Mataura Update

There's plenty of interesting stuff happening in Mataura at the moment (click on the images to enlarge them for more info):

• Greg Visser from Solid Energy NZ Ltd will be speaking at the Eastern Southland Chamber of Commerce "September Breakfast Babble" to give an update on Solid Energy's progress to date in developing options for Southland's considerable lignite deposits   
                
• Peter Kenyon will be speaking on 'Revitalising Rural Communities & Small Country Towns' in Mataura on Thursday 9th September 2010.  He is a fascinating and passionate speaker on the topic - you can find out more about him at the fantastic Bank of I.D.E.A.S website. 

• Mataura is looking for a Community Development Coordinator.  Its a full time position for a 3 year term.  The purpose of the position is to develop Mataura as a positive, healthy, safe environment where  people can achieve their best.  For the position description and application pack contact Robyn at the Community Connections Centre in Gore cccgore at woosh dot co dot nz.
  
  

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What is Community Led Development?

Community led development is a movement that is gaining traction around the world as people in under-resourced, neglected or impoverished areas seek to rebuild their communities and re-establish a sense of pride in the place where they live.  Its about communities working together across traditional boundaries to create change and solve the problems they face.

Community led development is:

• inclusive
  'Powerful communities create a place for everyone's gifts - there are no strangers - Mary Nelson
  
  
• open and transparent
• happens from the inside out
  'Meaningful and lasting community change always originates from within, and local residents in that community are the best experts on how to activate that change.' - Peter Kenyon, Bank of IDEAS
• constant, two-way communication
• builds capacity
  'Communities that view their citizens as their greatest asset and invest in the development of their full potential are those that will have the capacity to effectively compete in the global political, social and economic arena' - David Littrell
• uses local resources as much as possible
• embraces differing viewpoints
• encourages communities to support and take ownership of the solutions they create for themselves
• believes in the community's ability to solve its own problems and make things happen

How do you define community led development?

10 Community Projects that Build Social Capital

Image by a.prakharevich via Flickr

I've just gotten back from the fantastic Small Towns Conference in Kaiapoi. One of the speakers was Peter Kenyon - a social capitalist and community enthusiast from Australia. He had some incredibly inspiring stories about successful small town development, I am so excited about helping to put some of his ideas into action in Mataura.

If you are looking for some great projects to get your community humming take a look at this awesome list from Peter's Bank of I.D.E.A.S website:

1. Establish a Community Garden
2. Establish a Community Newspaper focusing on local assets, people, and positive and inspiring stories
3. Create a local project fund where 3 or more neighbours can apply for street/neighbourhood projects/events
4. Hold a Community Reflection Day to give residents an opportunity to think about where they have come from and where they want to go
5. Encourage local organisations to adopt a street or flowerbed and to care for its beautification and apprearance
6. Instigate a local business awards programme to highlight and celebrate local businesses
7. Establish a Community Bank with all profits going back to community projects
8. Start up a Community Physical Fitness Programme eg. 'Push Ups in the Park'
9. Support local schools to discover, study and write about local history
10. Establish a Community Cultural Foundation that encourages locals to contribute and become 'Friends of the Foundation' to develop arts and culture within the community

For the full list of 128 projects visit Bank of I.D.E.A.S