The Bishop’s Action Foundation has now spent over 20 years working to empower Taranaki organisations and communities, always with the aim of making itself redundant.
This simple but powerful idea has been about backing good people, building strong communities and then stepping aside. Rather than directing projects long-term, the Foundation brings people together to lead their own initiatives, connecting skills, ideas and energy already present in the community.
From the beginning, Bishop Philip Richardson says the focus was never on delivering services, but on enabling others to lead.
“It’s not so much any one of the myriad contributions that the Foundation’s made,” he says. “It’s more been the way in which the Foundation has stuck to its purpose, which is not to be a long-term provider of services, but an enabler of other people’s good ideas.”
For Philip, the Foundation’s strength lies in its approach “If I had to characterise it, I would say that part of its DNA is being an organisation that gives itself away – it tries hard to let things go so they flourish independently.”
Chief Executive, Simon Cayley, has been on the journey since the beginning too. He started with a one-page vision, a trestle table and a modest budget and echoes Philip’s description of BAF’s approach “A little bit of BAF can make a significant difference – too much of BAF is probably unhelpful,” he says.
BAF isn’t interested in its own survival, only in making a difference alongside others. Philip and Simon both agree that “If there is no longer a need for our kind of contribution, then we’ll have a really good party and be thankful.”
Philip says the Foundation is not at that point yet, and there is clear evidence that community enablement and capacity building remain essential.
“The needs and challenges in our communities are as great, if not greater, than they’ve ever been,” he says.
“I think encouraging individuals and groups within communities to have agency over their own solutions should always be part of what the Church offers into community, and I can’t see that changing.”
Read the full story here BAF history – 20 years (FINAL)