About

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Community Organisers present some of the most valuable information for learning more about community development and the importance of individuals taking up the field as a career.

Community development brings people together to take action against some of the most problematic situations in their neighbourhoods. The root of its purpose lies in the belief that all people in a community should be equal. Everyone has the right to healthcare, wellbeing, justice, food, and water.

About Community Development in UK History

In the UK, community development has gone through two basic operational factors. Firstly, the UK used it as an approach for preparing for the independence of countries from the previous British Empire from the 50s. The development only came into public prominence with the Labour Government’s anti-deprivation programmes in the 70s.

The CDP (Community Development Programme) drove community development into local areas and communities in the UK. The programme influenced several large urban local authorities and particularly in Scotland.

A key founder of commissions and reports which influenced the development of communities in the UK in the 60s up until the 80s was The Gulbenkian Foundation. The foundation suggested a national institute or centre for community development be put into action to support the practice and to help the government with policies.

In 1999, the Labour Government set up professional training standards for development and educational practitioners who worked with the local communities. The organisation was known as PAULO (The National Training Organisation for Community Learning and Development).

The UK currently hosts the only global network for practitioners and activists to work in achieving social justice through community development approaches. The global network is known as the International Association for Community Development and was formed in the USA in 1953 and Belgium in 1978.

Organisations set up for Community Development

Community Organisers provide a wide focus on organisations that are set up to provide help towards community building and assisting their needs. These organisations help to provide equality in communities and help with basic human rights such as health, water, food, and justice.

Without organisations assisting communities, community development would not be where it is today.

Training and Courses

Training and courses for community development can ensure experience and knowledge in providing help to communities while learning knowledgeable skills and attributes for a career.

Community development can be a lucrative professional career for many individuals wanting to provide help to communities while building a career out of it. Taking up community development as a career, the individual may be employed as a community development officer to stive to bring positive change in the UK’s many different communities.

The Benefits of Attending Community Development Courses

The roles of community workers are diverse, and they allow individuals from many walks of life and different skills to contribute to their communities. Attending training courses in community development can introduce many benefits to individuals, groups, organisations, and the community itself. All members of a community who play an active part in their neighbourhood can achieve increased knowledge and better understanding to enhance skills. It leads to comprehensive change and motivates the community to take part in projects and to further their knowledge as well. By attending training courses in community development, a person can gather knowledge on how to help their communities. Attending Short Courses can open a Wide Range of Future Opportunities One of the most important benefits of attending short courses in community development is the prospective opportunities that may arise. Some of the fields which the course can lead into include economical, social, legal, environmental, and cultural welfare. Attending these courses do not take a lot of time or effort and could potentially grow into a prosperous career of helping others and ensuring positive wellbeing and quality of life to communities. Knowledge and New Skills can be shared with the Community Individuals from a variety of sectors and fields join these courses providing more effective knowledge growth to every individual attending the courses. It can be seen as a shared space for people who want to help their communities to learn more about the various fields and sectors involved in community development. Learning and Mastering a Range of New Life Skills Learning and mastering new skills are seen as a major plus point to most employers when searching for a job. It gives an individual knowledge around the full spectrum of community work and helps to value the community even more. By learning new skills, it becomes easier to help the community and to teach these skills to underprivileged community members. Attending courses do not only teach new skills but also provide knowledge on some of the principles involved in planning community development projects.
Basic Principles of Community Development

There are many ways in which community development can be approached. This article will provide a focus on the 5 main principles which are involved in creating prosperous community development projects. Community-driven development is based on participation, barrier removal, transparency, accountability, and local power for community members to work together in development projects. Primary Beneficiaries The primary beneficiaries are the target group of the project. In community development, the community on which the project is focused should be the primary beneficiaries. It is important to assess the value of resources and outcomes of the projects to be connected to the work and ensure it does not leave the community. The primary beneficiaries are the group who needs a change in their circumstances and who the project should be focused on. Local Resourcing Locally led development ensures that every participating individual or organisation has a say in decisions affecting the community’s lives. Nobody in the community should be excluded or left out of decisions and discussions with community projects. The projects should include local evaluation, assessment, and accountability to use community-based participatory research factors for the community to be engaged in the process. The community should be part of assessing the impact of the work done and share accountability for the project. Implementation and Management Implementation of wok and management should be locally led. An important aspect of local implementation and management is to not only employ local workers but also support local leadership, staff, and board members. By implementing local management and workers in community projects, the aim of keeping the community’s interest at heart will be easily done with a successful outcome to their needs. This will also keep any funds aimed at the project in the community for further economic growth and prosperity. Project Design and Planning Community development and planning should consist of the involvement of the public and the community. It should be focused on using diverse community members to contribute toward the formulation of the objectives in the projects. The design and planning of any community development project should be done with care and assistance from relevant and experienced individuals who are locally based. The planning should involve a vision to evaluate future opportunities from the projects and how they may affect everyone involved. Controlling Transferred Resources The system used in planning and creating the project should increase knowledge of the value of resources and transfer the most important assets of the project to the community. By transferring the assets, officials can take note of the project outcome and how projects can keep growing. These are the most important principles involved in planning community development projects to get the best outcomes.

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