SCVS (Swansea Council For Voluntary Service) WEBLOGS PILOT

Weblogs Project Final Report Page

2006-03-16T22:18:00.000Z

Hello All

A spectacular afternoon by any reckoning: A storming presentation, a triple bill, and a fine buffet!

Seriously, it was a great day and the CDTs were superb. As we approach the time when some of us will go further afield, it's a worthy way to mark the weblogs endeavour and traineeships in geenral to have this event to recall. The Lantern Parade dvd was genuinely uplifting; the Community Farm film likewise interesting and quite touching.

The final report and supporting information and files are available online now:

Weblogs Project Final Report Download

It's been great being involved with all of this.

WEBLOGS PRESENTATION FEEDBACK

2006-03-16T10:45:00.000Z

Hello, and thanks for visiting our blog. Please feel free to leave any questions and/or comments that you may have regarding our presentation and weblogs in general and we will reply here.
More information on the project can be found here.

MONDAY MEETING

2006-02-21T14:43:00.000Z

Hello All

I regret missing yesterday's meeting. I'd appreciate any blogging about it, of course! :)

Where Have All the Bloggers Gone?

2006-02-14T14:55:00.000Z

It's not surprising that now that the project/pilot has ended, the blogging has dropped below the radar again. However, blogging is far from over at SCVS and hopefully in the near future there will be some developments worth reporting that confirm this.

Becky's Community Blog

2006-02-09T11:55:00.000Z

Becky's Community Blog

Where should blogging go next

2006-02-08T23:11:00.000Z

I just wanted to say that today was really good! At least 17 converted bloggers in Swansea!Well done you all and let me know where you would like to see blogging go next,any ideas re projects /communities where you are on placement and a blog might help!Also just to say that this is the end of the Becta project but I hope you will all continue to use the SCVS blog especially those embarking on their NVQ! I am trying to ensure that you will continue to have technical and input support.

Thanks Amanda

The DAY AFTER

2006-02-08T11:16:00.000Z

Hello All

It goes without saying that today we can all relax a little, knowing how successful the presentation was yesterday. I look forward to the external presentation, but for now we can all give ourselves a pat on the back. Phew! :)

The Undiscovered Country

2006-02-06T09:53:00.000Z

A very long time ago, I was asked to create a handout that would explain how a weblog would be useful to community development work. Most of the trainees should be familiar with the handout as they gave enough of them out at the convention. However, now that we stand within sight of the 'Final Frontier' as my trekkie colleague Jeremy has pointed out I thought it would be useful for us to reflect on this handout and think if there were indeed benefits.

Do we think that the weblog benefited the 'Community'. Of course it did, we, as workers and trainees, were the active community involved and I think that the experience of the weblog helped bind us together into something that is greater than its parts.

Did we learn anything from the use of the weblog. Read through the blogs and the comments, and I think you will agree there are so many incidents of people either identifing something that they need help or advice with, or are supporting someone in their learning.

Reflecting on your own practice. this is a big one, as in essense that is what I believe a weblog is all about, giving a person the opportunity to sit down and compose their thoughts and then write about their experiences, the good and the bad, we learn from it all.

And finally collective action, well for there to be collective action there has to first be interaction, and just by reading the posts and the comments between all of the weblogs, you can see that there has been a lot of that.

So overall I believe that the weblog has been a huge success and I hope to think that this usage of weblogs will become more acceptable practice for community workers and other similar professionals. I for one would love to be able to still log onto the weblogs in the future and see the continued trials and tribulations of this wonderful group of trainees.

So here is to the future and the undiscovered country, its been a wonderful journey so far, lets see where it takes us.......

THE FINAL FRONTIER

2006-01-31T15:07:00.000Z

Hello Bloggers. I am glad to see that the blog goes on. It occurs to me that it would be great if each of us could contribute at least one last blog before the end of the project, a summing up or whatever, saying what you're doing at the moment and how you've moved on since we started last October. It's been really satisfying working with all of you on this, and as it's formally my last day - I'll be at the presentation, fear not! - I just want to thank all of you one more time.

The Fluffy Stuff

2006-01-16T16:07:00.000Z

Every once in a while I remind myself of what my job is - A community development worker. It can be so easy to get caught up in work that you forget the community aspect of the job,even though I know that everything I do is for the community. However once in a while its nice to get out and actually be in the community. This is what I call the fluffy stuff.
In Gorseinon there is a group that I work with that are also invovled in a healthy walk that takes place every friday. So I have decided that if I am not too busy on a friday morning I will pop out of the office and join in with the healthy walk. It is also an opportunity for me to talk to the people that live in the area, in an informal environment.
So last friday I went on the healthy walk, I had my boots, my extra jacket, my umbrella, my slight limp (I fell the day before) and my enthusiasm.
I thought I would walk to the start of the Healthy walk, giving me an added opportunity to see some of Gorseinon.
Nearly 2 hours later I returned to the office, I reckon I walked over 5 miles. I ate dinner in the office that day, and even now my legs have not forgiven me. Almost everyone else on the walk is older than me, and most do this walk a couple of times a week, perhaps I should walk to Gorseinon every morning instead of taking the car, if I leave at 5am should be there in time for 9am.
However, it was worth it, just to be able to talk and chat to people who live in the community, the fluffy stuff, but perhaps one of the most important parts of the job (in my opinion, except of course being paid - VERY IMPORTANT)

Countdown!

2006-01-16T09:24:00.000Z

Hello All

The blog team meeting last week was excellent, thanks to everybody for their contributions.
There is not a great deal of time left but I think that we are looking at a very impressive report with good implications for further such projects in time. All of which is down to the steady flow of blogs. I know that at times it seemed slow but overall, as I said, the response from already-busy CDTs has been very good. In the final weeks let's pull together and make the presentation a really satisfying conclusion to what has been quite an amazing journey, given the unpredictablity of the idea and its untested nature as a pilot of the kind we have particpated in. It isn't over yet, I know, but I just want to flag up my thanks and, well, pride in being part of this team effort. One day, you can say to your grandchildren, "I took part in the great SCVS blogs pilot of nought-nought-six, Junior" and watch them...look bewildered.

There's life in the old blog yet

2006-01-10T10:32:00.000Z

Well there was I, looking at the blogs, feeling all dejected, as undoubtedly were some of the hard core bloggers, thinking nobody wants to blog anymore, they have all abandoned us when suddenly what happens, people start blogging.

Amazing, what happened folks.....

Is it because the finishing line is in site that there is a sudden increase in energy and enthusiasm. If so lets have some more please, the more blogs the better.

And whats more, they are really good blogs too.....I can retire happy now

A Day in the Life of a Community Development Worker QUESTIONNAIRE - PLEASE READ! :)

2005-12-22T09:55:00.000Z

A Day in the Life of a Community Development Worker QUESTIONNAIRE -
PLEASE READ! :)

Sent on behalf of Simon Wong (Direct Dial: 0113 394 4312, Fax: 0113 394 4640, Email: s.wong@ascskills.org.uk).
Please find below a very short questionnaire which lists the information I need in order to write ‘A Day in the Life of a Community Development Worker and a Community Warden. In addition some brief information on our organisation.
I would really appreciate it if you could forward this to some of your members who are currently doing these two roles who wouldn’t mind appearing as a First Person testimonial and get them to complete as much of this questionnaire as possible and send them back to me by middle of January.
I can then use the information provided to write the rest of the copy which I’ll get the respective volunteers to sign off before it goes onto the website. For your information the website is: http://www.ascskills.org.uk/careers/
This Day in the Life of a Community Development Worker and a Community Warden together with the career profile that I’m piecing together from the information you kindly provided to me will hopefully allow young people to get an insight into what it’s like to be in these professions and hopefully inspire them to become one in the future.
Thanks very much in advance for your help and I look forward to hearing from you soon. If there are any further questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Kind RegardsSimon WongInterim Web Content OfficerDirect Dial: 0113 394 4312Fax: 0113 394 4640Email: s.wong@ascskills.org.ukASC - Academy for Sustainable CommunitiesSkills that turn vision into realitywww.ascskills.org.uk

Attention:The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies.

CREATING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES - DAY IN THE LIFE

The Academy for Sustainable Communities has launched a ‘Careers in Sustainable Communities’ website. As part of our drive to raise awareness of the core occupations, we would like to add first person testimonials to the website.

Could you respond to the questions below and send the answers through by email.

Please note: All proposed text will be returned for final approval prior to publication on the ASC website.

Please complete the following

Name:
Profession:
Organisation:
Contact details:

1. What attracted you to this career?

2. What training and qualifications did it involve?

3. What does your current role involve?

4. What projects have you worked on?

5. What other professions and disciplines do you interact with?

6. What might your typical working week involve?

7. What gives you professional satisfaction?

8. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

9. What advice would you give to someone thinking about a similar career?

10. Any regrets?

The ASC (Academy for Sustainable Communities) is funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It opened in April 2005, following an announcement by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the Sustainable Communities Summit in February 2005.

The Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) is a key part of the government’s drive to create local communities that are vibrant, prosperous and attractive to live in, now and in the future.

Our goals are to:
Ensure there are sufficient people with the right skills and knowledge to deliver and maintain world-class sustainable communities across the country.
Foster cross-occupational learning and understanding, learning between communities — inspiring and enabling people across different fields to work together in a coherent, farsighted approach to creating and renewing places where people want to live, work and play.

In addition, ASC will work with others to target relevant skills shortages and make sure those gaps are filled.
http://www.ascskills.org.uk

LET THE GOOD TIMES (SWISS) ROLL or STOLLEN MOMENTS :)

2005-12-20T15:51:00.000Z

Hello Bloggers...Joyous are we to retain for the rest of the blogging our comrades, colleagues and senior trainees, Julie, Phil and John. May they blog ceaselessly as we enter the home stretch. Congrats to all 3, naturally, and to all a good internight.

Have a Merry Christmas, characterised by family and friends feeling emused by all of us blogging.

:) Thanx to everybody!

CHESTNUTS ROASTING BY AN OPEN...uh, Blog.

2005-12-12T09:25:00.000Z

Hello Bloggers

Christmas is coming and all too soon we lose 3 of our treasured trainee-bloggers. After Christmas we will have our presentations and then Gareth and I will write the final report for a February deadline. I'd like to thank all of you for your input so far; the postings and other evidence so far already make for an excellent report and a validation of our faith in the pilot as a learning experiment. If we could all blog through the end of the pilot it would be ideal, so if you have anything to add up to or during the holiday, fire away.

What other people think community is

2005-11-29T14:38:00.000Z

OK, as part of my role I have been trying to find out information about community, whether exclusive online communities or physical communities that use online resources to facilitate parts of the community interaction.

Jake, the Community Guy, works for the LEGO company, but is an evangalist for Community involvement relating to online communities and also the interaction between corporate businesses and their customers. Jake has been trying to define Community in his own blog and this post is his third attempt at the question of 'What is Community'.

http://www.communityguy.com/index.cfm?commentID=189

Now I know some of you might switch off part of the way down the post, but please endure and try to read through all of the comments that are attached to the post. It becomes a very interesting debate about active and non-active (lurkers) community members.

I loved the whole 'going to church' line of thought.....

Sian in the Evening Post!

2005-11-28T10:25:00.000Z

SIAN TURNS LIFE ROUND AND PICKS UP AWARD - 24 November 2005 Swansea Evening Post

A Swansea woman who turned her life round and is now helping others to do the same has picked up a prestigious Prince's Trust award.

Just two years ago her she had no direction and was living in a homeless hostel. Now she has her own flat in Brynmill and is training for a new career in community work. And her message is simple - with self-belief and the right kind of support, other young people can do it too. Twenty-two-year-old Sian Richard son's determination and positive attitude have been rewarded with the title of Young Achiever of the Year from the Prince's Trust. Two years ago, Ms Richardson, originally from North Wales, found herself living on the streets in Swansea without any friends or family for supportEventually she found a place at a hostel and began to rebuild her life.

"I was glad of the roof over my head, but there were people there with drug and mental health problems and I knew I wanted to do so much more with my life," she said.

Ms Richardson first became involved with the Prince's Trust organisation, which works to improve the lives of disadvantaged youngsters. Then she applied for a place on a Swansea Council for Voluntary Service training scheme.

She is now half way through a year-long community development work traineeship with SCVS and hopes to get a full-time job in the voluntary sector when she qualifies next year.

"I am determined to make a life for myself and I want to make a difference for other people too," she said. "I love my work - meeting people and helping to make a difference for people who are having a tough time."She hopes her story will be an inspiration to other young people. "I want people to know that there is help available for them," she said.

Presentations Agenda

2005-11-28T10:11:00.000Z

Morning Bloggers :)

We had a productive meeting on the forthcoming weblogs presentation. It was decided - based mostly on suggestions from the trainees - that there would be a sharing of the preparation of the parts of the presentation, along these lines:

- Intro Michelle & Phil
- Community Development John & Julie
- Voluntary Sector c “ “
- Pros / Cons Everybody
- Evaluation/Future Becky & Sian & Eleanor
- Conclusion Gethin

(- Gareth & Jeremy: Editorial)

The proposed dates for the presentations are December 14th and 16th. The site for the external presentation is unconfirmed. The presentations promise to be very good and will form a crucial part of the pilot.

My degree!

2005-11-24T10:27:00.000Z

The University of Blogging

Presents to
joe blogs

An Honorary
Bachelor of
Bad Poetry

Majoring in
Color Bars

Signed
Dr. GoQuiz.com

From Go-Quiz.com

SCVS Weblogs Poll: Yes or No? :-))

2005-11-22T16:46:00.000Z

Click here to take our Online Survey

Cast your vote in the Weblogs Poll! These polls will be posted regularly and you're invited to let your opinion be known!

Sense of Community

2005-11-15T11:32:00.000Z

(Taken from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/blogs_as_virtual.html)

Sense of community (SOC) has been the focus for face-to-face community researchers for some time. McMillan and Chavis (1986) have the most well-regarded and well-researched conceptualization of SOC. They define SOC as consisting of the following four characteristics:

Feelings of membership: Feelings of belonging to, and identifying with, the community;
Feelings of influence: Feelings of having influence on, and being influenced by, the community;
Integration and fulfillment of needs: Feelings of being supported by others in the community while also supporting them; and
Shared emotional connection: Feelings of relationships, shared history, and a “spirit” of community.

So bloggers is there SOC with the scvs weblog?

Do you feel a sense of belonging with the group? Do you feel that you have had some impact on the blog? Do you feel that it addressed your needs or gave you support? Have you developed a relationship with some or all of the people involved?

If you can answer yes to thses four questions , then at least in your eyes, this is a community, or at least feels like one.

Legal advice on blogging

2005-11-09T16:01:00.000Z

Just found this information on the legal issues related to blogging and thought they might be worthwhile reading. Unfortunatly they are geared towards America but the general information is still informative
EFF: Legal Guide For Bloggers
How to Blog Safely

One Mug to rule them all

2005-11-09T13:50:00.000Z

Well after all the hard work that Darren has been putting into his online journal of the Manchester CTA (Community Transport Association) I thought it only fitting that we put a photo up on the blog.

So folks what do you think of his mug?

By the way, for those people who freely use any spare mugs in the kitchen at SCVS, please have a GOOD look at this mug, it is Darren's, Please do not touch, kidnap or otherwise seperate it from Darren, this mug was destined for him.

Getting your community group on the web

2005-11-09T11:05:00.000Z

For all you community groups....

If you are in any way interested in the internet then you may well at some point of had a webpage for yourself. This page might of had a small amount on information about yourself, and then you probably forgot all about it, as lets face it, nobody probably read it.

This can change when it is a website for a community group. Straight away you have a larger user base of interested people, so it makes the effort of having a site more worthwhile. Then there is the idea of having a web presence, as so many groups and organisations now have. The site does not have to be regularly updated either, it can just be one or two pages, giving information to those interested (Aims & Objectives, Mission statement, Policies, Committee Members, etc.). It can also be a whole lot more.

But how do you get your group onto the internet, there are so many different web hosting providers out there for personal use, some of which are free.

But do you really want your community group to have a web address of (for example)
www.(provider).com/homepages/yourorganisationhere we can see how that would be a little bit offputting to the potential user of your site. And then the site (because it is free) will probably be supported by advertising (sometimes with those dreaded 'pop-up' windows).

This is where SCVS has come to the rescue. There is a funding information sheet on ICT and the Internet that is available from the Development Team at SCVS which gives information about orgaisations which offers free webspace to community groups. So why not click on the link for the SCVS website on the side of this page or email me at gareth_roberts@scvs.org.uk and I will be more than willing to forward you the information. You will still need to do some research yourself, deciding which provider is the best for your group but at least some of the leg work had been done for you.

What's everbody else doing??

2005-11-07T12:03:00.000Z

http://tabspot.blogspot.com
http://weblogtorfaen.blogspot.com

These url's point to two blogs from other pilots, and make for some interesting reading....

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

2005-11-07T11:44:00.000Z

These are quite hard but rewarding reading on specialised areas of community development.

http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/SP5.asp

The real meaning of community development
Community development is the strengthening of the social resources and processes in a community, by developing those contacts, relationships, networks, agreements and activities outside the household that residents themselves identify will make their locality a better place in which to live and work...

Building Online Communities: The Barriers and the Bruises
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/iadis-2004/bruises/html/

ABSTRACT
Interest in Web-based collaboration is growing within many academic institutions. We are seeing a wide range of collaborative tools being used in many different areas, including teaching and learning, research and support. Collaborative tools appear to have tremendous potential. However the diversity of applications and application areas is raising several strategic challenges within institutions. This paper outlines barriers to widespread adoption of collaborative tools and argues for strategic thinking in this area.

Community Involvement (or lack of)

2005-11-07T10:48:00.000Z

You sitting in an office / community centre / youth club / (Insert buidling of your choice) and there are those big dustballs (from the cowboy films) rolling past, and you can hear the faint sound of the wind blowing through the empty building.
Does this scene seem in any way familiar?
So why is it that people are not showing up?
Did you leaflet the community?Did you advertise it on the radio/newspaper/tv? Did you send out letters/emails? These are the easy questions that almost every worker can answer 'Yes' too. But lets look a little bit deeper into the problem.

Does the community feel unwelcome? If so then why? Where is the venue? At what time is the meeting/event? What are transport links like? What about provision of child and elder care (and other carers)?

We all recognise that physical communities are often very territorial and especially on a sub ward level. the area where I live recognise the fact that there are 5 villages. These areas do not mix that often.

As far as people feeling unwelcome at a venue, is it something more personal? Do you let your feelings get in the way of your professional role? Sometimes it is difficult to seperate the two? But as a community worker, we are suppose to be there for the whole community not just the ones that we are more comfortable with, otherwise we are becoming one of the very barriers that we are trying to break down.

So the above are some questions that are a little bit harder to answer. However there can be other reasons as well why the office is empty and it seems that nobody uses the facilites.

How much outreach work does your organisation do? How many community groups do you go out to meet in their own settings? Instead of making them come to you, there is an old saying about a mountain and a certain Islamic prophet. Your organisation might work best when it out in the community as opposed to being stuck in an office.

So yes it could well be that there are dust balls rolling around the office, but there could still be good work being done in the community.

LOGO COMPETITION

2005-11-05T07:27:00.000Z

Aha! Saturday morning sharpish and welcome to the Blog That Never Sleeps!

Just a quick note (as I do have a life [he lied]) to thank you all, again. Wow...the atmosphere here is very uplifting. It's great that you're all posting so frequently. One thing: If any of you enjoy creating graphics, why not try to design a logo for our pilot...anything you like.

The winning entry will get a POUNDLAND supermarket sweep. I will personally present you with your pound! (I need to apply for funding first...but anyway...)

Talk about incentives!

The Risca Legend's Visit to Manchester

2005-11-04T16:22:00.000Z

From Monday evening to Friday Darren will be in Manchester attending the Community Transport Association Conference. Darren says:

"I know what you are all thinking, why doesnt my job allow for me to go to something as fun, exciting and informative as a week finding out about buses? But as the fortunate one who is going, I feel it is my duty to keep you up to date with events at the conference, about lving in a travel inn in an alan partridge way and my general experience at the biggest and most prestigious community transport event of the year.

So to keep you informed, I will give a daily update via the comments page in this blog of what I have learnt, what has impressed me, what has made me laugh and what has made me think that maybe community transport is not for me afterall. Wireless internet allowing, I will give you a blow by blow attempt of my week".

Tune in next week to find out about what you are missing out on.

Telling A Story

2005-11-02T10:23:00.000Z

I was on the Introduction to Marketing training on Monday and it brought up some interesting points. What I'd like us to consider is:

1. What "story" is this pilot telling, and what story is your experience of it telling?

2. What would you say is the "message" of the pilot and your experience of it?

Answers on an e-postcard!

What is community development?

2005-10-31T12:05:00.000Z

Sometime ago, Gareth asked people for comments on what community development is so that he could tell his mum! Here's what the National Occupational Standards say:

The key purpose of community development work is collectively to bring about social change and justice, by working with communities to:

Identify their needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities
Plan, organise and take action
Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the action

All in ways which challenge oppressions and tackle inequalties.

Hope this helps you all - and Gareth's mum - to understand what CDW is all about.

Sarah

Take your Blogpulse

2005-10-28T16:42:00.000Z

http://www.blogpulse.com/
Check out Blogpulse.com! An amazing search site for blogs.

And take a look at the SCVS Weblogs media page!
SCVS Weblogs Media Page

Will blogs change development thinking?

2005-10-28T09:07:00.000Z

This article from an online development think-tank for south Asia is very interesting:

Will blogs change development thinking? http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/121084/1/

Blogs. What does an obscure format which started with computer geeks have to do with development? Quite a bit, say Tim Harford and Pablo Halkyard, who write the Private Sector Development Blog, the World Bank's first venture into internet blogging. Take the words of Financial Times internet expert, David Bowen: 'In the last 12 months they have gone from being an obscure and little understood fringe activity to something we all have to think about, and quite possibly indulge in.' The development community is no exception. Here's how blogging will change both the developed and the developing world. First, blogging improves the quality of debate. For instance, an article in the Washington Post, 'The Rise of a Market Mentality Means Many Go Hungry in Niger' in August 2005, drew furious responses from bloggers. That's nothing new, of course: people have always read newspaper articles and grumbled to their spouses over the breakfast table. The difference is that now commentators can find each other, track the debate, air their differences and discover more about the facts behind the story. Blogging technology makes it easy to collect comments and see who is citing your ideas. Readers are able to chase the debate across the internet at the click of the mouse, and contribute to it themselves - no matter if they are a CEO in New York or a student in a Nairobi internet café. Meanwhile, new research and opinion-forming analysis is quickly disseminated and discussed - and the number of new blogs is doubling every five months or so. This changes the terms of the development debate, too. If you typed 'World Bank Blog' into Google in the summer of 2005, you'd have found that the most popular result was 'WorldBankPresident.org', a free-standing site dedicated to discussing the successor for then-President James Wolfensohn and criticising the Bank's selection methods. This apparently independent site was regularly checked by many Bank staff as well as journalists seeking a convenient way to read all the gossip. Next blog down was Friends of the Earth's 'World Bank blog', documenting their protests and the reasons behind them at the World Bank's spring meetings. A backroom effort, followed by a campaigning site: the World Bank itself was nowhere to be found. The World Bank, and other development organisations such as the UNDP and DFID, will have to work with this new technology, as many large corporations are trying to do. But the playing field is much more level than it was even a year ago. Being a big organisation counts for very little in the booming world of blogs - what counts is quick, relevant content. And if the playing field is being levelled within the developed world, just wait until the developing world starts to play the game. It's already happening: during this summer's Live8 campaign, some African bloggers started to complain that the concerts were irrelevant, patronising, or worse. Even just a couple of years ago, such dissenting voices from Africa would never have been heard. Huge sites, such as Harvard's Global Voices Online, are gathering together the output of 'bridge bloggers' who read local blogs and comment in English. Some countries, such as Iran, have vast blogging communities; others are tiny but growing very fast. It has never been easier for journalists to pick up voices from the developing world - or even for you and us to do so from our desks. People all over the world are talking, but only now can we hear what they're saying.

Definitions: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

2005-10-28T08:01:00.000Z

Google Search on Community Development

This list covers web-based definitions of "community development" and includes a wealth of interesting links.

Weblog Training - Take 2 - Group Work

2005-10-26T00:43:00.000Z

Well we now have all of the trainees invovled in the weblog project (Hi Sian, Eleanor and John). So the level of activity with the blogging should increase a fair bit (I Hope).

It will be interesting to see how the groups will interact with each other within the blogging environment as the trainees are from three different groups, and have each developed links with each other within these. Now that they have formed two seperate groups in the weblog project it should shake up the mix a bit.

The stuff I could learn about group formation, development and performance, in fact it might be worth it for all of you to be thinking about the group and your own role within it and see how it changes over time.

There is something I learnt about Group Development which goes something like this;

Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Mourning

Apparantly all groups go through these phases, just not necessarily in the same order, and they could go through some several times. So where is this group at the moment, ask me in a few weeks......

Links of Note - The Sequel

2005-10-24T10:35:00.000Z

Here are more links relevant to community development.

The Community Development Directory : Wales
http://www2.glam.ac.uk/regeneration/intro.html

Wales on the Web: Community development
http://www.walesontheweb.org/cayw/index/en/306/all

News Wales digest:
http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Community

Community Development (CDX)
http://www.cdx.org.uk/

A set of pages exploring the development, theory and practice of community development and community work:
http://www.infed.org/community/default.htm

Links of Note

2005-10-24T10:26:00.000Z

The following links provide a wealth of information on Welsh blogging, including some specific to the voluntary sector. It is worthwhile to spend some time trawling Google for resources of this kind; those on community development are the most rare!

BBC News: Wales-wide web blogs spread word
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4169431.stm

Opportunity Wales
www.opportunitywales.co.uk/0-0-0/10-2-14.htm?weblogid=1

Britblog.com
www.britblog.com - wales.html

VolResource Blog
Odd items of interest for the UK voluntary and community sector.
www.voluntarynews.org/blog/

It's good to blog.

2005-10-21T14:46:00.000Z

It's been two weeks or so now since the blogging began. Reviewing the posts and getting a feel for it all has been really encouraging. There's alot of positive reports and constructive and mutually supportive posts.

For me, the interesting thing is how - it's a little hard to put this into words, but I'll try - behind and from the actual posts there is emerging our own "community" voice that is the combination of all our input. This must be what makes this medium so powerful: being able to pool together many different impressions, ideas, outlooks, and so on, many events, experiences and more...and in a sense blend them all into one voice or expression. It's very informal and conversational, which is part of its power, I believe: it's very much only one step away from the experience and everybody speaks for themselves and to each other without intervention or mediation. This freedom creates a very enjoyable atmosphere.

I appreciate everybody's efforts so far. Within a few months I think we'll be seeing something quite special emerging that is unique to yourselves and the CDT endeavour. And a credit to yourselves and SCVS.

We made the front page!

2005-10-21T14:42:00.000Z

For those of you didn't see it, we are featured in the SCVS website homepage news ticker today!

The new WATERFRONT MUSEUM

2005-10-21T14:30:00.000Z

I went this morning with my son (13...almost!) to check out the new Swansea Waterfront Museum. Quite funny coming upon it in the haunted shadow of the vacated Leisure Centre, which next to the new building looks like an advertisment for the mixed blessing of Seventies architecture.

Has anybody else been there yet? There is a lot to recommend it. Firstly, it has clearly been designed with accessibility in mind, with acces always easy and generously designed. The exhibits are often very impressive, with a wide range of new technologies - touch screens, etc. - employed. I do miss the woollen mill, though, and wonder why it didn't make the transition. From the "community" angle, it is an interesting attempt to use a public space to provide an experience that tells you want it is like and even what it "means" to come from or around Swansea. The emphasis on shared history and experience is very strong and definitely an attempt to capture a sense of community, and it usually works.

The NVQ and how it links to the Weblog Project

2005-10-21T11:38:00.000Z

Hello Trainees

I just wanted to pass on some information that might help you all focus a bit on what you are all doing, both with regards to these weblogs and your training in general. So I am going to try to break down the 4 main units in the NVQ that the use of your weblogs will help you complete, IF you use the blogs appropriately.
In the units below it makes reference to ‘Community’, there are several communities to think about, this weblog community is one (which involves the trainees, SCVS staff, Outside Organisations and Community Work Professionals). Your placements are another community (The project workers, the volunteers and users) and also the communities in which you may volunteer. All of these are relevant, and can be used to help gather evidence for your NVQ.

The main units that could potentially be covered by the weblog pilot are;

Unit A1 – Make relationships within Communities
That first initial step in communicating with a person or group is often difficult and can be the basis of how a relationship is looked at from that point onwards. It is very important to ensure that your first contact with a person or group is done correctly. If you leave a comment that fosters a learning attitude then your reply might be similar. Then there is maintaining that relationship, keeping open the lines of communication and not making a person or group feel isolated. Also you should be looking at making relationships within your placements/communities. Some of relationships that you should be considering are as follows; Community Leaders / Activists, Professionals, people who are interested, community groups based in the area and groups which have a common interest.

Unit C2 – Contribute to collective action within a community
The collective action can be everyone leaving posts and commenting on each other’s posts. It can also be linked to decisions that are reasoned out via the posts and comments, as everyone would have a chance to input, helping to make an informed decision. In your own placements/communities what issues have been raised that you have helped to resolve. Has information, advice or support been offered? Were you involved in that process.

Unit F1 – Identify and reflect on own practice, knowledge and values
You need to talk about things that often people are uncomfortable about, areas that can be developed, your work practice your values and your role. If there is something that happens during a placement, visit to an organisation or during training that is so profound that it forces you to look at yourself and question your values then write about it, this will show evidence of development. You can also write about the good things, something that you are proud of, your achievements. In fact Unit F1 should be the main part of the weblog project – Reflection.

Unit F4 – Identify and take action to meet own learning and development needs
This is strongly linked to the one above. Once you are at a point where you recognise that there is an area that needs development then you need to take action to find a way to meet those needs (learning and support). It is just as valid to write about this. Discuss the whole process, what you need to work on, and how you intend to deal with it, for example, talking to colleagues, peers, other trainees, the training unit staff, attending courses, reading / researching a topic, are some of the ways in which we all learn and develop. Recently I identified an area of my work role, which although I had previously did training in, over the years has been neglected. I have since identified some training that SCVS are holding and have put my name down. I have also had chats with the training department about other possible ways to address development needs and have pursued these as well.

Thanks for reading this all the way to the bottom, have a gold star on me

e-Publishing

2005-10-19T14:24:00.000Z

For reference, there is a page about e-books and e-publishing on the SCVS site that dates back sometime but has some useful resources to explore. All involved in the pilot project are invited to contribute to an eventual (I almost put "e-ventual", God help me!) e-book to document the project. Anyhow, take a look:

http://www.scvs.org.uk/training/elearning/worldbookday.html

TEN DAYS AND COUNTING

2005-10-19T14:14:00.000Z

Hello All.

It has been ten days since the launch and plans are afoot! Gareth and I have met and the outcome of our discussion on how to bring the blogging to greater life has become a plan for action. There are several parts to the plan, including a few modest events, some "e-publishing" (not nearly as weird as it sounds) and some discussions, as well as the usual blogging. The aim is to make the pilot project as interesting and productive for everybody as possible. Until the meeting next week when all will be revealed, Blog On!

Community Development Workers

2005-10-18T15:38:00.000Z

My Mother, to this day, does not understand exactly what I do for a job. My Mother understands what a youth worker does and what a teacher does. However when I try to explain exactly what a community development worker does, it all falls apart.

But to be fair, I have to admit, it is very difficult to explain what exactly my job is and even today I would be hard pressed to describe it without hiding behind buzz words and jargon. So another challenge for today to all of the trainees, and indeed to anyone else who wants to join in, try to describe in plain english what exactly is community development work.

If anyone finds a good definition on the internet then give us the link in your response and we can all go and have a look.

What is Community?

2005-10-18T15:15:00.000Z

A long time ago when I was all keen (I still am) about being a Community Development Worker I decided to write on a whiteboard in the local youth club a simple question;
What is Community?

The answers varied a bit - 'It's to do with Ants', 'I dunno' and similar answers were written up on the board, but one young person in the youth club actually said 'It's about Us', which was the best answer that I had from the young people that night.

So now that you are all Trainee Community Workers I am going to ask you the same question;
What is Community? If you want to do a little research on the internet to find some definitions that is fine, but I would rather you all have a stab at it in your own words, a definition that you are comfortable with and can explain.

I also would like you too all look at your daily lifes and think about all of the 'different' communities that you are involved in and write a list for us all to see. Please leave your answers and lists in the comment section of this post.

P.S. If anyone else would like to also have a go at giving us a definition of Community then please do.

My First week

2005-10-13T14:37:00.000Z

My First week
I remember walking around SCVS thinking how am I going to remember all these people and how will I find my way around?The first week I found quite difficult I suppose. Lots of information lots of questions about my personal ability.

Can I do this?
How will I cope?
Will I fit In?
What if I can't do what they want me to do?

By the end of the first week my brain hurt with all this new information and I was glad to have a day or two to think things over and to try to understand what was going on.
Community Development Work is about Enabling and Empowering the community,this traineeship is the start of your own enabling and empowerment.

Remember learning may seem difficult now but as you gain more experience curiousity will take over and you will strive to learn new skills.
Don't worry about what you can't do, consentrate on what you do well and your traineeship will be an enjoyable experience.

If you need any help give me a shout, you are not on your own.

Good Luck Girls
"If you believe it you will acheive it".

Peter Black AM: Blogging from the chamber

2005-10-13T11:07:00.000Z

Just to illustrate the impact that weblogs are having in Wales. I just found this entry in Peter Blacks Blog : Peter Black AM: Blogging from the chamber

A Blackberry is a Small handheld computer that has internet access, and are being issued to Assembly Members to improve their 'reachability' by the public. One idea is to be able to email your Assembly Member whilst in the chamber and then they may be able to ask a question related to your email.

For further information read this blog entry by Peter Black : Peter Black AM: Picking blackberries

A pleasant surprise

2005-10-12T13:45:00.000Z

Well it was a nice pleasant surprise to see Julie posting on her weblog about the lantern parade and the Brass band. If only I was to have a few more pleasant surprises from the other weblogs (BIG HINT).
Although , do not forget, there is a challenge for you to all write about you first week as a trainee comunity development worker.

Altering the Blogger Template

2005-10-12T13:41:00.000Z

I would like to ask you all to not change the way that each of your blogs look too often, and when you do PLEASE contact me.
Each time the background is changed (template) all the extra information that I have added to the sidebar vanishes and I need to go back into the template and redo the extra html code.
This only takes about 20 minutes, but if I am unaware of the change then a day or two could pass where there are no links to the other blogs, no disclaimer and no code of conduct.
I am not stopping anyone from changing the template just let me know, or even wait until you are in work and I can help change the template with you.

How to leave a Comment

2005-10-11T11:48:00.000Z

There seems to have been some difficulty in leaving comments on Posts, so I have found a help page here - How to leave a Comment

Hopefully this will help everyone to participate more fully

Bye for now

Syndication and the older computer

2005-10-10T16:10:00.000Z

After spending some time trying to install some software to read all of these weblogs I decided to pass on some of my experience and wisdom.

If you have a relatively new computer then there should be no problem (Win XP onwards). However if you are working with Windows 98 then there is a very limited choice of software available to read the RSS/Atom feeds from the weblogs.

I finally settled on an online RSS Reader called Newsgator Online, there are others of course but I had to settle on one. There are obvious advantages to using an online RSS Reader;

Can access it from any computer
Does not require any downloading
Keeps the IT Department smiling

Jargon Busting

RSS =Really Simple Syndication. Atom = This is just another standard of syndication (like the difference between .doc and .txt)

Syndication of the Blogs

2005-10-10T12:17:00.000Z

Sounds like a Film title....

However it is a very serious technical subject and one which I will try to explain.

Some people actually like reading lots of weblogs (and other similar sites) but due to their busy lifestyles find it time consuming to physically search through 20+ different websites each day, especially if only 2-3 might have had new information.

So some smart people (not me) actually wrote software which checks websites for you and brings the new information (or Posts) to you. Some of the software looks similar to the layout of a typical email program and once set up runs in a similar fashion. Alternative versions of syndication software can work purely from the web (however I have not looked into this yet).

Therefore I have added a link to each of the weblogs in this pilot to make it easier for people to trawl through the weblogs, especially as when this is in full gear there will be at least 9 weblogs. these links give information on syndication and explain the various options that people can use.

If anyone has a query about this subject then PLEASE contact me and I will help out as best I can, however I am still learning about this software too.

Cyber Interaction!

2005-10-07T22:39:00.000Z

Well looking at the posts and comments on the various blogs in the SCVS Weblog Pilot there is certainly some interaction going on. Granted there is the expected, good natured fun comments here and there, but there are also, and these are far more important, actual conversations going on, which seem to be offering support, praise and challenges.

So I will put a challenge to all of you (trainees), which is similar to a comment left by Amanda.

Michelle and Becky, now that your first week is over, please give us your impressions and thoughts on the week, the highs and the lows. Also Phil, Julie and Gethin, remember back into the mists of time and tell us about how you felt after your first week as a trainee. Perhaps, after you have all posted I might sit back in my chair, light my pipe and reminise about those early days before weblogs and the internet when I was a trainee (ok so it was only 28 months ago).

Lets see where our experiences are similar and where they are different (and why?)

Who Blogs Wins!

2005-10-07T08:44:00.000Z

Cartoon courtesy of home.egge.net/~savory/ blog_feb_04.htm

Greetings Bloggers of SCVS!

The great adventure has begun. Life can never be the same again. Actually, it will be almost exactly the same again, but you'll be blogging more. Alot more. More than you ever imagined possible! Remember, you do this not just for your NVQs and SCVS but for the future of humankind. You are now a glorious guinea pig! What you do now will be studied by people paid to study things done by people like you. (Why they don't just do it themselves remains top secret!) Tell your friends and relatives, I am a pioneer!

The Three A's - Amanda, Alan & Adverts

2005-10-07T05:20:00.000Z

Just been having a careful look through the blogs, yes I know its 22.20pm, when I found some comments that had been posted.... I was amazed, our blogs were generating interest, and so early in the project too.

Then I noticed that two comments were unsolicited spam (adverts) so I deleted them. A note to everyone else, do not be afraid to delete anything that is an advert for something, or anything that is offensive.

There was also a comment or two from Alun, who is keen to watch the progress of the weblogs.

And what is an educational blogging experience without our Trainer extrodinaire Amanda leaving a few inspirational and thought provoking comments to get all of us thinking.

So have a look through all the posts to date and check on the comments and see what people are saying........

Presentations

2005-10-06T23:23:00.000Z

I have just completed a presentation about my previous placement.I find doing presentations a nightmare and I was extremely nervous but managed to struggle through with the help of my audience. I would like to thank everybody for their constructive feed back and now realise what is the best way for me to deliver presentations.I am not looking forward to doing presentations in the future but I feel that each time my presentations are improving.

The 'First' among community work bloggers

2005-10-06T20:30:00.000Z

Well I feel really proud of all of the SCVS trainees who set up their weblogs today. They all seem very enthusiastic about posting to their blogs and also about commenting on each others posts (which some have already started).

Now the real test starts, when the shine wears off a little bit in a few weeks time, will the trainees keep on posting? I really hope that they do......

Anyway, Congratulations to you all for your work today.

Vision Impairment

2005-10-05T23:10:00.000Z

One thing which we should all be thinking about when we post on our weblogs is how easy will it be for other people to read what we write.

If, for example, we put the entire post in Bold or Italics or even put some of it in a different colour then are we making it harder for others to read.

Therefore I suggest the following;

Stick to the Normal or Large font size setting in Blogger
Only use BOLD when you have too
Never use italics or different colours for words
Stick to the fonts that are plain and easy to read, arial being a good example
Seperate paragraphs with a blank line

If anyone requires any further information on this then please contact me (Gareth), or better still do some research on 'Clear Type' and Accessable webpages (BOBBY Approved - just like the SCVS Website). - Example of Large Size in Blogger

Lessons in Community Building

2005-10-05T10:15:00.000Z

An academic treatment of the blogging phenomenon, with a font size small enough to blind you and content to give you a headache!

Lessons in Community Building: An Inquiry into the role of weblogs in online community building

"Every reader is a writer, every writer is a reader."

2005-10-05T09:55:00.000Z

"Every reader is a writer, every writer is a reader." -- Jay Rosen, PressThink October 16th 2003.

This amazing page brings together hundreds upon hundreds of blogs that have recently had posts. A great cross-section of the UK blogosphere.

Rise of the blog
The blogosphere is growing. In 2004 the number of web log or 'blog' users in the US jumped by 58 per cent. Around 1 in 14 US net users has created a blog, and more than a quarter read others' blogs. Eleven million claimed to have consulted a blog during the election campaign. Despite this, nearly two-thirds of web users are still unsure what a blog is.’New Scientist 8th Jan 2005

SCVS Weblogs Website Lives!

2005-10-05T08:52:00.000Z

The SCVS Weblogs webpage is now live and includes downloads of useful documents and even Powerpoint files used for the training.

SCVS Weblogs Project

The Weblogs Project
For the next six months the SCVS e-learning Project takes the form of the ACL-funded Weblogs pilot, a pioneering project to evaluate the use(s) of weblogs in learning, e-learning and, in our case, community development. SCVS's pilot will involve its Community Development Trainees in about six months of monitored and moderated 'blogging', during which they will gather evidence for their NVQs and contribute to a final report to ACL/BECTA. It's an exciting and unusual project...

ESF logo

2005-10-01T15:29:00.000Z

Welcome!

2005-09-21T09:28:00.000Z

Greetings, Trainees of SCVS

This is where it all begins! A mind-blogging adventure on epic scale. In a way.

SCVS (Swansea Council For Voluntary Service) WEBLOGS PILOT

Weblogs Project Final Report Page

WEBLOGS PRESENTATION FEEDBACK

MONDAY MEETING

Where Have All the Bloggers Gone?

Becky's Community Blog

Where should blogging go next

The DAY AFTER

The Undiscovered Country

THE FINAL FRONTIER

The Fluffy Stuff

Countdown!

There's life in the old blog yet

A Day in the Life of a Community Development Worker QUESTIONNAIRE - PLEASE READ! :)

LET THE GOOD TIMES (SWISS) ROLL or STOLLEN MOMENTS :)

CHESTNUTS ROASTING BY AN OPEN...uh, Blog.

What other people think community is

Sian in the Evening Post!

Presentations Agenda

My degree!

SCVS Weblogs Poll: Yes or No? :-))

ONLINE NOW: Weblogs Pilot Questionnaire

Sense of Community

Legal advice on blogging

One Mug to rule them all

Getting your community group on the web

What's everbody else doing??

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

Community Involvement (or lack of)

LOGO COMPETITION

The Risca Legend's Visit to Manchester

Telling A Story

What is community development?

Take your Blogpulse

Will blogs change development thinking?

Definitions: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Weblog Training - Take 2 - Group Work

Links of Note - The Sequel

Links of Note

It's good to blog.

We made the front page!

The new WATERFRONT MUSEUM

The NVQ and how it links to the Weblog Project

e-Publishing

TEN DAYS AND COUNTING

Community Development Workers

What is Community?

My First week

Peter Black AM: Blogging from the chamber

A pleasant surprise

Altering the Blogger Template

How to leave a Comment

Syndication and the older computer

Syndication of the Blogs

Cyber Interaction!

Who Blogs Wins!

The Three A's - Amanda, Alan & Adverts

Presentations

The 'First' among community work bloggers

Vision Impairment

Lessons in Community Building

"Every reader is a writer, every writer is a reader."

SCVS Weblogs Website Lives!

ESF logo

Welcome!