Always Community came about as a result of our informal grassroots community consultation (discussions, voluntary sector experience, grassroots community engagement) which has collectively allowed us to gain a wider understanding of the strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures of community development. The above also reflects over 20 years of staff and trustee experience working in the public and voluntary sector in various settings engaging and supporting diverse grassroots communities. It was primarily the above experience that informed our practice and value of the varying needs of the communities we serve. It is for this reason, needs led, ground level support and development, community assets, the unlocking of untapped community skills and abilities and sustainable development came to play a core feature in the shaping of the aims and objectives of the charity. It was also for this reason the name of ‘Always Community’ came about as the most fitting name for the charity as at the core of our work is a central theme of not to or for the community but with or by the community.

The above collective experience also allowed us to gain a wider understanding of methods of diverse community engagement and research, community enterprise, capacity building, social capital, community wellbeing and the strengths of commonality within diverse communities (Community Cohesion). This is the platform that formed the charity and we continue to use the above experience and our ongoing personal development to ensure that we consistently remain ‘Always Community’ orientated in the work that we do.