COMMUNITY TOOLKIT
HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY Turn off your TV. Greet people in the street.
Look up when you’re walking. Leave your house. Sit on your doorstep. Plant flowers. Ask for help when you need it.
Who are we?
Talk to the Postie. Put your phone away.
The Rural Youth Project is an international grassroots movement for positive change.
Play together. Put up a swing. Pick up litter.
Our mission
Honour elders. Get to know your neighbours. Organise a street/field party.
To empower young people to develop their leadership, enterprise & activism skills, to play an integral part in making rural places attractive and viable for young people to build their lives and their futures therein.
Turn up the music. Turn down the music.
Our method
Cook more than you need and share. Garden together.
Listen before you react.
We gather and tell the inspiring stories of young people from around the world who are taking action - for themselves and their communities - to improve their rural areas.
Help carry something heavy. Offer to pick something up from the shops.
Fix it even if you didn’t break it.
Sing together. Look for collaborations. Help a lost dog. Support local schools.
Why are we writing this?
Learn from new and uncomfortable angles.
Rural depopulation is a huge concern internationally and we believe it is young people who hold the key to changing this. And yet, only 13% of young people feel they have a say in their community*!
Show up to community gatherings. Start a tradition. Buy from local shops.
Who is this toolkit for?
Share what you have. Seek to understand. Listen to the birds.
If you live (or want to live) in a rural area; you want to gain greater insight into how ‘community’ works; and you want to effectively engage with your community to get your idea off the ground – then this is for you!
Invite people to join the conversation.
Mediate a conflict.
Your idea could be a business, a social enterprise, a campaign, or a community initiative.
Know that no-one is silent though many are not heard.
Work to change this. @RYP2018
@RYP2018
/RuralYouthProject
Rural Youth Project
e support young people - through our digital and W physical events - to develop their confidence and skills to use their voices to create the change they want to see.
Thank you for your support in developing this Community Toolkit.
Rural Youth Project
www.ruralyouthproject.com
hello@ruralyouhtproject.com
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STEP 1
VISION
1. 2 . 3.
Identify your mission. Identify what core What change or results do you want to values underpin this see in your community? mission. Challenge: Sum up what you want to
Just imagine… To create the change we wish to see, we must first be able to imagine it.
What does it look and feel like for your mission to be completed? Don’t be afraid to think big and detailed for this – this is the reason you will stay in it!
How will you deliver on this mission?
What’s your idea/enterprise/campaign?
One thing is guaranteed – your original plan will change. Your values and motivation for acting should not! Having this clear from the beginning will help you keep focused, stay true to yourself and authentically communicate what you are doing and why you are doing it with others – this is vital for gaining trust and support.
What is at the heart of what you want to do/change/be? Who are you?
What’s your personal ‘brand’? Your own strengths, passions, interests, talents, heartaches etc?
What is your mission?
Go into detail here – what do you want to see change? Use the imagination exercise to help you answer this. Paint a visceral picture.
Why is this important to you?
This is the values bit! Don’t just stick to the head reasons! Why are you emotionally connected to this? This will be very personal. Go into depth (you can omit things you do not want to share with others but it is important to know and have it written down for yourself.)
Why is your idea the best route to meeting your mission?
Break down how your plan or idea will support you to achieve your mission.
Why are you the best person to be doing this?
What are your skills/talents/knowledge/unique set of experiences that mean you can deliver on this?
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“Bringing up those around you will not only forge stronger connections but, through shared reach, will likely build a stronger business and bring more to the area generally.”
Why do you care?
do in just one paragraph!
Close your eyes, take three deep breaths. Imagine you are waking up in 2030 and the changes and actions you want to see happen, have happened.
CASE STUDY
AUSTEN MORLEY Morley’s Coffee
After travelling in Australia and living in London, Austen Morley has returned to rural Aberdeenshire, where he grew up. In the summer of 2021 he launched his Coffee and Cocktail business, Morley’s Coffee, from his iconic converted 1971 Citroen HY van. Austen is committed to working with local producers and suppliers. Forging strong partnerships within his community, he is providing other food and drink businesses with a platform to celebrate the provenance of North East Scotland. Visit www.ruralyouthproject.com for the full case study Who are you? Born and bred in the countryside, Austen loves the rural peace, but also has an appetite for the perks of an urban lifestyle. Austen is well travelled and has a clear idea of how to incorporate inspiration he has found elsewhere with his own ideas in order to suit the community he knows well. Austen is passionate about high quality ingredients (especially coffee!) and celebrating the provenance of food and drinks. He has a close family and strong links with his local community. What is your mission? Austen’s mission is to create a vibrant, profitable business that celebrates the best of what the local area has to offer.
Why is this important to you? Austen wants to live in this area without compromising on his career and aspirations. He is passionate about bringing something different to the area that complements what is already available. Why is your idea the best route to meeting your mission goal? Having a van gives Austen and his business total flexibility to stay close to home – running pop-ups from his home or in the local area; or to take to the road to different events around the country. His overheads are lower than a permanent venue and he can jump at opportunities in different places so is not solely reliant on his immediate community. Why are you the best person to be doing this? Austen knows and loves his area; he has good connections with local people and has established a network of local suppliers so he can provide them with a mobile showcase to celebrate their produce. He has extensive experience in customer facing roles following work in sales and as a barrister. His travel has helped Austen develop a wider perspective and provided many creative sources of inspiration, whilst his connection to his home enables him to imagine how these ideas could be adapted to suit his community.
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STEP 2
PLACE & PEOPLE
This is your research chapter! Get out there, observe, listen, and ask lots of questions.
CASE STUDY
Your People Scope out your tribe! Who do you need to gather? By this point, you’re probably well aware - people hold immense power and gaining the support of the right people can be the difference between your idea sinking or swimming. So – it is vital to figure out who are the people you need to get on side early and who are your ‘cheerleaders’? These people are likely to be divided into two camps – your formal network and your informal network. Community groups Local Parish/local authority council
Formal
Bank/finance supporters
Government /MP/MSP Church/faith groups
Consumers/ Service users
“Your ideas are as good as anyone’s. Your opinion about the future of your community is what matters. And – if it isn’t you, then who will it be?”
Informal Friends
Get to know your community and discover new unknowns about your place. The more you find out at this stage, the more time you will save later.
Local People
‘Do different’ change makers
Local Businesses
Your Place Look at the landscape, the infrastructure, the existing resources – with new eyes. See the potential, spot the opportunities, but go in armed and aware of the challenges. In business jargon – this is a SWOT analysis (see below). It will be an important feature of any business or project plan and shows people you’ve done your research. It’s also useful to do for yourself; helping you spot opportunities and shape how you talk about ‘place’ with others.
Strengths What can your location uniquely offer? E.g. infrastructure – disused buildings, train stations, play parks; landscape features - sea, mountains, river, areas of natural beauty; historical relevance; cultural relevance; existing tourism.
Opportunities What is it missing? Where are the gaps? What do similar places have that could work here? What already works and is there still demand for?
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Weaknesses What are the challenges of your location? E.g. accessibility, transport connections, lack of venues for hire, infrastructure, lack of local tradespeople .
Threats Weather, seasonal trade, competitors, licensing, community, Coronavirus!
TIP! SWOT analysis is an extremely useful model to use when thinking through your project too!
DONALD MACKINNON SCOTTISH CROFTING FEDERATION
Donald MacKinnon returned from studying in Glasgow to live on the Isle of Lewis and run his family croft. He holds countless community leadership roles, as well as holding down a day job. Donald has been promoted to Chair of The Scottish Crofting Federation following his fierce commitment to ensuring a strong future for crofting. For Donald, it is fundamental that young voices are well represented in their communities, whilst community elders are respected and honoured. He is committed to listening to people and building a better understanding of his place, so he can learn how best to serve his community. Visit www.ruralyouthproject.com for the full case study
Donald’s top tips to get to know people and place: Show up! To everything. Be helpful. Volunteer your time, skills, knowledge or energy to support community projects. Listen to others in your community – especially those who have different views to your own. Be humble. Don’t try to helicopter in with a new idea. Remember, change is gradual and much easier with the support of those around you – address that first. Share your passions and interests and show people you care about the community. If someone gives you an ‘in’ – leap at it! Your ideas are as good as anyone’s. Your opinion matters. And if it isn’t you, then who will it be?
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STEP 3
STORY
“Show your heart! You can’t fake love for something. People will listen if you show you care.” David Hieatt – Hiut Denim Co. and Do Lectures.
Other ideas:
Contact newspapers and magazines to write a feature on you Write a monthly newsletter, create a regular blog or vlog, send out flyers Put a notice up on your community noticeboard Put an advert up in local shop window Send a digital flyer around to all your WhatsApp groups and ask people to share Ask to speak at local events.
CASE STUDY
Develop and tell your story. How you tell your story matters. Tell it so your community cares, figure out how and connect from your human to their human. Who are your lead characters? Where and in what context is the story set? What are the characters up against? What is the dream destination? What tools (knowledge/skills/ passion) do you bring to the story to help reach the destination? How can we get there? What change are you going to bring?
Answering these questions creatively on a MASSIVE piece of paper will help you hold on to your thread when you are communicating with others. You can return to your story time and time again. This becomes especially important on the tougher days when we all lose our way a little.
“With Community Supported Agriculture - our community share in both the risks and rewards of the harvest.”
Where to tell your story? There are so many options available now from social media and blogs to podcasts and events - it can be overwhelming and tempting to try to cover all bases. This is unlikely to be sustainable for you and may well not be right for your tribe! Pick a few routes and do them well. Make sure you do your research first Who are the main audiences that you’re trying to reach? How do they use social media? How would people most like to be contacted? And where are they most likely to find out about you? The way you communicate will change depending on how (in)formal your connection is and the different ways in which they are comfortable communicating.
SHOW YOUR STRUGGLE, SHOW YOUR PASSION, INSPIRE!
Social media – here are just a few:
JAMES REID ROSA BEVAN TAP O’ NOTH FARM
James and Rosa have a busy smallholding in rural Aberdeenshire. Here, amongst many other complementary endeavours, they run a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Market Garden. The garden provides 50 local families with ecologically grown vegetables. As part of the CSA scheme, customers pay up front or in several lump sums, so that the risk is balanced and doesn’t fall on the grower alone. James and Rosa have gathered a strong community of supporters – both local and international – using social media to tell their story. They do this predominantly in video format and now even make an income from YouTube. Visit www.ruralyouthproject.com for the full case study
2.70 billion users
2 billion users
1.16 billion users
353 million users
689 million users
442 million users
60% of all social media users are on Facebook.
Only 9% of small businesses have their own Youtube channel.
130 million monthly clicks on commercial posts
63% of users aged between 35 – 65.
52 mins average spent on app each day.
1/3 of users use it to follow companies.
80 million small businesses have Facebook groups.
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Most YouTube users are looking to watch content on things they’re passionate about.
62% of users log in at least once a day
10% more engagement on Tweets with videos
41% of users aged between 16 - 24.
77% of users find new products browsing.
James and Rosa’s lessons learnt from their social media journey: Be yourself – people appreciate authenticity, honesty, and sense that they are being let into the reality – both the highs and the lows. Ensure images and videos are high quality and have a consistent style – these are visual platforms and there is
a lot of high-quality stuff out there. Well lit, well formatted, beautiful images are key to people engaging. Post regularly but post meaningful stuff - not just for the sake of it. There’s enough fluff out there! Keep in mind the bigger picture – what is your vision? What are you trying to communicate on social media and why? This will help keep you straight. Get to know how your different audiences engage with different social media platforms. For us, Facebook is best for our local community and veg box customers and allows for more community chat opportunities. Instagram is great for a quick visual update keeping us on people’s radar and serves as a portfolio when people first come across Tap O’ Noth; it’s also a good place to direct people towards our You Tube Vlogs. Tap O’ Noth’s YouTube audience is broad and international. It tends to be people interested in diving deeper into key interest areas of ecological food production. This is where we connect with industry specialists and shared interest groups. Video enables us to go into greater depth and contribute to education and learning in the sector. Try to always respond to people if they reach out. Taking care of those connections will ensure a loyal followership and could open endless doors to collaboration, support and ideas sharing.
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STEP 4
ENGAGE
It is tempting when you begin to try to please everyone.
CASE STUDY
How could they hinder you if not ‘onside’?
Not only is this impossible and unsustainable, but you risk diluting what you do and delivering a half-cut version of your original mission. By creating a highly tailored plan of who you are going to approach, you will be able to make those connections really count and you will be more aware of where, and to whom, to direct your energy to help move your idea forward.
Opportunities if they are ‘on side’?
WHO!
In what way could they help you?
What do they need from you?
TREASA CADOGAN
CAPE CLEAR FARMERS’ MARKET
Go through each of your stakeholders and answer these questions...
Who?
Why?
What?
By when?
How best to influence?
Rotary Club
Financial support
Send my business plan and ask to present at their next meeting.
June 25th
Professional, clear, smart, thorough
Community kitchen
Create collaboratative partnerships to benefit our community, increase our reach and position ourselves at the heart of the community.
Cater for our launch event
Call on Monday.
Highlight our shared values and benefits for both of us.
Event date: May 12th
Sit on local council. Send petition to local government. Attend community meetings. Ask to present at the next Rotary Club/Focus Table/ Town Hall event. Write letters to local organisations (e.g. The Development Trust) about your mission.
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During the summer of 2020, Treasa Cadogan successfully launched a Farmers’ Market on the isle of Cape Clear. Cape Clear is Ireland’s most southerly inhabited island, eight miles off the coast of West Cork, with a population of 120 to 130 people depending on the time of year. Treasa grew up here and is passionate about contributing to the community, even whilst away studying in Cork for most of the year. Visit www.ruralyouthproject.com for the full case study
Treasa was frustrated that when she returned to the island, it was impossible to access fresh vegetables that were not wrapped in plastic and flown in from half way around the world – something she’d, ironically, come to expect in the city. Treasa was aware that most islanders grow or produce food themselves and often have more than they need of one thing – including honey, bread, eggs and vegetables. The Farmer’s Market arose as the solution – providing a hub for islanders to buy and sell to friends and neighbours.
Treasa’s engagement plan.
Top tips – how to engage and influence.
Formal network
“I’d like to think the market has made the island that little bit more resilient.”
Informal network Send out a survey. Throw an event. Give away testers/ freebies. Invite local community for preview/lunch/gathering. Show up at any and every community event to chat and share your mission and your method. Make pals with the unofficial community power holders – we all know them! They just seem to have clout and others seem to listen.
Who?
Why?
Development officer
Local community
What?
By when?
How best to influence?
Vital signposting role – Email and follow up call will help me get a good and book a session in overview about what to do person when starting something – who to contact, what licensing, etc.
Email Today!
Go with a clear plan so can get the most out of the session – connect with why it is important
We need to know when Survey – we need to hear and how they would like to their voices see the Farmers’ Market happen to find best fit for the community
Send out asap and allow for a two-month period to respond
Follow up call Friday. Appointment next week
Give background to why this could be good idea – then make it clear that we want to do this to make it best work for everyone
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STEP 5
REFLECT
CASE STUDY
So, you’ve launched? Phew! Time to sit back and press auto-pilot?! Noooo! This is just the beginning. No plan is stagnant – it changes the more people you connect with, the more established you become and the more you challenge what it is you’re trying to achieve. And, let’s be real – in this world we know to expect the unexpected! The better we get at reflecting and the more adaptable we can be, the more resilient we are to face unexpected challenges.
Grow
Gather Reflect
Refresh
“We wanted to be a good fit with our community and make sure we worked with as many people as we could within our community.”
Absorb
KIRSTY SCOBIE FENELLA RENWICK THE SEAFOOD SHACK
Gather Reflect Absorb Refresh Grow 12
Gather your tribe and their honest feedback. Unpick what has happened so far. What’s gone well? Not so well? What stage are you at with your original mission? What now? What are the key learnings to take through to the next phase? What is the impact of the learning? Let this sink in and be absorbed. Remain receptive and open to yourself and others! What new ideas can you bring in from outside? How can you incorporate your new learning? Is there new knowledge in your sector that needs to be incorporated going forward? This doesn’t mean ‘Get bigger!’. It means ‘Get better!’. Apply your reflections, learnings, and new ideas to see them grow. This is the experience part of the reflective cycle.
Kirsty and Fenella’s top tips for keeping the Kirsty Scobie and Fenella Renwick own and run the Seafood Shack in Ullapool. The shack balance in check: is a catering trailer parked in a permanent Take time off and try to keep balance with the rest of spot a couple of streets back from the shore of your life. Loch Broom. Here, they cook to order simple, Don’t take on anything too big. Work within your means: quick, and delicious seafood, freshly caught high debts and overheads bring a lot of pressure and by their friends. They are now internationally uncertainty. renowned and in 2019 released their own recipe book. Work in a way that fits with your community – remember you have to continue to live there! Despite their success, Kirsty and Fenella have consciously remained small, with few Relationships are more important than money, bigger overheads. Each year they ensure they shut business or success; especially in a small, rural shop for a few months to take stock, reflect community. and recalibrate. Visit www.ruralyouthproject.com for the full case study
Work in a team or at least make sure you have a close supporter to share some of the load with. It makes it a whole lot easier and way more fun!
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STEP 6
LIVE IT!
1.
CASE STUDY
The pillars of living it: how do we keep going? Hold yourself accountable! Set yourself goals for the future. Set short-term, medium-term and long-term goals – and keep them.
S M A R
2.
“Bread is a staple and I want to be a staple for my community.”
T
SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ATTAINABLE
REALISTIC
TIME-BOUND
DO: Set real numbers with real deadlines.
DO: Make sure your goal is trackable. DON’T: Hide behind words like “brand engagement” or “social influence.”
DO: Be honest with yourself – you know what you and your team are capable of.
DO: Give yourself a deadline.
DON’T: Say, “I want more visitors.”
DO: Work towards a goal that is challenging but possible. DON’T: Try to take over the world in one night.
DON’T: Forget any hurdles you may have to overcome.
Keep yourself nourished in all ways. Mind, body and soul. Self-belief It’s easy to not feel good enough. Keep in mind; “If not you, who? If not now, when?!”. You’re as good as anyone else and what you offer is unique and valuable. Resilience and wellbeing It can’t be valued highly enough – if you don’t look after yourself and keep life in balance, your idea or enterprise will inevitably suffer! Remember what matters.
ROSIE GRAY
DON’T: Keep working towards a goal you might hit “some day.”
Support tribe We are all stronger together. Keep reaching out, keep gathering your tribe, value your supporters! Hold your personal support network closely. Keep a learner’s mind, remain open to new ideas, be creative and try new things. We all need an injection of freshness; humans can tire of things quickly and this is how ideas can flop after the first year or so. Don’t lose momentum - challenge yourself to dive deeper, to be better, to reach a wider audience, to become an expert in doing what you do.
reviving food
Rosie Gray runs her mobile microbakery, ‘Reviving Food’ from a bright yellow horse box which is parked on her driveway in Kincraig - a small rural village outside Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. Here, Rosie bakes and sells her nutritious sourdough bread and cakes to feed her local community. Rosie loves connecting people with their food, the producers behind it and the land we all depend on. Far more than a bakery, Reviving Food has played an important community role as a place for people to come together – at a time when usual hubs were not accessible. Rosie is committed to ‘living’ her mission. She says, “Bread is a staple and I want to be a staple for my community…the point is to feed the people that live here. And actually, this year has been probably perfect for that because of the way the lockdowns have been. It’s meant that my core business is based on local people – and visitors have just been a bonus.”
Rosie’s top tips for community engagement Meet the people in your community who could see you as competition – ask how you can avoid stepping on toes and complement one another. Stick to what you agree on! Invite people in, showcase your work, let people try things. Make time to do this as these connections really matter, and you never know how it will inspire. Go the extra mile – get to know people’s names, do favours for others, do doorstep drop-offs for people, stay on a bit late one day for someone. Be generous – give away a few things to loyal supporters – this will never really be a loss. Be a cheerleader for other local businesses in your community. Don’t rush – good conversations are never a waste of time! Show up and keep showing up! Demonstrate to people that you are not a passing fad, that you are committed to playing a valuable role in the community.
Visit www.ruralyouthproject.com for the full case study
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THE RURAL YOUTH PROJECT IS KINDLYSUPPORTED BY:
FOUNDING PARTNERS
@RYP2018
@RYP2018
/RuralYouthProject
Rural Youth Project
Rural Youth Project
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