Pam Dawson, the national co-ordinator of the Placed-based Programme run by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, writes about her experience of the What Works Scotland seminars on reducing poverty held in Clydebank and Dundee.
Author: Pam Dawson, Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland
Date: 12 October 2016
The seminars explored community-led approaches, and brought some 70 people to the two events. Pam reflects on the democratic structures in place for community engagement and the reasons why so many people don’t get involved. Does the language around such communities—i.e. disadvantaged—create a self-fulfilling prophecy? And where does the responsibility for apathy sit within communities?
There are skills, abilities, energy and ideas that can make change happen, but the owners of such assets don’t believe everyone else will welcome them, see their views as valid, listen or act. Systems and structures need to change to accommodate communities and their people.