Barnwood Trust works steadily for change on disability and mental health issues in Gloucestershire. We wanted to capture learning from the last 12 years of social change work to help us develop our strategy going forward. 

We commissioned an independent research company, Brightpurpose to carry out a review of our learning and impact between 2012 and 2024. They spoke with a range of people and organisations we have worked with over the years and shared their findings with us. Here’s a snapshot of what they found out.

What was the focus of this review?

Brightpurpose’s review focused on the impact Barnwood has made, or contributed towards, at the ‘system’[1] level. They wanted to understand any changes felt by the communities we are here to serve; by our partner organisations and the people who work in them; and for how inclusion and equity is experienced across Gloucestershire. 

The Brightpurpose team asked 56 people in different organisations to talk about: 

• The impact Barnwood has had in the county and how we made that impact 

• What Barnwood did well and what we did less well  

• What could have been done differently and any opportunities that we missed 

What impact did Brightpurpose hear about?

Brightpurpose identified 3 main areas of impact between 2012-2024. 

1. Richer lives for the communities we are here for, by using evidence to underpin work, listening to and involving people with lived experience, and supporting partners to improve their inclusiveness. 
2. More connected VCSE[2] and statutory[3] sectors, by supporting stronger relationships between organisations (at leader and practitioner level), more collaboration and less duplication of work.
3. Partners thinking and doing things differently, by supporting Community Building[4] approaches to ripple into organisations, thinking differently about funding, thinking differently about equity, inclusion and community engagement, and financially supporting long-term resilience for Funded Partners.

Participants shared key things that they felt Barnwood did to help lead ‘system’ change. These included: convening Gloucestershire Funders, investing in Community Builders, releasing funds during the Covid-19 pandemic, making changes to Barnwood’s governance so it could be more responsive, building and sharing research evidence, and creating space for leaders to learn, problem solve and think together.

What was the key learning?  

A range of themes emerged that it will be important for us to learn from.   

The first is that the introduction of Community Building in Gloucestershire got off to a bumpy start. People shared that the initial provider had a theoretical approach which didn’t match the realities of working in community. Barnwood recognised this and adapted the approach which did then lead to a lasting legacy of Community Building practice within the county.  

The second is that Barnwood could have been much better at communicating changes. Such as, when the Community Building programme ended, when grant-making processes changed, and when the strategic direction altered too. 

There were also a couple of areas where feedback was mixed, and interviewees acknowledged that there were no easy answers. These included doing more to reach diverse communities; and balancing Overton House as a showcase of ‘accessibility by design’ with its intimidating and exclusive feel currently.  

People saw opportunities for Barnwood to increase its impact by growing and using its position of influence, by speaking up more on issues. People felt that Barnwood is trusted within the county to do this (without speaking up about absolutely everything which would just create noise).  

There was also a clear message that Barnwood’s focus should always prioritise the county of Gloucestershire. However, we could also contribute to national learning and debate, bringing the lessons from Gloucestershire to a bigger stage.

How are we taking this forward?

The insights Brightpurpose has shared with us from people and organisations across the county are invaluable – what has worked well, what could have been better, and what opportunities there could be for us to create more positive change in future. 

We are taking this learning into the development of a revised and evolving strategy for the organisation from 2027 onwards. Matt Little, CEO said: 

[1] The underlying structures, processes, rules, connections and behaviours that shape how things operate in a place.

[2] Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations.

[3] Statutory organisations include services like public health, social care, police and local government.

[4] Community Building, sometimes referred to as Asset-Based Community Development, is an approach to strengthen communities by building on the existing skills, resources, and relationships. This may be supported by a Community Builder who works alongside residents to help draw out these strengths to make good things happen in that place.