Community Transformers

Below gives you an outline of what the course is all about. We are looking at running the course four times over the next two years. We looking to start the next course in April 2011. If you interested in being a participant on the course then contact Oblong and talk to a member of staff.

What you can expect to get out of the course:

  • Understand more about your neighbourhood – what the problems and the strengths are.
  • Create positive change in your local community.
  • Develop teamwork skills
  • Understand who has power and how to influence them
  • Set up a new community project. You and the other people will decide what you want to do and set it up as part of the course.
  • You’ll leave the course with a plan to continue your work with more training, voluntary work or employment

What subjects will be covered:

  • Understand more about equality, diversity, oppression and discrimination
  • How to identify what the community really needs
  • Understand the roles of voluntary, community and campaigning organisations.
  • Learn the skills you need to get involved in organisations, groups or campaigns.
  • Understand the values and principles of community development and how it works in practice
  • Understand how teams work well together and how to solve conflicts between people.
  • Learn how lobbying and campaigning can influence decision-making by people in power.
  • How to do research and consultation to understand the needs of the community.

Get the skills you need to develop a new community project including:

  • financial management
  • the roles people may take
  • promotion and advertising
  • creating policies
  • keeping records of what you do
  • how legal issues might affect you
  • what funding may be available and how to get it

What kind of community project could you set up?

You and the other people on the course will decide that as the course goes on. It will have to be a new project and something that you all agree you want to do. For example, it could be:

  • a music event
  • environmental clean-up
  • campaign to get more youth facilities
  • an art group
  • a newsletter or magazine
  • a piece of artwork made by a group
  • anything else that changes your community for the better!

What qualification could I get?
The course will lead to the Nationally Recognised Open College Network level 2 qualification in Community Development. There won’t be any exams, you will be able to get the qualification by keeping notes on the work we do.

What skills or experience do I need?
You don’t need particular skills or experience. Some people who join the course will have already been involved in community work and others will have none. All you need is to be sure that you want to complete the course and to have a real passion to learn and get involved in changing you community for the better.