My WCMT fellowship in 2011 took me to the USA, Canada and South Africa for a total period of 8 weeks. To see where and who I visited, see my fellowship map. The overall purpose of the Fellowship was to explore how community engagement initiatives aimed at improving well-being in communities (such as Community Health Champions) are delivered and the role of social capital and asset based approaches in sustaining the work.
Specific intended objectives of the fellowship are to:
- Identify effective models of engaging communities in health promotion using models similar to that of the Community Health Champion.
- Explore new mechanisms for initiating and maintaining the engagement of communities
- Engage with key health and community development organisations and workers delivering this work.
- Engage with community members and volunteers involved in progressing this work.
- Identify outcomes achieved and how these are evidenced.
- Explore how the activity is sustained, scaled up & what resources are used.
- Explore the role of social capital and asset based community development in maintaining activities.
- Identify barriers & enablers to implementation of projects.
- Explore the role of policy on development and maintaining approaches.
