The results are in! We have been working with the Anthill Collective and the community leaders who have worked with us over the past three years to evaluate our impact. Community Organising is at the heart of what we do
Report headlines
Increased power to make change
CfG members are three times more likely than the national average to think they have the power to influence local decisions
CfG members are much more likely to have taken part in civic activism, civic participation or civic consultation activities in the past 12 months than the national average.
“My proudest moment was when we sat down with the council and there was a noticeable shift in power towards us.”. - COMMUNITY LEADER
Increased leadership capacity
Over two-thirds of CfG members reported increases in their ability to lead
85 per cent of CfG members say they are more confident leading.
“My involvement made me feel encouraged, connected and empowered to be an initiator in our city and informed of the potential to work with others to bring about positive change.” - Core Group Member
Greater sense of belonging
88 per cent of CfG members said they felt like they belonged to their local community – significantly higher than the national average (65 per cent)
Sense of belonging is also higher than the national average for groups more likely to experience isolation or marginalisation, such as disabled people (71 per cent versus 62 per cent) and people from ethnically minoritised communities (88 per cent versus 60 per cent).
“It completely changed my view of what Coventry has to offer and what I had to offer Coventry. Now I love being here.” CORE GROUP MEMBER
Stronger community connections
Members of CFG have very strong social support networks to turn to for help (98 per cent) despite many having traits that make them more at risk of being isolated and marginalised.
“CfG has helped me find community in Coventry. It has allowed me to find friendships and create meaningful experiences. I am also better connected to the city. I know more places to go and have a better sense of events that go on. My life is much fuller and happier.”
Greater collaboration across the system
Many tangible examples of greater collaboration across Coventry, whether that’s with the council, community organisations or local businesses.
"Being heard and then [having] those professionals actually say ‘you know, we can do better’ or ‘actually there’s this bit of work which might assist raising your group up’. Hearing that from people like academics, the NHS, the police, it was like ‘wow ok’.”
Read the final report here:
Follow this link to read the full Impact Report (80 pages)
Click this link to read the Executive Summary.
We would like to say a big thank you to Anthill Collective and our peer evaluators. Now, the work continues...
“The people power is out there. The tools are there to organise and unite.” CORE GROUP MEMBER
Further reading
Check out the Organising Change series...
‘How we organise change in this place at this time' by Mel Smith Deputy CEO of Grapevine.
‘The glitter and the glue’ – why our relationships are the single most important thing we can do to change our own lives and the wider world – by David Robinson, founder of The Relationships Project.
‘The Power of Facilitative Leadership’ by identity and leadership coach Reem Assil.
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