Earlier this year we invited members of the NANM network – people who have come to NANM events, read the NANM newswire, follow @NM_Association on Twitter or just keep an eye on the NANM web site – to complete an online survey. The purpose of the survey was to find out more about who currently makes up the NANM network, after a period of some considerable change, and how you would like to engage with NANM and other network members. Promotion was relatively low key. A link from the NANM website, mention in the Newswire and a follow-up mailing, and promoted in a few Tweets.

This was the first NANM survey for over two years and as ever we are deeply grateful to all those who responded. The responses we did get were full and enthusiastic.

So what did we learn?       

• NANM Newswire is the main way most people currently engage with NANM, although nearly half of respondents also mentioned NANM’s learning events
• There is scope to develop the usefulness of the NANM web site, and Twitter emerges as the least engaging of NANM’s communication channels (amongst respondents and in terms of encouraging people to complete the survey)
• People responding to the survey suggested that NANM should develop its offer in three areas:
  • Support for knowledge sharing: Providing access to information, developing case studies, making connections and offering advice
  • Opportunities for learning: Bringing people together to learn (recognising that there are currently severe constraints on funds for learning, including travel)
  • National profile: Using NANM’s national profile to support neighbourhood action.
• Suggested topics around which to share learning ranged from understanding the causes of neighbourhood decline, through particular challenges people were facing (how to get employment support into estates, how neighbourhood planning can help local enterprise, how to get allotments going) to the best way to demonstrate the value of neighbourhood working and make the case for continued investment
• A number of those responding to the survey offered to share their own projects and experience, by providing an article for the web site or speaking at events
• Looking to the future slightly more people were positive about the future than were not, although about 30% said there were just too many variables.

You can read a more detailed summary of the survey findings in this short report. NANM Survey 2014 - What did we learn? (851)

We’d love to hear your responses. Do the findings ring true? Are you involved in projects that you think could help other network members (and would you be willing to write or talk about your experience)? Are there issues that weren’t picked up?