A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities: Creating the conditions where people and communities can do the things that matter to them

2: Connected communities: Supporting communities to be well connected and safe

3: Access to key well-being services: Supporting vibrant foundational economies

4: Community anchor organisations: Valuing the role and potential that community anchor organisations can play in building cohesive communities A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities In the Well-being of Future Generations Act, this goal is defined as

“Attractive, safe, viable and well-connected.” A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Defining the goal

American writer Meg Wheatley wrote: “there is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” Despite that, less than 25% of people across Wales think they can affect decisions made locally.

When communities are cohesive, they’re well- associations and town or community councils. connected (including digitally), can adapt to They’re important because they understand local change, and are focused around the well-being communities and have a long-term commitment of the people who live there with good access to to the area they serve. key well-being services such as education, health, housing, retail and transport and that people can Cohesive communities also place well-being at do the things that matter to them. the heart of local economic development. The Foundational Economy is about the universal Cohesive and connected communities are an basic services that support everyday life, such as important part of people’s individual well-being. health, care and retail. As these services make up The World Health Organisation identified that approximately half of all local employment, are lack of agency, trust, belonging and insecure relatively stable and resistant to economic shocks, neighbourhoods explain 19% of the gap in poor public bodies can value and strengthen them by health between the top and bottom average opening space for conversations to maximise their incomes for men & women in Europe. potential, creating the conditions to help them make a bigger contribution. A key feature is the presence of strong, locally based institutions - often called ‘community Case studies anchor organisations’ – such as development Throughout the document you will trusts, social enterprises, coops, housing g find a number of reports relating E to the topic subject. Please read the link if you see this symbol. HOME A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Defining the goal

Where to focus action in contributing to this goal

Create viable communities where people can do the things that matter to them (See cohesive communities Wales journey topic 1: People active in their communities)

Support communities to be well-connected (See cohesive communities Wales journey topic 2: Connected communities)

Support access to key well-being services in communities (See cohesive communities Wales journey topic 3: Access to key well-being services)

Value the role of key organisations in building cohesive communities (See cohesive communities Wales journey topic 4: Community anchor organisations)

Understand the role of housing in cohesive communities (Journey topic to be explored further in next phase)

Create communities where people feel safe (Journey topic to be explored further in next phase)

Enable communities to be digitally connected (Journey topic to be explored further in next phase)

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Other statutory requirements in relation to this goal

Active Travel Act 2013 requires local authorities Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act to map and continuously improve routes and 2014 imposes duties on local authorities, health facilities for “active travel” – defined as walking boards and Welsh Ministers that require them to and cycling for a purpose, like accessing work or work to promote the well-being of those who need services, rather than for leisure. care and support, or carers who need support. The principles of the Act are: to support people Planning Policy Wales is significant in moving us who have care and support needs to achieve towards a low carbon, resilient society, building well-being; that people are at the heart of the new well-connected environments for everyone in system by giving them an equal say in the support Wales that improves our lives, health and well- they receive; partnership and co-operation drives being. It introduces the concept of placemaking, service delivery; and services will promote the a holistic approach to the planning and design of prevention of escalating need and the right help is development and spaces, focussed on positive available at the right time. outcomes. It draws upon an area’s potential to create high quality development and public Some of the suggested steps and spaces that promote people’s prosperity, health, actions in this document complement happiness and well-being. t the policies set out in legislation - S specific steps and actions that adhere to these are highlighted in orange and with an ‘St’ symbol.

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Enablers

Achieving this goal is more likely to happen when…

• Public bodies create the best conditions to help communities do what matters to them.

• Public bodies embed ‘what matters’ to people conversations into how they work (see the Journey to Involvement).

• There is creative use of key funds and local budgets.

• Community anchor organisations which can give a voice to local people, are supported to hold assets and build resilience.

• There is support for community leaders, activists, entrepreneurs and volunteers.

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Disablers

Achieving this goal is less likely to happen when…

• Public bodies work in silos and don’t take ‘place-based’ approaches to what matters to people.

• Public bodies take a deficit view of communities, focusing on perceived weaknesses and ignoring strengths.

• Funding opportunities are short term and fragmented.

• Attitudes to community ownership of assets are constrained by a view that public bodies are the ‘natural place’ for assets to be held and community ownership only becomes a possibility when public bodies cannot afford them.

• Public bodies talk about involvement and co-production but don’t invest in doing it properly.

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1:  People active in their communities

Creating the conditions where people and communities can do the things that matter to them A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Defining the issue

Positive relationships, kindness and trust are at People have skills, lived experience, energy and the heart of personal and community well-being. commitment and finding ways of unlocking Despite living in a more digitally connected age, these strengths is critical. It should be easy for many people report feeling more isolated and that residents and staff in public bodies, third sector meeting neighbours and other members of the organisations and businesses to offer time and community is more difficult. Public bodies often skills - and these opportunities should be used struggle to understand the range of assets that to help build trust and confidence across sectors exist within communities: networks, associations, and organisations. Too often, communities face facilities, natural assets, land, buildings, green barriers when it comes to doing simple things for space, small businesses etc, and fail to make the themselves, such as local community events. most of these strengths when they develop their place-based plans.

Synergies and connections to other journeys

Journey to a Wales of Vibrant Culture Journey to Involvement – All topics and Thriving Welsh Language Topic 5: Culture available to all

Journey to a Resilient Wales Journey to a Healthier Wales Topic 2: Natural green space Topic 1: Treating people with compassion

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Making Simple Changes

Remove barriers to enable Look to bring communities Map public land to identify and communities to organise together through arts, cultural publicise land that is accessible local events that bring people and sporting projects which for use by all community groups. together, such as the Big Lunch. deliver multiple benefits. Be open to starting conversations Local authorities should review with community members and any consents, permits and Eg E.g. United Welsh Housing organisations about how to use insurance requirements and Association and No Fit State these. make them proportionate to brought performances and street level activity. workshops to Bryn Aber, Eg E.g. Space Saviours – is a Lansbury Park, collaboration between United Review whether requirement for and Tredegar. Welsh, Newydd, V2C, Tai consents and licenses (such as Calon Housing Associations road closures, music licenses, Celebrate the value of to help communities bring insurances, food hygiene communities getting involved unloved land back into use. certificates) are proportionate with sports, culture, food/ https://youtu.be/0RITmJiSRbY for important small-scale events growing, green space and the which can bring residents and benefits this brings, and promote neighbours together. when and where it’s happening. Eg E.g. .

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Making Simple Changes

Make it easy for residents Use sport in approaches that get Nurture a culture of hospitality to start up Park Runs in their young people active and address and warm welcome to those communities. This includes pro- tough challenges like holiday seeking sanctuary - especially actively offering the use of parks hunger. those fleeing from war and to emerging groups and using persecution. key funds to support groups to Eg E.g. ‘Fit and Fed’ from pay for modest upfront Park Run Streetgames Wales Eg E.g. Cardiff City of Sanctuary registration fees. Support local people to start Eg E.g. Residents in Aberdare and get involved in Dementia Promote opportunities for worked with Rhondda Cynon Friendly Communities - everyone people to get active in their Taf County Borough Council benefits from being part of a communities and to volunteer to get their Park Run started community that looks out for their time, experience and skills. really easily. https://youtu.be/ each other. This includes promoting local YkGPQxzoq6E volunteering opportunities Eg E.g. Dementia friendly towns (through Community Voluntary Promote culture and the arts and Councils) and online tools as an effective way to bring https://youtu.be/B9InyzCaMvs which offer sports volunteering, communities together. student volunteering and more information on time credits. Eg E.g. ‘It’s art but it’s not’ programme – Trivallis Housing. HOME A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Making Simple Changes

Check to see if Time Credits Encourage the use of Promote Community Lands schemes operate in your area. Community Mapping tools to Advisory Service to help If they do, explore partnership help you focus on where you can communities seeking to opportunities to enable citizens best make a difference in your understand options and to play an active role in their communities. possibilities to develop communities. community land assets for local Eg E.g. Vale of Glamorgan benefit. Promote the use of Dewis Cymru Community Mapping toolkits to promote local opportunities have been used by residents to Provide support to community within communities. help shape community projects groups who want to start up, across the county. grow and prosper. This includes Encourage people to set up support with set up, planning Kindness Networks to build Eg E.g. Shape my Town, tool to and development of projects, individual and community help communities understand help with funding, recruiting resilience. local priorities and possibilities. and supporting volunteers and helping to measure impact. Ensure information about key funds and community funding g E.g. Interlink RCT offer free pots is widely available and easy E information, advice and support to access to help people make to individuals and community good make things happen in their and voluntary groups in communities. Rhondda Cynon Taf.

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Making Simple Changes

Encourage public body staff Understand that empty homes and partners to join networks can blight communities. Consider that champion co productive new approaches to bringing approaches to designing and empty homes back into use. delivering public services. Eg E.g. Homestep Plus – United Consider the campaigning Welsh Housing Association priorities of Citizens Cymru when providing opportunities to buy making your own plans. Seek to refurbished properties. connect active people to this network to seek to shape future priorities.

Support uptake of initiatives such as Eco-schools, Forest Schools, and Size of Wales to help develop awareness of environmental and global issues.

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Being More Adventurous

Ensure you understand the E.g. Renew Wales puts Embed the use of Community value of local residents coming Eg communities in touch with Connector and Area together, and use the spaces Peer Mentors who are willing Coordination approaches to created by these opportunities to share their knowledge connect residents into local to listen and understand and experience to inspire, networks of support. what’s important, to identify support and enable others, and opportunities to co-produce stimulate action on climate Eg E.g. Swansea Council local solutions. change at a community level. area coordination https://www.renewwales.org. Support the development uk/ Eg E.g. Blaenau Gwent County of community networks that Borough Council Community bring engaged people and If you are part of a Public Connectors organisations together around Services Board, ensure that common themes and issues and it uses every opportunity to Encourage more GP practices help to develop peer networks facilitate conversations with to take part in social prescribing of support. Ensure you find ways civil society groups to update projects to enable local people for these networks to feed into progress on actions and talk to join active and supportive strategic policies plans and about what else needs to be networks in their communities. approaches to service delivery done. Eg E.g. United Welsh Housing Eg E.g. Swansea Environmental Eg E.g. Caerphilly Public Services Association ‘Well-being for Forum. Board. You’ scheme

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Being More Adventurous

Encourage all public bodies, Explore the potential to use Learn from organisations that third sector and local businesses local budgets, starting with have used culture and the arts to to adopt employee volunteering modest community funding bring communities together. schemes to enable staff to pots, as Participatory Budgeting contribute time and expertise to experiments, to involve residents Eg E.g. Health and Heritage local community projects. and community groups in partnerships to support people making decisions about what is to access culture through Ensure you are utilising projects important to them. volunteering. that support and empower community groups, activities, and Eg E.g. Participatory Budgeting Eg E.g. National Museum Wales entrepreneurs. examples in Blaenau Gwent Diversity Forum – finding new using Home Office funding ways of interpreting culture Eg E.g. Support to social (2014). through engagement with entrepreneurs through Lloyds representatives of different TSB/School for Social Support more spaces where communities. Entrepreneurs. community and voluntary organisations can come together, Be open to starting share learning and offer peer conversations with community support. members and organisations about how under-utilised assets Eg E.g. Talwrn, Building owned by the public sector, such Communities Trust and as unused land, green space, Renew Wales. HOME buildings, could be owned and managed as community assets. A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Being More Adventurous

Highlight the way communities Support and encourage Understand the importance that use ‘food’ as a way to bring intergenerational activities good design makes in creating communities together – such as Ffrind I Mi (Friend of a sense of neighbourliness and addressing food inequality issues, Mine), a new initiative in Gwent community. Refer to Planning practically promoting foodbanks, ensuring people of all ages Policy Wales 10 (PPW) and preventing food waste. who feel lonely or isolated are the concept of placemaking, Learn from an explosion of best supported to reconnect with and consider adopting the 21 practice across the UK. Ask their communities, benefitting sustainability recommendations whether Food Fridges would their health and well-being. in the Building Healthy Places work in your community? Toolkit. Strengthen health and housing Pilot ‘play streets’ and utilise collaborations to support Develop options for residents recommendations from Play residents to remain active, and housing associations to Wales about how to encourage connected and healthy in their explore co-operative housing children to play outdoors. homes and communities - ‘Why opportunities. Housing matters to health and Complete the Investing in care’. Volunteers Health Check.

Support local Care and Repair agencies to enable more older people to remain active, independent, healthy and safe in HOME their own homes. A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Being More Adventurous

Explore opportunities for supporting or running vital community facilities which provide a broad range of benefits to community well-being. Eg E.g. Monmouthshire County Council is the first local authority in the UK to manage, run and open a community Post Office.

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Owning your Ambition

National or collaborative All public bodies are Investing- Organisational actions actions in-Volunteers organisations, and the use of time credits has Learn from Town and Community become the new normal. Recognise kindness as being Councils who share Community at the very heart of our well- Development Support teams to being, and ensure public service Funding is allocated to public work long term with communities. practice and policy is informed by bodies without unnecessary kindness in communities. Learn constraints, such as those seen Eg E.g. Ogwen Partnership from the Kindness Innovation through multiple small grants, case study (page 5) http:// Network conversations that have and is based on meeting agreed www.bct.wales/uploads/ been happening in Scotland in national outcomes in line with resources/2018-07-11-01-1-our- partnership with Carnegie Trust. the well-being goals. Lessons local-economies-manifesto.pdf can be learnt from the Scottish approach. Make a co-production approach Use evaluation and lessons the default in finding out what’s learned from PLANED important to communities, (Pembrokeshire Local Action listening to their needs and Network for Enterprise and enabling communities to Development) which supports understand the priorities of communities with community public bodies working in those participation representation, communities. Activity is both well-being, entrepreneurship and designed and implemented in a skills. way that delivers for the needs of HOME all. A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Owning your Ambition

Implement participatory Use Natural Resources Wales’ Promote and support budgeting learning from local Area Statements as an evidence volunteering opportunities in authorities and cities that base to inform or be informed areas relating to Public Services have embedded Participatory by community assets mapping. Board’s priority areas. Budgeting at scale and over time. This enables communities Learn from Dundee in Scotland. to understand where the Make housing cooperative opportunities are in ‘their place’ opportunities, like Loftus Road, Eg E.g. Participatory Budgeting – to come together and tackle or area a default option for local Paris – 5% of city budget. utilise the natural environment to communities to consider. build community cohesion and Through the development resilience. g E.g. Swansea City Council of Community Asset Maps, E has adopted a co-operative understand the strengths and Learn from Fire Starter Scotland housing policy. assets in your communities. - a series of collaborative Learn from work in Scotland and learning events, illuminating Enable a co-design approach to keep in touch with emerging creative, disruptive and making improvements to housing work in Wales. innovative ways in which estates, involving residents, to ‘transform ourselves, our professionals and support from organisations and the wider universities. system’. Eg E.g. Cartrefi Conwy Housing Association - Tre Cwm regeneration scheme.

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Owning your Ambition

Ensure that Housing Associations work in partnership with local communities to save much loved heritage assets and to build their future community use into mixed use housing developments. Eg E.g. Caerphilly County Borough Council and United Welsh Housing Association conversion of Chapel into a community hub.

Plan and design housing and communities to support intergenerational relationships. Eg E.g. An innovative retirement home in the Netherlands has opened its doors to students who live on site and help elderly residents in return for free

HOME lodgings while they carry out their studies. A Journey to A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities

Other examples and resources

Co-production Network Wales Tempo time credits schemes knowledge base. embedded in health and social care projects.

Big Lottery Awards for All fund The importance of - Kindness, are easy to access community emotions and human key funds. relationships - the blind spot in public policy. Arts Council Night Out Scheme makes it easy to use community Ogwen Partnership, Cai Park venues and put on local creative Wrexham and ACE Cardiff – events. Case studies - pages 3, 20 and 21. Sustrans pilots - designing traffic out of communities to Planed - supporting communities increase neighbourliness and with community participation, well-being in Bridgend and representation well-being, Rhondda Cynon Taf. entrepreneurship, skills and entrepreneurship. Building Healthy Places Toolkit – strategies for enhancing health in the built environment, Urban Land Institute.

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