Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 10

This is the last in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

10. Have fun! Anything new can be scary but remember to have fun! Fun is not a swear word, and if you want people to get involved it’s got to appeal. After all, well-being is important to us all.

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 9

This is the penultimate in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

9. Be prepared to be unprepared! If you think you know exactly what’s going to happen, it’s probably not engagement. Don’t try to stifle or control the process too much. Be flexible and prepared to respond to what’s happening around you.

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 8

This is the eighth in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

8. Assess your goals at every stage. Keep asking yourself – is what we are trying to do realistic? Targets should be clear and achievable and have milestones along the way. But don’t be afraid to change direction as you go along if that makes more sense.

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 7

This is the seventh in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

7. make it meaningful. Remember that any plans you make should lead to action. Everyone gets bored of participating when nothing is actually happening. As people see things happening, confidence in the process will follow and soon there will be no holding them back!

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 6

This is the sixth in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

6. Have a Champion. The most successful strategies have someone – or often lots of people at different levels – pushing them forward who really believes in the cause. If community engagement is important, make sure it’s included as part of people’s roles.

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 5

This is the fifth in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

5.Communication, Communication, Communication, Communication, Communication x 10. Show what has been achieved – it’s not just about doing, it’s about letting people know how things are going. Make sure you let people know what is going on – information is always the first stage. Two-way dialogue is critical to any change process.

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 4

This is the fourth in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

4. It’s a marathon not a sprint. Delivering change and regenerating communities takes a long time. Be prepared for the long haul; everyone gets disheartened if things take forever to happen, but try to be realistic about how long things take too.

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 2

This is the second in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

2. Kill apathy as a concept. Despite a widespread belief that people aren’t interested, the reality is that they do care about the issues that affect them. Start where people are at, not where you want them to be.

Handy Hints for Community Engagement – Day 1

This is the first in a series of 10 daily “Handy Hints” for Effective Community Engagement prepared by the Urban Forum:

1. Built in, not bolted on. Effective community engagement means thinking about it at the outset. Involving people at every stage of the process can greatly improve the quality and sense of ownership with what’s happening.