AntonyCarpenPublicPolicy&SocialMedia

Tel: 07779 205270 Email: antonycarpen@gmail.com Web: http://antonycarpen.co.uk

Communities in control: how community

groups can engage in development decisions

and the local council through social media

Town and country planning association

New communities group seminar

24 February 2015

About Antony

• Social media and public policy trainer• ‘Community cameraman’ and short film maker• Political commentator• Stood for election in Cambridge City Council 2014 local elections…

• …as my social media persona ‘Puffles the dragon fairy’• …and beat UKIP 89 votes to 0. (They didn’t stand – dragon wins)

• Former civil servant in Department for Communities & Local Government• Community engagement policy• Sustainable housing & climate change• Local government reform• Planning casework• Freedom of information

‘Map your communities’ 1/3

Community engagement is a challenge if you don’t know your communities! But where do you start?

Start by describing your community - Make a list!

1. Local secondary school2. Older people’s day centre3. Friends of local library society4. Religious institution5. Nursery – users & families?6. Hospital – patients & families?7. …can you think of a few more?

‘Map your communities’ 2/3

Community engagement is a challenge if you don’t know your communities! But where do you start?

Start by describing your community - Make a list!

1. Local secondary school2. Older people’s day centre3. Friends of local library society4. Religious institution5. Nursery – users & families?6. Hospital – patients & families?7. Local trade association8. Wealthy private institution

Now plot them on a matrix

Influence

Inte

rest

83

4

76 25

1

‘Map your communities’ 3/3

Having mapped your communities, you can explore different approaches based on their needs & talents

Now plot them on a matrix

Influence

Inte

rest

83

4

76 25

1

How do you increase the influence of a local community group that might have the time & passion to scrutinise development? (Group 3 –friends of local library).

How do you increase the interest of a potentially influential but disinterested group? (Group 7 – a local trade association).

What’s this got to do with social

media?

What’s this got to do with social

media?

The key word in the phrase ‘social media’ is the word ‘social’. It implies a conversation.

If you do not know who you are talking to, no amount of technology is going to compensate for this shortcoming.

What are we doing in Cambridge?

The context:• Two-tier local government in Cambridge• Three-tier (parish/town councils) outside• City Deal structures – a separate board & assembly• Huge demand for housing, limited supply• High & rising house prices – tempting for speculators• Booming economy underpinned by strong resilient

economic sectors in health, education & new technology• Increasingly diverse population – highly educated, highly

mobile too.

Or put differently: Click here ->> https://vimeo.com/119495521

‘Be the change you want to see’

…because someone else isn’t going to do it for you!

A personal route to ‘Be the change – Cambridge’

2010 Coalition takes office & imposes a program of austerity & cuts

2011 I leave the civil service – with high niche social media profile

2012 Start social media training business, scrutinising local councils

2013 Focus more on local government, less on national 2014 Stand for election, launch ‘Be the change – Cambridge’2015 Due to deliver big community action event in March

‘What is ‘Be the change – Cambridge’?

Who? A project founded by myself, Anne Bailey of the Cambridge Area Partnership, and tech entrepreneur Dr David Cleevely CBE

What? A project creating safe open spaces for the people of Cambridge to influence our city’s future & make it greater than the sum of our parts

When? Next event: Sat 14 MarchWhere? Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge – one of our

headline sponsors.How? Open space event plus guided workshops educating

people how our current systems functionWhy? Because it’s our home. Because…[and it’ll be different

for each participant.]

“I’m still not seeing the social media!”

It’s not a case of simply being on Twitter or Facebook, but how you use them. Cambridge’s communities use a diverse range of tools. We have to reflect that:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bethechangecambridge86 ‘likes’Twitter - @Bethechangecam351 followersMeetup group - http://www.meetup.com/Be-the-change-Cambridge/121 ‘change makers’Website http://bethechangecambridge.org.uk/(Plus links to my Youtube/Vimeo and Soundcloud accounts)

“How do you find time for all of that?”

With great difficulty!

No one person can do all of that alone and do it effectively. Yet slowly but surely it’s making groups & institutions respond. Why? Because we’re doing things, not just talking about it.

Things like…

Create & share inspiring

contentHere’s another video I made

https://vimeo.com/115895921

The soundtrack was made by the brilliant Grace Sarah -> http://www.gracesarah.com/

She wrote the original track while in year 8. She’s now at sixth formcollege in my neighbourhood.

What’s stopping you from inviting students in further education orhigher education from helping you create that content?

Educate, inform, update

Here’s a page I set up following news Cambridge might finally be getting an ice rink…

Share events – not just your

own…even if the link is not immediately direct. If you want to find out about your communities, go to where they are, not where you’d like them to be.

…and finally…

Feedback mechanisms

Make sure that the comments and feedback you get have links back to your decision-making processes.

- Can you persuade developers to engage with communities at design stage? This can save costly processes later on down the line.

- What opportunities do citizens have to learn about how the planning system works? What are the essentials? Manage their/our expectations.

AntonyCarpenPublicPolicy&SocialMedia

Tel: 07779 205270 Email: antonycarpen@gmail.com Web: http://antonycarpen.co.uk

AntonyCarpenPublicPolicy&SocialMedia

Tel: 07779 205270 Email: antonycarpen@gmail.com Web: http://antonycarpen.co.uk

Thank you

Find me on Twitter @ACarpenDigital – for ‘work’ content@Puffles2010 – My politics & policy newsfeed@BethechangeCam – Making Cambridge greater

than the sum of our parts