BLOG – A week in the life of a Communities Manager
This month, we caught up with Nina, Groundwork Greater Manchester’s Communities Manager, to see what she gets up to in a typical week!
What are your responsibilities as a Communities Manager?
As Communities Manager at Groundwork Greater Manchester, I work with a diverse range of people, bringing together internal teams, partners and communities to develop a shared vision, ambition or goal.
I manage an amazing team of community workers who share the same passion as myself; who are driven to support and guide communities and drive lasting change.
Both in my role and within my team, we bring people together to co-design outdoor spaces for play, reflection, growing and learning. We introduce people to nature, and we deliver a range of activities and events which excite, enthuse, engage, empower and inspire them to become owners of their own destiny and future.
What do you get up to in a typical week?
No week or day is the same when working with communities, which makes my role all the more interesting and varied.
Within my role I manage a wide array of projects, all of which involve connecting and consulting with communities to establish their needs, priorities, ambitions, vision and goals. This can be via consultation, a passing conversation or sourcing platforms for beneficiaries to have a voice and most importantly, to be heard.
You’ll find me in the Brinnington Big Local hub and across the Brinnington Landscape, where I meet with partners, agencies, members of the Big Local committee and local residents to capture their ideas and feedback to feed into their three-year business plan to both, leave a legacy and become sustainable.
My work with the Big Local’s community garden, Green Thumbs has been one filled with joy. Green Thumbs is led by an impassioned chair who is determined to green Brinnington, whilst engaging more people in growing and learning. Julie and the Green Thumbs committee have now designed, planned and delivered a range of wellbeing growing sessions, helping people with their mental and physical wellbeing.
You can also find me meeting with communities, clients and partners across Greater Manchester to; co-design their outdoor spaces, engage with people, deliver events, or developing long-term engagement and development strategies to drive our work.
Tell us about an exciting work day you’ve recently had?
There are so many exciting days to choose from, every day there is always something that makes me smile, brings me joy or makes my heart sing.
It can be watching a team member grow in confidence and feel enabled and empowered to lead on a project. It can be as a result of my work within a community illuminating community talent. Or building and designing a space where people can connect more with nature. Or the community I work with delivering meaningful and purposeful impacts.
Being part of a movement to make change, where people become activists, and supporting, guiding and coaching individuals as part of my role always excites me.
What motivates you to do your work?
I consider myself lucky to work within an organisation where everyone has a commonality of purpose, a passion for people and place and where we are all empowered and encouraged to be creative within the communities we work with.
I often say, this is my vocation. I meet truly inspiring and amazing diverse people every day, who with their determination and passion to make lasting change motivates me to source solutions, be innovative and most importantly, deliver.