SOCIAL CAPITAL

(Copied from brochure for ‘assist social conference’ – 9/June/06 at Trades Hall; 85 Glassford
Street; Glasgow

Workshops

Time Banks: Are a means by which people can receive all that they need for their own well
being by contributing what they can to build community and belong to mutually supportive and
secure social networks bringing more meaning to lives and new opportunities to rebuild trust in
one another.

Schools & Social Capital: The Schools and Social Capital Network is a 5 year funded project
involving Stirling, Edinburgh and Strathclyde Universities which seeks to build on the resources
among teachers, young people, parents and community in maximizing learning and
achievement.

Cultural Capital: There is strong and growing evidence of the links between cultural
participation and social capital in communities. In particular, connections have been established
between a range of forms of cultural participation and access to cultural capital in civic
participation and volunteering rates; improved literacy, writing, numeracy skills, increased skills
in the key competencies of problem solving, planning and organising, communication, and
working with others; and sustainable and innovative economic development.

Evaluating Social Capital: Social Capital has been shown in a large number of studies to
benefit communities of all kinds in different and complex ways. The extent and "quality" of social
capita! in communities and networks plays an important role in problem-solving, acting for the
future and taking part in decision making. The greater the social capital available, the greater
the resources available to achieve agreed outcomes, therefore finding a way to evaluate the
levels of social capital would be a very valuable tool.

www.social-capital.net info@social-capital.net

54 Manor Place
Edinburgh
EH3 7EH
Tel: 0131 220 4104
Email: info@social-capital.net

supported by:The Royal Bank of Scotland

Social Capital: What Works? will provide the chance to hear from one of the world's experts how social
capital might be put to practical use and how it might enhance your communities.

Assist Social Capital: brings together people working to develop sustainable communities; provides
opportunities to share knowledge and experience; explores the research on social capital carried out
over the last few years linking it to practical implementation. We promote examples of best practice,
develop understanding of social capital and its benefits and provide a platform for it to be replicated and
extended.
Social Capital: Research suggests that higher levels of social capital are associated with increased
well-being; better health, higher educational achievement, increased employment opportunities and
lower crime rates. In other words, people linked into extended networks of trust and mutual support are
more likely to be "housed, healthy, hired and happy".

Who Should Attend: If you're involved in developing more sustainable communities, providing cultural
initiatives, enriching schools, regenerating housing estates, managing the environment this is a chance
to learn more about the importance of social capital as a community asset.

Guest Speaker
Dr Thomas Sander: Executive Director of the Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America: a
project founded by Professor Robert Putnam (author of Bowling Alone) at Harvard University's Kennedy
School of Government. The Saguaro Seminar was set up to develop tools for measuring social capital,
develop strategies for building more social capital and to conduct innovative research on social capital.

Speakers

Laurence Demarco: Worked for 14 years in community development with residents in Wester Hails
developing local representative structures, services and facilities. In 1999, he co-founded Senscot
(Social Entrepreneurs Network Scotland) www.senscot.net

Colin Campbell: Executive Director of Assist Social Capital. He works as Network Development
Manager for Senscot, an organisation which relies heavily on networks of trust and reciprocity.

Workshop Leaders

Isla McAllister: Community Development Officer and Cultural Planner.

Colin Campbell: Assist Social Capital

Ken Wardrop: Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, and currently on secondment to Equal Access to
Employment in Glasgow as Policy Co-ordinator.

Phil Denning: Community Learning Inspector for HMI Education.

Tam Cassidy: Director of Timebanks UK (Scotland) since April 2005 promoting the concept as a tool to,
build Social Capital.

Ralph Catts: Senior Research Fellow for the Schools and Social Capital Network of the Scottish Applied
Education Research Scheme (AERS).