Community Development Policy Statement

“Community development in Northern Ireland is a process which embraces community action, community service, community work and other community endeavour – whether geographical or issue-based – with an emphasis towards the disadvantaged, impoverished and powerless within society. Its values include participation, empowerment and self-help and while it is essentially about collective action, it helps to realise the potential of both individuals and groups within communities. In the interest of developing this potential, community development challenges prejudice, sectarianism and the unequal distribution of resources – both in terms of financial resources and of access to skills and knowledge …” Community Development Review in Northern Ireland, March 1991

While support for community development has continued to increase in Northern Ireland, it still requires a proper framework if its full potential is to be realised. Much of the community infrastructure, which is itself patchy, has been under threat from continual funding crises. Community development cannot thrive in an atmosphere of constant financial instability. This is indicative of many services and activities provided through voluntary and community organisations that are always last in the queue in the call on public expenditure. We, therefore, welcome the creation of the Taskforce on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector established by the Minister for Social Development.

Community development enhances local services, promotes active citizenship and assists government locally and regionally to achieve best value. Community development is about participation of communities in the decisions which affect their lives; it is not simply about consultation. The proper processes must be in place to ensure that people’s voices are heard. The community development process provides a complementary role for communities to engage with political parties, elected representatives, local councils and the Northern Ireland Executive.

• Northern Ireland needs an effective community development strategy – properly resourced. Resources need to concentrate on the areas of training, developmental support and the promotion of a robust community infrastructure in local areas. The strategy should build on existing local provision, develop and expand it, and build greater social capital in the area. This should be a long-term strategic plan akin to the ten year Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy.
• To function best, political parties, elected representatives, local councils and the Northern Ireland Executive must recognise the value of communities promoting independent, non-party-political analysis and the entitlement to promote self-help and community action.
• Following the Rates Review the wide range of local community halls and other buildings should be protected and encouraged and those community assets should remain free from rates.
• Political parties should commit to establishing a policy for the long-term promotion of community development as a working method for engaging with communities across all public bodies.
• Politicians should ensure that regeneration agencies adopt a community plan-led approach to local regeneration. A community development approach would require this to be linked to a programme of community regeneration skills and knowledge development.