Locally-Led Delivery workshop inspiring community approaches for sport and recreation

Sport New Zealand and Sport Wellington co-hosted a two day workshop on the 4th and 5thof September with Denise Bijoux from Inspiring Communities and Jim Diers, North American architect and activator. Recognised as experts on community building, the workshop introduced the concept of Locally-Led Delivery (LLD) as a way of working together to create and achieve locally owned visions, goals and sustainable projects.

Held at the Pelorus Trust Sports House, Lower Hutt, over 50 people attended from a range of community focussed organisations – City and District Councils, Health Organisations, Regional Sports Trusts and Community Groups.

Locally-Led Delivery is based on bringing people and ideas together, to nurture relationships, and build trust and confidence for action. Communities have assets in their people and places, everyone has strengths and we all have something to offer. Diers said “It’s important to take this strength-based approach so the community can begin to utilise what they already have and show that people are capable of more. The magic is in the community; collectively we have everything we need to do community work.”

Bijoux reiterated the iron rule of community development, “Never do for people what they can do for themselves.” This means moving away from the top-down approach and learning how to empower the community from within. Leaders have to take a step back and make room for the community to contribute themselves. There are so many amazing stories about projects that have developed from collective community imagination and drive - bike tracks, sports events, skate parks, gardens, playgrounds etc.

Participants of the workshop learnt about the importance of ‘bumping spaces’ - local places where members of the community meet or ‘bump into each other’, for example local cafes, schools, churches, libraries and sport clubs. During these times they share ideas, discuss concepts and feel connected.

Mark Shanks, Community Engagement Advisor for Sport Wellington said, “This philosophy underpins the work that Sport Wellington is setting out to achieve in 11 separate communities of interest across the Wellington region. By 2020 the locally led projects will look to achieve a 3%+ increase in physical participation rates and a consequent overall improvement in measurable health outcomes. The projects will also drive and significantly contribute towards the longer term goal of creating sustainable active communities.”

ENDS

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