ASF-UK was commissioned by the global engineering firm Arup to design and deliver Community Engagement in Practice, a training programme supporting more reflective, inclusive, and context-sensitive approaches to engagement. Delivered through both in-person and online pathways, the programme drew on Arup’s Community Engagement project portfolio, creating space for participants to reflect on real-world challenges and approaches to working with marginalised communities.
Why this matters
The programme aimed to help Arup staff around the world develop more thoughtful and inclusive ways of working with communities, and to strengthen how engagement is approached across different projects.
For ASF-UK, this collaboration also builds on a growing area of work: supporting partner organisations to develop more participatory ways of learning and working towards fairer, more inclusive cities.
Who was involved
A total of 52 Arup staff members applied to the course, with 26 participants taking part. The cohort was highly diverse, spanning multiple cities globally, different departments, and a wide range of experience levels in community engagement.
Participant reflections included:
“This has broadened my horizons in understanding the challenges in planning and developing solutions, and the importance of understanding community needs and capabilities.”
“The training has given me the framework to think about stakeholder engagement and understand the different, sometimes conflicting, priorities and how to navigate those.”
“I feel like I’ve gained a broader understanding of what community engagement can mean, and how to centre a community”.
“It had a warm and friendly approach; icebreakers were really useful for participants to know each other and emphasize the humane part of this whole workshop.”
Wider impact
As part of the programme, participants engaged with a live project bringing together ASF-UK, 1to1 Agency of Engagement, and Arup’s Community Engagement team to explore questions of safety in informally occupied buildings in inner-city Johannesburg. You can read more about this work here.
What’s next for the ASF-UK
This partnership is ongoing, and further iterations of the programme are expected later in the year.
