In Gloucestershire, a group of organisations came together to create the Hotspot Network. The aim was to invest in local connections, understand what works in developing community development and social enterprise, and gather evidence for growing resilience for their neighbourhoods.
With the help of funding from the Thirty Percy foundation, the network commissioned CTP to help members understand how their work impacted people and communities, and to support the network to develop their power and voice to help shift the way decisions are made about community resourcing.
CTP worked with network members to dig into how the Thriving Places framework might reveal a more joined up picture of how member organisations were driving a change in their place’s conditions. Using workshops and conversations, we helped partners gather robust information about impact that aligned with their day-to-day practices, sometimes helping provide evidence for making a case for funding.
As the project developed, CTP’s role focused more on supporting partners to reflect on how they were pushing more effectively for different kinds of decision making and resource allocation at district and county level. This was partly due to increased visibility, but also a growing credibility and trust that, for example, council colleagues were able to develop in relation to network members.
A striking example of this was the success of two Hotspots network members in advocating for 10% of all UKSPC funding within Stroud to go directly to community groups – funding three facilitators, operational work, data analysis and other support. This was the work of the network, of course, not CTP. Our role was to help the network reflect on how they are building a voice for pushing their place towards more systemic change. They are also collecting evidence about how their efforts are building local conditions for people to thrive equitably and sustainably.
“We didn’t want to be part of a system, albeit a nice part of it, just helping people. We wanted to change the whole thing.”
Will Mansell, Founder, The Grace Network
If you want to find out more about how Centre for Thriving Places can help you transform your place to deliver for people and the planet, get in touch at hello@