New paths to communities for more

In 2018 Aarhus was the European Volunteering Capital. The title has been a lever for initiating various activities and trial actions, which build on the well-developed culture of volunteering and co-creation that exists in Aarhus.

Aarhus was the European Voluntary Capital in 2018. A title the city was given by the European umbrella organization for volunteer centers, CEV. The title was also awarded to Aarhus because of the city's citizenship policy, as well as because Aarhus is leading the way in a number of areas with volunteerism and citizenship. The title has been an additional lever to initiate various activities and trial actions, which build on the well-developed culture of volunteering and co-creation that exists in Aarhus.

When we stand on the other side and breathe our breath away, we can look back on a year when words such as “learning” and “community” are strongest in memory. The year as a Volunteer Capital has been full of learning, where civil society, the municipality and many others have come together on the bus to share everything from the good experiences and stories that warm the heart to difficult challenges and issues that cause deep grief.

“After I got home from the hospital, I didn't get out much. I feel like I can't do the things that I could before. “ — Anette is 77 years old and has just been discharged after a hip operation

In this article, we would like to share some of the points of attention and experiences that our collaboration has taught us. The starting point is a concrete co-creation process that the Magistrats' Department for Health and Care in Aarhus Municipality has initiated between volunteers, relatives, citizens, associations, churches and municipal services, etc. The focus was to rally around Communities for More without focusing on whether you have “resources”, have a particular disease or are part of a vulnerable “target group”.

Three Points of Attention

The first point of attention is that the municipal actor must be conscious of not being a “guiding” actor in co-creation, but rather invites early and open dialogue. It has just been important for Health and Care to establish a common starting point from the start — with common ownership — so that it does not become a “municipality” project. A concrete way to ensure the common ground is to understand problems and potentials from the beginning together. Therefore, Resonance acted as a facilitator in the initial dialogue on what challenges around communities are relevant to work with. At the initial workshop, 30 individuals and organizations discussed the challenges they needed to tackle together. Another step in the process was to refrain from the quick “care” solutions, but instead give way to — and based on — a series of citizen stories from citizens with dementia, mental vulnerability and physical disabilities. The discussions were based precisely on an everyday life characterized by dreams of independence, uncertainty about the future and anxiety about relapse and loneliness. The next step in the process was to hold an ideas workshop where 70 people from more than 30 different voluntary and public organizations and offerings developed and co-created initiatives for Communities for More. In this regard, one step was to draw inspiration from a different world than the communal and voluntary — namely from the cross army chaplain Morten Aagaard. Morten gave his perspective on why we as humans crave for each other and for communities. Then creativity was set free so that everyone could contribute experiences and new ideas across the board. The second point of attention is to quickly unleash the power of action among the volunteers and municipal partners.

We therefore thought big — and started small through a series of concrete collaborative initiatives and experimental trial actions such as: Network for people with dementia and their relatives — an initiative for people with dementia and their spouses. Three community dinners have been organized and held in the autumn with approximately 40-50 participants each time. Participants have expressed the importance of the initiative in terms of being able to speak openly about their illness situation. The opportunity to share personal, sensitive experiences is valuable.

Diverse forms of living — based on a citizen-run housing community for young adults. The goal for residents is to fend for themselves by getting by together. The existing housing community has created a special value for current and former residents. The value for residents is particular in terms of autonomy, independence and community. It is now being investigated whether the concept can be propagated in Aarhus Municipality. Communities on tour — a meal community across social associations. After the workshop, three successful joint dinners with 45 people have been held. The activities are planned across three associations and Volunligcenter Aarhus. The result is a better knowledge of each other — which is why more people have begun to join each other's associations and cooperation has been strengthened.

“I fear having to contact someone without professional knowledge. I fear getting sick again. “ — Tine is 59 years old and just a few weeks ago discharged from the psychiatric ward

Accessibility — increased accessibility to various activities for particularly vulnerable and vulnerable citizens. Together with three associations, Aarhus Municipality has tested various test actions where driving has been an obstacle for citizens to self-train or otherwise. An important experience gained by the promoters is that it is often not the driving/transport itself that causes inconvenience, but the consequence to and from an activity.

The third point of attention is to bring people together at intersections, so that co-creation creates new links between existing associations and civic groups. This was very successful with “communities for more”. Many saw each other and the potentials of working together.

“I just want to be in charge of my own life for as long as I can. I want to be with my family and I want to be with my friends and do things I like. I just don't quite know how to do it. “ Peter is 55 years old and has dementia

The next steps

Throughout the year as the City of Volunteering, many active actors and organizations in Aarhus have tried new ways to welfare through volunteerism, citizenship and co-creation. In Aarhus, there has been a great focus on how we can rethink welfare together with citizens, and how we can improve the structures and culture of co-creation, both internally and in the municipality, but also in the dialogue with associations, actors, business, etc.

Experience 1:

‍That it is extremely difficult to step back from the habitual solutions and give way to a real co-creation process that shows new solutions. There have been several stones in the road in the process. For example, it takes an investment to clarify, for example, regulatory issues such as what “increased self-control in kitchens” means — or how housing instructions for different homes can be thought more crosswise.

Experience 2:

Inviting the citizens -- the people it's about -- in right from the start has been worth gold. But also challenging. Who has what roles and how do we play together? We have always been focused on joint ownership. However, it can quickly move in us as a municipality in the desire that “we will take care of this one”.

Experience 3:

‍The language — we can make a whole dictionary of inappropriate words and phrases that create distance in co-creation, and the best advice is: Obligate each other to draw attention to what words mean and how to create a common language. The aim of the process has been to create platforms that support collaboration across borders as well as test cooperation with existing and new players. Through volunteerism and co-creation, we in Aarhus in 2019 continue to strengthen citizenship and rethink and form new relationships in order to create new, sustainable well-being together. We do this, among other things, by implementing the recommendations of the Volunteer Capital, repeating the People's Meeting and continuing the good cooperation across the forces in the city.

“After I got home from the hospital, I didn't get out much. I feel like I can't do the things that I could before. “ — Anette is 77 years old and has just been discharged after a hip operation

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