Blue Heart’s approach to engagement and communications

Blue Heart Engagement and Communications are led by Agile Rabbit, a public engagement charity. This work is funded directly from the project budget.

Community and Collaboration

Engagement and Communications provide bridges between the project, stakeholders and the people who live and work in the catchment area.

Blue Heart engagement and comms will support dialogue and relationship-building with communities throughout the catchment area, whether focussed geographically, economically, culturally or through particular concerns such as ecology or access to blue spaces.

Using the ABCD Assets-Based Community Development approach, comms and engagement activities will seek to identify and rally the resources and capacity of communities to reach shared goals which are important to them. 

Inclusivity and Equity

Blue Heart recognises the imbalances of power, agency and resources in our society. Our budget, time and resources will be assigned according to need rather than shared equally between groups.

• Reaching out to individuals and groups which may have been under-represented in the past, to ensure their concerns, needs and aspirations are included and considered.
• Reflecting the diversity of people living and working within the project area.
• Communicating across different platforms and using a range of methods to reach, and engage with, the widest possible audience.
• Embedding inclusion – following best practice in design and programming to reduce the barriers which might prevent people from accessing communications, engaging in dialogue, or participating in activities.
  

Openness and Transparency

• Being transparent about decision-making processes, relationships and interdependencies to avoid suspicion of hidden agendas and mistrust.
• Providing a platform for stakeholders beyond the formal project partners, and frame comms and engagement activity as information-sharing, investigation and creative exploration, rather than representing one particular viewpoint.
  

Innovation

• Draw on best practice and innovation from across disciplines (the team includes experience from university and science-communication, arts and events, museums, and community engagement) 
• Taking a creative and experimental approach
• Evaluating impact and response to find out what worked, share learning, and be responsive to our audiences.
  

Sustainability

Interest in sustainability and ‘eco-friendly’ behaviours is growing, especially amongst young people. Blue Heart needs to lead by example to maintain its integrity and public support.

Purchases should be minimised, re-usable, recycled/recyclable and responsibly sourced.