Social action, also known as community development, is people coming together to help improve their lives and solve shared problems. People volunteer, befriend, advocate, join social movements and organise and develop community assets and services.
Isolation has a toxic effect on people’s physical and mental health. Those with fewest assets fare the worst. At the extreme, social exclusion in the form of harassment and violence can lead to suicide.
Social and community enterprises (SCEs) run shops and pubs, they provide transport, support fun activities, enable people to share accommodation and support them to be self-employed.
A series of guides that support asset-based commissioning and practice. Written by the academic & consultant Clive Miller, they complement Alex Fox's paper.
Investing in prevention, early intervention and community capacity building is a central feature of Asset-based Areas rather than a ’nice to have’ one.