An online ‘toolkit’ to support anyone locally to make positive changes in their community has been launched by Community Planning Aberdeen.
The Community Empowerment Toolkit provides tips and information for anyone looking to improve their community, and for anyone looking to undertake effective community engagement.
Councillor Christian Allard, co-leader of Aberdeen City Council and chair of Community Planning Aberdeen, said: “We appreciate, understand and value the vital role that communities must play in improving outcomes for Aberdeen.
“This online toolkit gives individuals and groups access to information that can help to them to influence and action improvements that will benefit their local community, which in turn will be good for the city.
“We want all people living in Aberdeen, regardless of their background and circumstances, to be empowered and pro-active in their community. Our ambition is for all communities to become equal community planning partners.”
The online toolkit has been developed through engagement with community members and organisations across Aberdeen, and the Grampian Engagement Network. It is also being supported NHS Grampian’s Putting People First programme.
Anyone who lives in Aberdeen is a member of their local community and as a community member can find a wide range of information including how to contact their local Community Council, where to get help with funding a project, useful data to support projects, and how to connect with existing groups and organisations.
For organisations that are keen to undertake community engagement, the toolkit provides a step-by-step guide, with lots of useful resources to help support effective community engagement.
Community Planning Aberdeen is the name for the local partnership of public, private and third sector organisations and communities working together to improve people’s lives across Aberdeen through the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). An easy-to-read version of the LOIP for children and young people is also available.
The Local Outcome Improvement Plan sets out Community Planning Aberdeen’s priorities for improving the city – there are 16 for how it proposes to do this, which cover four themes: Economy, People, Place and Community Empowerment.
Community Planning Aberdeen members are Aberdeen City Council, ACVO (Aberdeen Council for Voluntary Organisations), Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Grampian, North East Scotland College, Police Scotland, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, NESTRANS, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Robert Gordon University, and the University of Aberdeen.