Community Action Planning

Community Action Planning

Strong communities begin with strong conversations.

A Community Action Plan is much more than a document. It is a process that brings people together to explore what matters most, identify shared priorities and create a practical plan for the future.

As an independent Community Engagement Consultant, I work alongside communities, steering groups and partner organisations to design and facilitate Community Action Planning processes that are inclusive, creative and evidence-based.

From the first conversation through to the final published Action Plan, my role is to help communities make sense of complex issues, build consensus and create plans that genuinely reflect local aspirations.

Community engagement doesn't always happen in meeting rooms. Sometimes the most meaningful conversations begin by simply turning up.

Every Community Action Plan is shaped by the people who know their community best. My role is to create the opportunities, processes and conversations that help those voices come together.

Representative Projects

I have supported the development of Community Action Plans across Aberdeenshire, working with communities of different sizes and characteristics, from small rural villages to larger commuter settlements and multi-settlement community council areas. Every community has its own identity, priorities and aspirations, and each planning process has been designed to reflect the people and place it serves.


Representative projects include:

  • Bennachie Area
  • Westhill & Elrick
  • Kirkton of Skene
  • Oyne
  • Portlethen
  • Gourdon
  • Catterline COVID Recovery


Each project is unique, but every Community Action Plan has been developed through meaningful community engagement and collaborative working.

The Challenge

Communities often have a wealth of ideas, enthusiasm and local knowledge but need an independent facilitator to help bring those voices together.

The challenge is not simply gathering opinions. It is creating an engagement process that encourages participation, builds trust and helps communities move from individual ideas to shared priorities and realistic actions.





My Approach

Every Community Action Plan begins by listening.

👂 Listen
Understanding the community, its strengths, challenges and aspirations.

💬 Engage
Designing creative engagement activities that encourage meaningful participation from across the community.

✏️ Thinking Made Visible
Helping communities explore ideas, identify themes and develop shared priorities through structured facilitation and visual communication.

📄 Deliver
Producing an engaging, professionally designed Community Action Plan that provides a practical framework for future action.

Outcomes

My aim is always to leave communities with more than a report.

A successful Community Action Planning process helps communities to:

  • Build shared understanding.
  • Identify realistic priorities.
  • Strengthen community ownership.
  • Create practical actions.
  • Improve communication between partners.
  • Develop evidence that can support future funding applications and project delivery.

Every Community Action Plan is designed to become a working document that communities can continue to develop and use long after the engagement process has finished.

Interested in discussing a similar project?

Whether you're developing your first Community Action Plan or refreshing an existing one, I'd be delighted to discuss how I can support your community through a creative, collaborative and engaging process.

Let's start with a conversation.