Tackling inequality through inspiring change and creating opportunities - the ACN way!
In 2006, several small groups and project workers came together with a clear purpose: to tackle the inequality that blights marginalised communities. From those beginnings grew Active Communities Network.
We are a youth and community development organisation with a simple but powerful vision: to tackle inequality, inspire change and create opportunities. What makes us different is how we bring our vision to life – the ACN Way.
Activity is the energy that drives change, and it extends beyond sport. It means any positive action that helps oneself or someone else. It can mean creating space where people can have fun, smile and laugh. It can mean being active in your community by setting up community gardens. It can mean setting up a new sports team.
Whatever the activity, we take a long-term approach. If someone is sad, we don’t just cheer them up. We work to create the conditions which will enable them to enjoy life.
We don’t just work with individual young people. To maximise our impact, we reach into families, extended families and community groups, amplifying voices that have often been ignored.
Our holistic methodology, built on four sturdy pillars of activities, relationships, education and healing, is at the heart of our work. All of our projects have been trialled and tested internationally since 2007.
We continue to build our network by developing productive relationships with like-minded organisations that add value to what we do. We also connect closely with governments, local authorities, funding bodies, statutory organisations, researchers and universities.
As we expand our network, we are able to access more resources, drive more profound change and convince others of the value of our work.
By providing positive activities, informal education and meaningful work, the ACN methodology helps young people develop skills, create opportunities and celebrate their successes. That’s what we call progress.
All programmes are led by professionals based on individual needs/referral mechanisms.
