their contributions. Charities, social enterprises and community organisations are already woefully underfunded, so asking capacity and cash strapped teams to inform research and strategy, or provide clout to funding bids, is the kind of extractive practice we're working to avoid with communities too. I'm conscious funding is limited, and that the public and academic sectors are struggling too, but if this is something you see as valuable, now and in the future, at the very least, ask what the value is for the organisations you're inviting to participate. At best, pay for the expertise that already exists 🙏 That way, we can all grow and evolve the work together...

Community Engagement: The Key to Successful Funding More funders are now prioritizing projects that genuinely reflect community needs and involvement. Here’s why early community engagement matters: 🔍 Identify the right focus: Community feedback ensures your project targets the most urgent and relevant needs. How are you identifying these needs? Who is informing you about them? How many people have described the same need? 🤝 Demonstrate support: Funders are more likely to back initiatives with visible community buy-in. How can you connect the engagement of your customers/service users with your funders? How can you rally your community to participate in the dialogue about what is needed? 💡 Gain valuable insights: Engaging early allows you to refine your project and strengthen your funding proposal with real input. Running pilots and interviewing service users or potential users is key to making grant applications impactful and your charity more effective! 🤝 Build partnerships: Collaborating with local organizations can expand your reach and credibility. Exploring areas where you haven't gone before can foster new partnerships. When considering your current connections, ask yourself, "Who is missing?" Take a look at a map of your surrounding area—what groups, businesses, or other charities can you reach out to?

If I achieve nothing else in my professional life, being a part of the Raheem Sterling Foundation’s journey will do me just find. I am so proud of our early achievements. Celebrating Two Years of Impact: Join the Raheem Sterling Foundation’s Mission As we reflect on the Raheem Sterling Foundation’s journey through its second year of operation. Our foundation, inspired by Raheem Sterling’s vision, has steadfastly pursued the #Powerof7 commitments, making significant strides in the projects we fund, the initiatives we deliver, and the developments we plan. Created with the goal to collaborate, participate, and facilitate alongside organisations that share our vision and values, we’ve embarked on a mission to make a tangible difference in the lives of young individuals. Over the past two years, we’ve encountered hundreds of talented young people, providing them with opportunities and experiences they rightfully deserve but previously lacked access to. Despite not being a large charity with vast resources, our foundation carries the vision of a young boy from Brent — Raheem Sterling. Growing up to become an extraordinary professional and a caring human being, Raheem has become a credit to both his birthplace in Jamaica and his hometown in London, embodying the spirit of the #BoyFromBrent. Our foundation has launched several impactful initiatives, including scholarship programs at Kings College London and The University of Manchester, a Broadcast Academy with Talksport, youth engagement programs at the Hide Out Youth Zone in Manchester, and an innovative creative program with The National Portrait Gallery, titled “The Making of Me.” We’ve funded community meals in London, partnered with the Young Brent Foundation for the #BrentGoesGlobal community engagement initiative, and launched a groundbreaking Knife Amnesty campaign, among other achievements. But this is just the start. Our ambitions are limitless, and now, we’re inviting you to be a part of our journey. Whether you’re an individual eager to become an official patron, a sponsor, a donor, a philanthropist, a business seeking alignment with an impactful charity, or an organisation offering grants, your support can extend the reach and impact of our efforts in #education, #employment, #creativity, #leadership, #community, #enterprise, and #socialmobility. Over the last two years, we’ve made a difference, but there’s so much more we aim to achieve. Your involvement could amplify our impact, creating more opportunities and experiences for the incredibly talented young individuals we meet daily. Together, we can make an even greater difference. For more information on how to support our projects and plans, contact us today. Your match funding could be the catalyst for further empowering the youth we’re dedicated to uplifting. https://lnkd.in/egt54ysf

💥What happens when you hand over funding and decision-making power to the community? 💥 Very excited to be sharing the first learning report from the Southwark Changemakers programme, which Azi Farni and I have been working on for the last 9 months. It's a brilliant initiative, run by Active Communities Network and funded by United Saint Saviour's Charity Southwark. ............................ The Southwark Changemakers programme is redefining how to fund grassroots initiatives, demonstrating the power of trust, collaboration, and a light-touch approach to grant-making. Changemakers is a two year programme to test a new way of devolving grant-making to a hyper local level, and equip local residents with small scale funds to respond to an issue or need they see in Southwark. United St Saviour’s Charity (UStSC) is providing funding to Active Communities Network (ACN) to reach new groups who have historically been locked out of funding opportunities. The funding will support up to 30 groups or individuals over the course of 2025 and 2026. Today we’re launching a short report to introduce the model, and the Changemakers themselves. You’ll get the chance to see the range of projects that have been funded so far, born directly from the ideas and needs from within the community. The projects are tackling issues ranging from financial literacy to social isolation - and much more. This report also shines a light on how the Changemakers programme has made funding more accessible to individuals and small groups: Active Communities Network simplified the application process. Governance workshops, accessible application formats, and ongoing mentorship allowed small groups to participate without feeling overwhelmed. Crucially, the programme has replaced onerous reporting requirements with meaningful 1:1 conversations and project visits. The programme made concerted efforts to engage historically underfunded communities. Through multilingual outreach, face-to-face engagement, and partnerships with trusted local intermediaries, they have successfully reached groups who might otherwise have been excluded. The programme hasn’t been without its challenges though. When local organisations take on the role of funders, new challenges arise. For Active Communities Network (ACN), this required careful management to avoid inadvertently replicating the hierarchical dynamics they seek to dismantle. The relational approach to funding is also resource-intensive. Ensuring adequate support for changemakers required ACN to expand its team and adapt its operations to meet the growing demands of the programme. Over the next year ACN will be working closely with the Changemakers to support them as they develop their ideas, and we will be sharing the learning as we go along about how this approach is making a difference to local communities in Southwark. Oliur Rahman Sarah Thurman https://lnkd.in/dVGaU4FP

Grants of up to $300,000 to support impactful programs addressing community needs across Australia, creating meaningful change for individuals and groups facing inequality or disadvantage. #insignia #community #inequality #impact #groups #disadvantaged