Inspiring Communities Newsletter No. 22, April 2011

As we write, the Community Economic Development conference is in full swing in Auckland, and no doubt all present are enjoying hearing about new ideas progress from presenters on Social Enterprise, Social Finance, local Place Making and CED and more.  The speakers at this second annual conference represent organisations as wide ranging as the Swanson railway Station (speaking on Community owned Assets) and Westpac (speaking on Social Responsibility and Social Enterprise).
We are seeing positive signs for the future of business and community engagement. It was encouraging to see representatives from the business sector among our audience when Inspiring Communities, along with representatives from our Learning Cluster communities in Opotiki and Taita, presented at the Philanthropy NZ conference this month. Many commented that the conference’s theme of Philanthropy Through the Looking Glass was so apt for the time, and for the stories shared (see below).
Our next big opportunity to learn from an inspiring community is Victory Village Forum, now being held 27 – 29 July 2011. Register your interest at the Victory Village Forum website, and note the change in date. We are so looking forward to this and hope many will join us to hear and learn about family-centred, community led development.
It’s often said the one thing we can be certain of is change and that is certainly our experience in watching and supporting the expanding community-led development landscape in NZ since 2008. As an organisation Inspiring Communities is itself entering a time of transition with the recent exciting addition of several new board members, and some key team members moving roles and transplanting into new communities. We’ll make space to share full details on this in next month’s newsletter. Meanwhile the IC team is as busy as ever and with a reinvigorated focus on growing the recognition, understanding and practice of community-led development and the difference it makes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
We hope this newsletter finds you well and brings you some inspiration for your role with local communities.
Be well
Mary-Jane Rivers and Leigh Strange
You can download this Newsletter and previous issues as PDF from our website.
http://www.inspiringcommunities.org.nz/community-news/newsletters