Using Community Assets
Families are more likely to engage with support when it draws on the people, places and networks already around them.
What counts as a community asset
A community asset is anything local that can help a family feel known, supported and included. This includes informal networks such as neighbours and extended family, formal groups such as faith communities, sports clubs and libraries, and the skills and knowledge that residents already share. Starting from these strengths tends to feel more respectful to families than starting from a list of problems to be fixed.
Mapping what is already there
Before planning new activity, it helps to build a clear picture of the resources in a neighbourhood. A simple map can record where families gather, which services they already use, and which organisations have offered help in the past. Involving parents in this mapping often reveals assets that professionals would not have seen, such as a community kitchen or a volunteer who speaks several languages.
Working alongside local networks
Local networks work best when they are treated as partners rather than as referral routes. Practitioners can ask community members what would make an activity easier to attend, such as timing, transport or childcare. Shared decisions build confidence, and they make it more likely that families will return and recommend the activity to others.
Building trust in shared spaces
Libraries, playgrounds, community centres and places of worship are spaces where families already feel at ease. Holding short, informal sessions in these places can lower the barrier to first contact. Trust grows through repeated, predictable presence, so consistency in day, time and staff contact matters more than the size of any single event.
Keeping the approach sustainable
Community assets change over time. Groups close, volunteers move on and funding cycles end. A sustainable approach records its key connections in writing, shares responsibility across several people, and reviews the map each year. This protects the work from depending on one relationship and allows new families to find their way in.
Moments from community settings
Images show typical community settings where families meet and build connections.