Experimental pilot communities
Principles
Our work in pilot communities is underpinned by:
a place-based approach - moving beyond generic, top-down solutions and instead recognising each community's unique history, culture, and environment in order to work with the community, not just in it;
applying asset-based community development - shifting focus from problems to strengths, identifying and leveraging the existing skills, knowledge, and resources as the foundation for solving problems and creating more relevant and effective outcomes;
encouraging creativity and experimentation - moving away from a ‘fear of failure’ and instead taking risks, trying out bold ideas, and being fully transparent about what works and what doesn’t.
Selection
As a collective it was agreed the pilot communities would comprise:
one location in each of the four local authority areas in the West of England - North Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset
a mix of rural and urban areas
a mix of ages, communities and ethnic backgrounds.
To ascertain which communities were most likely to experience long-term loneliness, the Impact Alliance built on the well-established understanding of risk factors identified, for example, in the ‘Campaign to End Loneliness ‘The State of Loneliness 2023: ONS Data on loneliness in Britain’.
Data analysis of demographics of the region, combined with intelligence from Impact Alliance members, led to the identification of four communities of place and two communities of interest:
Charfield, South Gloucestershire
Disabled Young People, West of England
Global Majority Older People, West of England
Mendip Villages (Banwell, Winscombe, Churchill, Langford & Sandford), North Somerset
Somer Valley (Paulton, Radstock & Midsomer Norton), Bath & North East Somerset
Stockwood, Bristol
Enablers
Each pilot community has an associated Enabler (or Enabling Organisation).
An Enabler is an organisation that has a good understanding of loneliness both at national and regional level, and how it manifests amongst their own community members.
Enablers are trusted to listen, connect, and nurture the people and ideas that could make a big difference. Enablers are convenors, collaborators and catalysts with the ability to identify grassroot delivery partners, or ‘Change Makers’.
Enablers were identified based on:
Being embedded and trusted in the pilot community, knowing its people, places, and dynamics.
An enabling mindset, eager to act as connectors and facilitators, to channel resources to Change Makers.
Organisational capacity to hold and distribute funds, and to fulfil the role alongside existing commitments.
Alignment with values and vision to, “make loneliness a stranger,” using a learning-led, grassroots, long-term approach.
Enablers for each pilot community are as follows:
Charfield - CVS South Gloucestershire
Disabled Young People - WECIL
Global Majority Older People - Black South West Network
Mendip Villages - the three Parish Councils of Churchill, Banwell, and Winscombe and Sandford
Somer Valley - 3SG
Stockwood - Bristol Charities
The Pilot Communities
Disabled Young People
West of England
WECIL
Global Majority Older people
West of England
Black South West Network
Current Pilot Community Programmes
Community Change Makers
Identifying and supporting the individuals, businesses, groups and organisations that build connections in their community.
All Together Now
Building connected communities in the West of England through culture and creativity.
Thank you to all Impact Alliance members who have shared photos to use on this website. Please see below for photos used on this page; click on the image for further information. (Any photos not credited are available via Creative Commons licensing).
Black South West Network
The Stockwood Wombles, courtesy of Bristol Charities
Courtesy of Bristol Beacon