Community Engagement Strategy

Manchester has an official strategy on how to involve local people in shaping the services in their area. This is essentially what the Manchester Community Engagement Strategy sets out. One of the most significant things about it is the level of support it’s getting: it has been accepted by the local NHS, the City Council, the voluntary and community sector and other partners.

The Strategy breaks community engagement into six main types of activity. These are all things which any organisation can contribute to in some way.

• Informing
• Researching
• Involving
• Consulting
• Devolving Decisions
• Supporting Community Action

In practical terms the work is focusing on four areas at present:

• Better Governance - supporting people in getting involved with local planning and decision making.
• Better voluntary and community sector service delivery - building on all the good practice which already exists.
• Better Social Infrastructure - ensuring local people are able to make a contribution to their local community if they want to.
• Better Social Capital and Cohesion - promoting the idea of communities and neighbourhoods.

To find out more or get involved contact the Community Network for Manchester (CN4M) on 0161 234 2918 or visit their website www.cn4m.net

Research update (April 2008):

Research has recently been published comparing the nature of "community activism" - (partnership working, engagement, etc.) in Manchester with Auckland in New Zealand. You can find copies of the summary and final report on the University of Lancaster's website at the links below:

• Key Findings Paper (summary):
  From Placards to partnership: the changing nature of community activism

• Final Report:
  From Placards to partnership: the changing nature of community activism in Manchester, UK and Aotearoa, New Zealand