This four-part blog series explores Open Data Manchester’s approach to community-led data collection, showcasing our methodology and impact across various projects.
Part 2: Data For Communities – Our Original Workshop Model
Origins of the Programme
In 2018, we began developing a series of workshops to help people engage with the wealth of open data that exists about their communities. We realised that while more and more data was becoming available, the gap between availability and accessibility remained wide. Technical barriers, complicated interfaces, and the sheer volume of information created a daunting landscape for anyone without specialised training. Many didn’t even know it existed.
Our response was Data For Communities, a workshop programme designed to be accessible, engaging, and relevant to people’s everyday lives. We started in Stockport and Wigan, bringing together local councillors, voluntary sector workers, community activists, and curious residents – all coming together to better understand their communities through data.
“Like a lot of charities, we are looking to better understand our data and how we can use it to improve our service… They helped with what useful data is out there and could help us, providing some insight into what to look for and what tools are best for getting started.” – workshop participant
A Spreadsheet-Free Approach
The workshops were specifically designed to be spreadsheet-free. For many people, the word “data” conjures memories of tedious mathematics lessons or overwhelming sheets of numbers. We wanted to counter any resistance by creating a light, informal, and even fun environment for exploring data.
Instead of diving into complex analytics, we start with basic concepts like the difference between correlation and causation. Tyler Vigen’s “Spurious Correlations” work is a favourite discussion starter, showing how the divorce rate in Maine correlates almost perfectly with margarine consumption, or how cheese consumption tracks with people dying by becoming tangled in their bedsheets. These humorous examples highlight a serious point: just because two trends look similar doesn’t mean one causes the other.
This approach immediately shifts the atmosphere. Participants who arrived nervous about their “data skills” find themselves engaging, asking questions, and gaining confidence in their ability to critically assess the information presented to them.
Exploring Open Data Tools
Once participants are comfortable with basic concepts, we introduce them to accessible tools that allow them to explore data about their communities:
MappingGM, a tool developed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority primarily for public sector usage, has proven particularly valuable for Greater Manchester residents. Users can overlay different datasets onto a map of the region, making geographic statistics visual. When people can see patterns of deprivation, health outcomes, or transportation access in familiar neighbourhoods, the data suddenly becomes real and relevant.
Police.uk opens up crime data in a user-friendly format. Workshop participants often discovered patterns they hadn’t noticed before, such seasonal variations in certain types of crime, or hotspots that might explain community concerns.
NOMIS provides access to census information and other official statistics. While initially intimidating, our guided exploration helped participants uncover demographic trends that explain how their communities are changing over time.
GrantNav from 360Giving proved a very useful resource for some community organisations. This tool brings transparency to grant funding, showing who is funding what in their area.
We deliberately chose tools that don’t require technical expertise or downloads. Each can be accessed through a web browser, making them immediately available to participants during and after the workshop.
Real-word insights and discoveries
The heart of the workshop isn’t presentation but participation. Through guided exercises and challenges, participants explore their own communities using these tools.
We’ve seen several moments of real insight. In one instance, a local charity worker discovered a whole wealth of potential grants they could apply for from funders they previously didn’t realise existed. This opened up entirely new funding avenues for their organisation.
In another session, a local councillor noted a discrepancy between police data on bike and car thefts in his ward. The data showed theft rates as low, yet many residents complained about this issue regularly. He realised that people weren’t reporting these thefts to the police, resulting in official statistics that didn’t reflect the community’s actual experience. This insight helped him understand the importance of encouraging residents to report crimes and the limitations of relying solely on official data.
These moments of realisation – when data challenges assumptions – is why community engagement with data matters. When people meaningfully connect with data relevant to their lives, they gain not just information but agency to effect positive change in their community.
Workshop evolution
The Data For Communities workshops have evolved significantly since the first sessions in Stockport and Wigan. Initially held in town halls, we later moved to libraries to create more accessible community spaces.
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift to online delivery, which, while challenging in some ways, allowed us to reach wider audiences. As the programme developed, we also began tailoring sessions for specific groups – university students, voluntary sector organisations, and even professionals in the legal industry. Rather than us always initiating workshops, organisations started approaching us to deliver sessions specifically for their members or staff. In 2023, we delivered a session at DISC (Digital Independent Specialist College) which supports young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to prepare for adulthood and employment, further expanding our audience and reach.
Throughout these adaptations, we’ve maintained our core principle of keeping sessions light, engaging, and relevant to participants’ lived experiences.
Impact and expansion
The success of these initial workshops laid the foundation for our expanded work in community data collection. As participants engaged with existing datasets, important questions regularly emerged: “This data is useful, but what about aspects of community life that aren’t being measured? Why does some data seem to misrepresent our experiences? Who is missing from these statistics? How could this information better reflect the lived experiences of those it claims to represent? And importantly, how might we collect this missing data ourselves?”
These questions directly influenced our more focussed projects like Mapping Mobility Stockport, Right to the Streets, and Our Streets Chorlton, each taking a different approach to community-led data collection and each building on the foundational data literacy developed through these workshops.
What’s Next for Data For Communities
As we look to the future, we’re expanding the Data For Communities programme over the next three years. Our plans include co-designing new programme content with local communities, developing a community-led Data Champions framework, and eventually scaling these approaches across Greater Manchester. This work aims to build on our past successes while adapting to the evolving needs of the communities we serve.
In the next blog in this series, we’ll explore how we built on these foundations through our participatory mapping work, starting with Joy Diversion and evolving into focused projects addressing mobility and safety concerns.
If you’re interested in hosting a Data For Communities workshop, participating in an upcoming session, or collaborating on the programme’s development, we’d love to hear from you.