Training and Capacity Building

In 2003-05, the Trust ran a series of capacity building workshops for civic society members. The workshops took place over 3 residential weekends each year, in Coventry and Nottingham, and included a range of project visits to get inspiration for societies' own projects.

The course was designed around three topics:

• 'Getting Going', turning ideas into reality, project planning with inspirational trainer Helen Platts;
• 'Quality Places', caring for the context of your town, city or village, understanding urban design and development with Ivor Samuels, a leading teacher and practitioner;
• 'Making Connections', understanding area regeneration with Stuart Woodin, a national Neighbourhood Renewal Adviser.

The Civic Trust has secured additional funding from English Heritage, and from the John Ellerman Trust, to run a further series. This development - called Paving the Way - will take the form of off-the-shelf sessions to be delivered round the regions, on those topics that civic societies keep telling us they want help with: understanding the new planning act; for example, how to influence local authorities; how to increase membership.

"It was great to feel part of a national movement and now to rise to the challenge to change the focus from parochial to the wider issues confronting our environment."
Ed Grimsdale, Pathfinder from Buckingham Society.