Community animateurs
Description
Community animateurs help promote and organise the participation of local people in activities that help to make positive changes to their community. For example, intermediate labour market schemes, and Community Apprenticeship Schemes.
Potential uses
The role of the animateur is to provide a focus for increasing community involvement and input in development programmes in their local area such as regeneration schemes, health programmes, or crime initiatives. It can also be used to increase local skills and provide employment training. Animateurs also work with local voluntary groups to help them develop their work.
How it works
Animateurs are recruited from the local community and can receive fees and training for a fixed time period. In Doncaster Health Action Zone, people were recruited from the local community to work as community health animateurs. They became involved in included community audits and delivering training on community issues. They also undertook work placements in a range of community and health organisations.
Resources required
This requires a managing organisation to develop the programme and implement it. It also requires the input of the community and voluntary sector as employers of staff.
Further information
At Caledonia.org.uk and infed.org. You can have a look at using this technique in practice – The Listening Survey.
