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Our latest episode is “All our Relations: Town and Gown”.

In this episode, Prof Michael Fox, Dr Sacha Dewolfe, and Cormac Russell explain why they have decided to develop a new online course to enable Universities and educational institutions to better align with communities.

Mike has nearly five decades of academic and practical experience in community-engaged learning.

Sacha is the cohost of this podcast and is well known to our listeners. She is passionate about desire theory and indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.

Cormac is also a cohost of the podcast and is passionate about Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD).

Together, Mike, Sacha, and Cormac explain how the wisdom traditions they each represent interweave in their new course.

We’ll share further details on our socials in the coming weeks. For now, we hope you enjoy our conversation about why we think there needs to be better alignment between universities and communities and how to achieve it.

Show notes:

1. in discussion we mention Saint Community approach to Physical Education: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38990196/

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Glyn Butcher - People Focused Group. Doncaster

Glyn Butcher is a remarkable individual who transitioned from decades of institutionalization within mental health and other service systems to become a prominent community builder and advocate for Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) in Doncaster and across the UK.

Main Themes and Important Ideas:

1. The Harmful Nature of System-Focused Care and Institutionalization: Glyn spent over 40 years in various institutions (mental health, drug and alcohol, police, child welfare), experiencing a loss of identity, agency, connection, and a profound sense of worthlessness.

2. The Transformative Power of Kindness and Being Seen as a Person: A turning point for Glyn was the experience of being treated with genuine kindness and being seen as an individual with valid and valued thoughts and feelings, not just a diagnosis or a problem. This shift was a catalyst for his journey towards recovery and community.

3. The Central Role of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD): ABCD provided Glyn with the framework and principles to understand his own potential and power. It spurred on his own desire to connect with the communities in truly meaningful ways. Today, Glyn is active in peer mentoring and support and is a driving force at the People Focused Group in Doncaster.

4. Shifting from Being Needy to Being Needed: A key aspect of Glyn's work and the ABCD approach is the transformation from being a recipient of services (seen as "needy") to an active contributor to the community (being "needed"). This shift is deeply empowering and enables individuals to recognize and utilize their gifts.

5. The Importance of Language and Narrative: Glyn highlights how the language used by services and society can define and limit individuals, particularly those with diagnoses and who have been marginalized. Reclaiming one's own narrative and challenging negative labels is crucial for living a free, democratic life.

6. Reverse Mentorship and Systemic Change: Glyn actively engages in "reverse mentorship," where his lived experience informs and influences leaders and professionals within the systems that previously institutionalised him. His work aims to humanize services, change policies, and shift the power dynamic better to foreground community voices and choices, and wisdom.

7. The People Focus Group Model: Glyn is a core member of the People Focus Group, the group embodies the principles of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) by providing a welcoming space where people who have been marginalized are treated with dignity, have their basic needs met (food, clothing), and are supported to identify and contribute their gifts to the community.

Call to Action:

Glyn's parting message to us all at the end of the episode is a powerful call for individuals and communities to:

• Stand together and be present in their communities.
• Share their gifts and skills.
• Recognize their inherent power and do not give it away.
• Ensure their voices are heard.
• Educate ourselves about ABCD and person-centered approaches.
• Understand ourselves better and reframe perceived "disabilities" as "superpowers."
• Be kind to yourself and others.

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In this episode, we ask: What do you think communities are for? Sacha shares some reflections from the field and speaks openly to Cormac about some of the fundamental dilemmas and frustrations she, her team, and her students encounter when working in community-centered ways.