Who are community leaders and why are they so important
As you may know from our past blogs we are currently exploring ways in which we can become more relevant and present at a local level.
We’ve started by talking to people in the communities we are working in to better understand the strengths and needs of each area. The answer to communities needs are found within the community.
One of the areas where we have been researching is Neath, South Wales and for the past few weeks we have been mapping the area to better understand what support networks are available for community members in Neath, and what might be missing. A key step in this process is identifying Community leaders.
Community mapping involves speaking with residents — who are the community experts and identifying the assets and resources in their neighbourhood, looking at opportunities and creating a picture of what it is like to live and be supported there. It is carried out in order to build on community knowledge and to empower communities, giving them the space to make decisions based on information and trust.
We have had the pleasure of having many insightful and inspiring conversations with residents, and those who work within Neath and are part of the community there. We already know Neath is an area which people feel proud to call their home.
Who are local leaders and why are they important?
The clearest finding when initially asking residents in Neath about local leaders is that many “didn’t have a clue” who they would consider as a local leader. We decided to shift our terminology and rephrased the question to “who do you think plays an active part in your community in organising and getting things done?” This changed the answers we started to get, and a huge variety of individuals were mentioned when speaking to two people in the same street, one mentioned the head of their Church in helping resolve community issues, but their neighbour living only a few doors away considered the coach of the local Football team to be their point of call. Others named Foodbank founders, teachers and local area coordinators as those that they would to turn in their hour of need who play an active role in the community.
Some people told us that they presumed local leaders would be their local councillor as they are paid to do so. It is their job to lead the community they represent. This can absolutely be the case and a number of councillors create real change and build community links through their positions, but they are not the only group of people the community look to.
One thing is for sure, the same attributes and qualities were shared by everyone mentioned. Passionate, caring, strong, informative, good communicator, respectful and courageous. Individuals that have been identified by the community itself are people who organise and inspire action. These are also the individuals who shine through in disasters and emergency situations.
In February of last year residents of Canal Side in Aberdulais, Neath Valleys, were victims of severe flooding when the river burst its banks and flooded thirty homes during the unwelcome visits of storms Callum and Dennis.
During a powerful interview with one of the residents we heard how the community felt very much alone and left to fight their own battles. ‘’We have to look after ourselves, in the absence of anything else, we have to step up and look after ourselves’’.
Some members who had previously had no involvement in the community banded together to create a forum and a community interest company CIC to support each other and lead the affected through the challenging times ahead. This again helped us to redefine our ideas on what a leader is and ask, is leader even the right word, or should we be naming them around the attributes they offer locally? This further reinforces that those who lead in their community are not always professionals or elected into their position.
It is evident that there are people within Neath that can create change within their community. These individuals hold key information on what resources and support might be available.
As you can see above from a section of the Water aid report on community mapping this exercise aims to spread knowledge from a narrower group to the whole community in order to allow for a more informed and empowered society.
On reflection, we have learned that who you consider to be local leaders or those who take action in the community depends on who you are and what your interests as well as your needs and who you are connected with, people or organisations. However, in an area of crisis where the community at large is affected, local leaders are not necessarily only professionals or those who are paid, rather those who are caring, passionate, informative, courageous, informative and have the ability to take action and create change when change is needed.
I will leave you with this from Sandy Adirondack in ‘’Just About Managing” which sums talks to this pretty well:
‘’ Leadership is rooted in individuals rather than in organisational structures. It cannot be written into procedures or job descriptions. It refers to an ability to inspire others, to get others to take decisions or carry out work not because they have to but because they want to’’
If you live in Neath we want to hear from you. Has anyone come to mind when reading this blog and thinking about active members inspiring and leading change in your community? Let us know by dropping us an email on community@redcross.org.uk or tweet Charlotte Wilton @ charjwilton
