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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 January 2022
Training courses
The residential training courses covered practical ‘How To’ subjects, such as how to work with young people, how to improve environments, and how to run community facilities (see Table A1). The training was interactive, and open to residents and community volunteers across the UK. It had a strong focus on doable ideas, hands-on learning and action planning. The training was advertised widely through local authorities, community development networks and networks of community organisations. Each course ran for two or three days, facilitated by specialist trainers from the field. There were 20-25 training places on each course. A handful of community volunteers from the same community group usually came together. There were up to 12 different groups from different neighbourhoods on each course, which meant that participants could share experiences and learn from each other. Bursaries to cover the cost of the course and accommodation were provided for unfunded groups.
In the first five-year period, there were (on average) 18 training courses a year, involving up to 400 people from over 100 different community organisations. In total, over five years, 1,800 community volunteers from over 700 different small community groups attended 93 Gatsby courses. They came from a wide range of areas of England, Scotland and Wales. Two thirds were women, and a quarter were under 35 years old. Most (75%) were from areas of social housing and 8% were from minority ethnic groups. Many of the 700 groups attended more than one course; 82% of participants received bursaries.
Small grant fund
Participants who attended training could apply for grants ranging from £50 to £5,000 towards a wide range of projects related to the training. After the groups completed a grant application form, there was a face-to-face grant assessment visit for all applications. The small grant fund supported projects like community centres, youth activities, community gardens, cafes, parents and toddlers groups, after-school clubs, fishing trips and advice sessions (see Table A2). The grant programme started in January 1997, 10 months after the trial training courses began. In the four years between January 1997 and the end of December 2000, 125 grant applications were processed, 90 of which were successful.
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