Asset-Based Community Development

Asset-based community development (or ABCD) is a methodology for the sustainable development of communities based on their strengths and potentials. It involves several steps:

  • Assessing the resources, skills, and experience available within a community.
  • organising the community around issues that move its members into action.
  • Determining outcomes and taking appropriate action.

This method uses the community’s own assets and resources as the basis for development and empowers the people of the community by encouraging them to use what they already possess.

The ABCD approach was developed by John L. McKnight and John P. Kretzmann at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. They co-authored a book in 1993, Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilising a Community’s Assets, which outlined their asset-based approach to community development.

What is West Northamptonshire’s ABCD Programme?

Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire has secured funding through West Northamptonshire Council to deliver ABCD-accredited training to several VCSE organisations and some Statutory partners. This programme will be known as ABCD Cohort 1.

Selected organisations will partake in two days of training delivered by ABCD Specialists Forever Manchester.

The training dates for ABCD Cohort 1 have been selected as the 24 and 25 of February 2026.

Having completed the training, these 20 organisations will receive a small bursary to deliver a project where they can demonstrate and apply their learning and the principles of ABCD.

What does the programme hope to achieve?

Cohort 1 is a pilot to ascertain whether organisations understand and can apply the principles of ABCD into their work. Through the allocated training, organisations will become accredited and will receive a toolkit of information and resources to better help them instil ABCD into their working models.

At a time when resource is scarcer than ever, understanding what beneficiaries require and how best to support Community Action is an imperative.

For more information on further cohorts, contact russell.rolph@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

Cohorts

There were more applicants than there were places for cohort 1 and selected organisations have been contacted. For organisations that have not received an invitation to the training, you should assume your application was not successful on this occasion.

  • Action for Happiness
  • The Doddridge Centre
  • Right Resolution CIC
  • The Albanian Cultural Association
  • HomeStart Northampton
  • The United African Association
  • South Northamptonshire Volunteer Bureau
  • Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire
  • FAWN
  • Spring Family Centre
  • SCCYC
  • Community Law Service
  • ENFOLD
  • The Lowdown
  • Northamptonshire Carers
  • The Happy Hood
  • Signpost Wellbeing Daventry
  • Grow, Cook and Eat
  • The Children’s Trust (Leaving Care Team).

Coming soon

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