About Asset Based Community Development

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) aims to change our approach to community development work and is The Scarman Trust’s whole ethos. It is about looking at what an individual and the community that they live in have to offer … not what they lack.

To further this The Scarman Trust has developed a training course, which was, initially, delivered to Scarman staff and is now available for delivery to other organisations. It is available in a 1-day ‘taster’ or a full 2-day course.

The course examines the concepts of asset, deficit, influence, value, relationships and power. The aim is that participants in any role and with any level of experience in community development can contribute, develop skills, and use the approach in their work.

It begins with ‘what we’ve got, not what we lack’ and uses this basic principle to explore the limitations of exclusively deficit-based models. The practical activities draw on the real-life experiences of participants to list and investigate existing assets, identify key people, and plan for making positive change.

Community Alliance members can download the ABCD 1 day & 2 day training manual from the Can Do Learning web site.