Collective Effect
Collective Effect sought to fund the exploration and development of new and transformational methods designed to increase the levels of active citizenship in local communities.
The way we see it, active citizenship is about people taking an active role in community life and making a positive contribution to society. Ways in which active citizenship traditionally manifests itself include taking part in voluntary work, involvement in community organisations, faith-based institutions or trade unions, and engagement with local and national politics.
For this project, we specifically set out to see active citizenship focused on the development of independent new activities genuinely owned by individuals within their communities as opposed to the recruitment of volunteers to deliver a pre-ordained brief. In other words, we wanted to encourage organisations to support service users or beneficiaries to work collaboratively in the pursuit of mutually agreed goals.
Through the project, we were able to understand more about how organisations develop different relationships with the individuals with whom they team up, as well as how more community centred approaches can be developed that are powerful enough to bring about positive change in the relationships between providers and users.
There are 3 different providers who delivered the Collective Effect programme:
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing is the UK’s first tenant and employee co-owned mutual housing society, with over 13,000 homes throughout the local area. It sets out to provide better places in which its members, tenants and employees can live and work. As a part of Collective Effect, they helped to influence the regeneration of Kirkholt centre and benefit the local community.
Drawing on the area’s co-operative heritage, RBH places its members at the heart of decision-making, allowing everyone to enjoy a sense of security and belonging.
Healthy Me Healthy Communities run several community grocer food projects across Manchester, in Rusholme, Hulme and Gorton. A social enterprise formed in 2012 and trading since September 2013, Healthy Me Healthy Communities has the following strategic vision: 'Enabling people to improve their own and communities' life expectancy and quality of life by reducing health and life inequalities, resulting in health and social-care savings.'
They delivered Collective Effect at their established Community Grocer project sites in Rusholme, Hulme and Gorton. Healthy Me Healthy Communities supported local people to take ownership of their community grocer and inform the work and activities that were delivered there.
Inspiring Communities Together operates as a community anchor for the Charlestown and Lower Kersal area, alongside the delivery of services across Salford. As part of Collective Effect they mapped the history of the River Irwell landscape in the Charlestown and Lower Kersal area of Salford and supported local members of the community with the regeneration of the site.
A charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) operating in Charlestown and Lower Kersal, Inspiring Communities Together operates as a community anchor for the neighbourhood, alongside the delivery of services across Salford and beyond.