BLOG: Drawing on the lessons of history to build a better future

To celebrate Trustee’ Week 2020, Groundwork Federation Chair, Graham Hartley reflects on the past, present and future of the Groundwork and considers what we can all learn from taking lessons learnt to create a better future. 

At the core of Groundwork’s new strategy is a commitment to building the resilience of local communities – equipping and enabling those living in our most disadvantaged areas to withstand the challenges facing them and improve their own prospects.

These challenges are many and significant – global economic trends, a changing climate, divisive national politics and now an unforgiving pandemic. All of these forces impact first and worst on those in our society who have least, adding to the structural inequalities that have been affecting parts of our country for decades.

Our work to support those who are marginalised and disconnected from the economic mainstream, to build the capacity of local community organisations and to help local small businesses stay competitive and operate more sustainably has never been more important. A survey we conducted recently shows that community groups feel the need for their work has grown but around half say they’re finding it harder to operate due to a combination of funding pressures and the loss of other local services.

This pressure will only intensify in the months ahead as we try and find a way to recover from the social and economic impacts of the Covid-19 crisis. Many vulnerable people will continue to feel anxious and keep themselves isolated while those who were already struggling in education or without work will now be further disadvantaged. The long-term impacts on our physical and mental health are unknown.

In order to play our full part in supporting communities through the crisis, we also need to focus on the resilience of our own organisations. Many charities have suffered a devastating drop in income due to the lockdown while seeing demand for their services grow. Trustees Week is the ideal opportunity for all of us involved in charity governance to reflect on what more our organisations – and we as individuals – can do to support the goal of delivering a fair and green recovery. This means identifying opportunities for sustaining and growing our delivery but also opportunities to do things differently.

At Groundwork we have spent the last two years working through a programme to consolidate our organisational structures, build platforms for collaboration within our federation and diversify our income base, which means we should be well prepared to face the future with confidence.

We can also draw on the lessons of history. Our organisation was forged in the deep recession of the late 1970s and early 1980s and our approach to supporting communities and improving the environment was built on the foundations of partnership, enterprise and practical action – helping people get organised, overcome bureaucracy and fashion solutions to global challenges that were locally relevant. These same principles need to be embedded in the way we respond to the current crisis – empowering communities to drive a green recovery from the grass roots by providing expert support, access to funds and a platform for getting their voices heard.

As I reflect on 2020, I am proud of what Groundwork has achieved in communities across the UK and how our nationally driven, but locally tailored approach has helped people during an incredibly tough six months. My thanks go out to our staff and my fellow trustees for their drive and commitment to our cause. We will continue working with our partners to ensure that the communities we support emerge from the crisis stronger than they were before.