Sankofa Transformation Project

The Sankofa Transformation project was funded by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) (via NIACE) and highlighted and promoted the value of informal community development learning that takes place as part of the process of how community groups organise and develop. 

The project had two main strands. In the first strand, we gave support to community groups in the North West, South West and Yorkshire and Humberside to tell their stories of community action. In the second, work took place within Yorkshire and Humberside that focused on Recognising the Value of informal community development learning practice from experience. In this project 3 Community Development practitioners without formal community development qualifications were supported to gather evidence of the skills, knowledge and experiences they have gained through community action.

Project outcomes include:

• FCDL engaged 717 people and 13 community groups (reflecting a diverse range in urban and rural settings) to take part in a range of informal learning and share stories and activities and produce case stories, new learning tools, and develop new skills and increased confidence in using new Information Technology to capture, edit and share stories
• FCDL enabled the Yorkshire and Humberside Community Development Network to pilot the newly developed Recognition Project that enables and supports CD practitioners, who do not have formal CD qualifications, to demonstrate their understanding , skills and knowledge in practising community development and obtain validation and recognition for it
• We brought together the different groups in networking events that has enabled them to not only appreciate and share and enrich each others experiences at the time but also establish supportive and empowering links to grow and support each others in the future.