Services are often thought about in terms of their core objectives, such as improving skills or enabling play, but they can also have powerful roles in building social capital and a civil society. They do this by connecting people to providers and to other individuals in their area, such as through meeting other local people on training courses. This in turn can build stronger neighbourhoods and break down social barriers. It is important for providers to think about ways to encourage this, and see this ‘community development’ as part of their role.
In EC1, the NDC funded a very successful community sports coach programme. Initially, there were very few sports clubs and activities for children, unlike in better-off areas. Also, there was a lot of territoriality with children only playing on their own estates. The sports coaches ran sessions on the estates, building numbers and skills and then by running tournaments. This was then developed into an area-wide EC1 team who went on to do very well in leagues. As well as building up skills and confidence of those involved, it built a lot of connections across the area among children and their parents.
