Info@CommunityCoLab.co.uk 

Community organising:
FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

A course leading to SEG Awards CERTA L2/ L3 Certificate in Community Organising
Summer 2019 (starting June 20)
Run by: Barton Hill Settlement
​Bristol UK
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www.communitycolab.co.uk
How can we support people to achieve what matters to them in their communities in a way that builds power promoting self organisation and meaningful bottom up change?
Community Organising: From Theory To Practice 
A 140 hour (20 days face to face training) taught course for people who want to develop their effectiveness in applying the principles and practice of community organising by gaining a solid foundation of knowledge and skills.

June 20,21,24,25,26th
​July 1,2,3,4,5, 8,9,10, 29-31st
August 1,2,6,7,8th
The purpose of this training is to support participants to develop an understanding of the values, principles and processes of community organising along with an introduction to some of the underlying theories and history which inform community organising practice and to be able to apply this principles into practice.

​Completion of this course (and assignments) will enable you to achieve either a L2 or L3 Certificate in Community Organising which is a nationally recognised Qualification.
Since Nov 2017 Community CoLab and Barton Hill Settlement's Bristol Social Action Hub has trained 172 people in our Introduction To Community Organising  plus another 90+ in related methods and practices (Group Process Design and Facilitation, Art of Hosting and building networks, Graphic Facilitation and more).
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Now are ready to take it to the next level, to embed community organising as an approach to how we engage with geographic and communities of interest in Bristol and beyond!
Become a professional community organiser gaining the skills, knowledge, tools and practices necessary to unleash your potential and the potential of others. 
WHAT IS COMMUNITY ORGANISING?
Community Organising is the work of bringing people together to take action around their common concerns and overcome social injustice.   Community Organisers reach out and listen, connect and motivate people to build their collective power.

Community Organising begins with genuine, effective listening which sparks dialogue and explores motivations, an analysis of power in community and how to build it, and an exploration of how to organise and motivate people to take effective action together to address common concerns. 

This course is run by The Bristol Social Action Hub as part of the Community Organisers Expansion programme. 
The course is quality assured by Community Organisers Ltd who are a Registered Certa Centre for the delivery of Qualifications. 
​The course is led by qualified Community Organisers with training qualifications.
This course provides the knowledge required to activate communities through listening in order to build community power, tackle injustice and effect change through action.

People undertaking the course need to develop their skills through practice and reflection and self-study and to complete a series of assignments to achieve the Certificate
There are 9 Course Units worth 23 or 24 credits
​Units include:

  • Analysing Power and Influence in Community Organising 
  • Reflective Practice
  • Interaction Skills with Individuals
  • Community Organising with Groups of People
  • Understanding and Affecting Decision Making Processes​

If you have already completed a Certa Award in Community Organising you can progress onto the Certificate and will have already have completed the first three units.

If you aren’t sure whether or not this is the right course for you, please get in touch with us for a chat (see below for how to contact us).  We will be happy to help.
WHAT WILL YOU GAIN FROM THIS COURSE?
As a result of completing this training you will:
  • Understand the ‘principles and practice’ of community organising (what community organising is, how we do community organising, and why we do it)
  • Learn about the ideas and thinking behind community organising and how community organising started
  • Learn about the different places and situations where community organising happens, and the reasons why it might happen
  • Improve your community organising skills in listening, building power and organising action for social change.
  • Gain confidence in your community organising practice and understand more about the theory behind it
  • Gain strategies for overcoming challenges in community organising
  • Have the opportunity to achieve a Certa Level 2 or 3 Certificate in Community Organising (a nationally recognised Qualification)
WHAT'S THE TIME COMMITMENT?
The Community Organising: From Theory To Practice is a 161+ hours training course that leads to a L2 or L3 Certificate in Community Organising, a nationally recognised qualification issued by CERTA, our quality assurance body.  

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These 161+ hours are made up of 140 hours face to face (20 days) class-based learning, at least 20 hours of guided reading, at least 30 hours of community organising practice across the period of the course plus the time it takes you to complete your assignments in order to achieve the Award L2/L3

We estimate it takes  a total of 240 hrs including face to face training, guided reading, practice and assignment writing.


The level of the qualification (L2/L3) indicates the relative demand, complexity and/or depth of achievement as well as the amount of support the learner requires in order to demonstrate their achievement.

It is your decision which level you decide to study at.
Factors to help you decide would be things such as previous learning experience and levels of achievement, as well as relevant experience in the community organising field.
We will support you in the decision-making process.
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You will need to attend at least 130 of the 140 taught hours
WHAT WILL WE COVER IN THE 20 DAYS OF FACE TO FACE TRAINING?
BLOCK 1: AWARD IN CO Principles and Practice
  • 5 Days​ (June 20,21,24,25,26th)
    • Day 1-2: Purpose, Principles and History of CO
    • Day 3: Listening and Connection
    • Day 4: Reflective Practice
    • Day 5: Power Theory and Listening Practice

BLOCK 2:  Mapping assets and needs, interaction skills with individuals, reflective practice
  • 7 Days: (July 1,2,3,4,5, 8,9,10th)
    • Days 1-3:   Theory
    • Day 4-5:    Simulation
    • Day 6:       Reflection on simulation
    • Day 7:       Tutorial, reflection, celebration
 
BLOCK 3: Analysing power and influence in CO, understanding and effecting decision making processes, community organising with groups of people

8 Days: (July 29-31st, August 1,2,6,7,8th)
  • Days 1, 2 and 5:
    • Knowledge and Understanding theory
  • Days 3 and 4: 
    • Power structural analysis micro to MP’s (voluntary/ community business sector)
  • Day 6:
    • Practical facilitation tools, participatory decision making
  • Day 7:
    • Practical group work- collaborative action. Developing group strategy for action
  • Day 8:
    • Tutorial, reflection and course evaluation
WHAT SUPPORT IS ON OFFER?
We are committed to creating the best experience for all our learners. After you sign up we will arrange to meet with you to discuss your learning needs and support you to choose a level that suits you.
Between the start of the course in June 2019 and until January 2020 you will have access to support via Skype, Zoom or Whats App from our trainer.
We are also hoping to seed the creation of a peer support network so that there is collaboration and networking opportunities.
WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?
The Community Organising: Principles and Practice course has been designed for people aged 16 and over who are  actively engaged in social action in a community   whether in a voluntary  role, or as part of full or part time staff in organisations using a community organising approach and who wish to develop their understanding, knowledge and skills of community organising. 
There are no specific entry requirements, but you must be able to commit at least 240 hours over 9 months to achieve the Qualification which includes taught hours, study, assessed course work and community organising practice. 
This might include people:
  • Who are active in groups or campaigns in their own community
  • Who are working with people and communities in a variety of settings and contexts (e.g. health, local authority, education);
  • Who are working In Politics and/or local democracy;
  • Who are engaged or working in Community work.
  • Whose job requires them to develop their understanding of a community organising approach
THE TRAINER
Jose Augusto Barco Bermudez
Jose is a certified community organiser, social entrepreneur, Art of Hosting practitioner, Flow Game Host, trainer and facilitator based in Bristol UK and Cali, Colombia. He is also the founder of Community CoLab and for the last 7 years has been focused on creating spaces for meaningful participation, collaboration, peer learning, self organisation and shifting power in communities and organisations.

Jose works designing and facilitating conversations and training in communities and with organisations in Colombia, Spain and the UK

Jose is a Member Organiser for Community Organisers Ltd, organisation which he is a former founding director of. 
​His work is influenced by his creative practice, musical roots and permaculture principles.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
We recognise that our privileges and economic situations may vary, we are also very keen to invite diversity and make sure this training is accessible to all, particularly people who have taken our Intro To Community Organising Training and are Community Organisers Ltd Members.
The real running cost of this program is about £1K per participant.
Whilst we have funds available to deliver this course, in order to sustain our work into the future and make this training accessible we are using a PAY AS YOU FEEL policy which means we trust you to decide how much you can contribute based on your needs or privilege. 

Any funds raised through participant payments will be reinvested into providing free or affordable training through The Bristol Social Action Hub in 2019-2020
We invite you to consider your privileges and your economical situation to  consciously
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PAY AS YOU FEEL

STANDARD: £530
Choose this fee if you are from an organisation, paid to do your work or a well paid freelancer and your organisation is paying for your participation. 


DISCOUNTED FEE: £175
Choose this fee if you can't afford the standard fee and really would benefit from what we are offering.
(you will need to sign up to a free Community Organisers Membership following this link)


CONCESSION £100
​Choose this fee if you have taken part in our Intro To Community Organising, you are unable to afford the discounted fee
 The Bristol Social Action Hub can cover the gap. (you will need to sign up to a free Community Organisers Membership)
​Offer what you can and a little bit more!
ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC SUPPORT
Choose this option if you cant afford any of the above options, offer what you can and ask for what you need, get in touch to explore how to make sure you can get a place regardless of your economical situation.
We don't want anyone to miss this opportunity, so don't be shy if you really can't contribute. There are other ways to contribute if your financial situation is tight, we welcome  alternative offers from participants which help to enhance the experience, learning and connection potential.

PLEASE USE THE BOTTON BELOW TO SIGN UP

WHERE AND WHEN?

The face to face elements of this training will take place at Barton Hill Settlement.
DATES TBC (JUNE- AUGUST)
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All course assignments will be submitted via our Moodle platform by JAN 31st, 2020

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