Where Communities Are Built by David Barton

Posted on: January 30, 2026

Where Communities Are Built
Lessons from the work of community engagement across Essex

My work in community engagement began with a simple realisation: many of the challenges
facing our communities are not caused by a lack of services, but by a lack of connection. I have
seen this repeatedly in schools, care homes and local neighbourhoods across Essex, and it
has shaped everything I have done since.

When I founded Get Started Art, it was to give people a way to express what they were
struggling to say. Children dealing with anxiety, adults experiencing isolation and older
residents losing confidence all responded to the same thing: being invited to participate rather
than be observed. Whether it was a child finding their voice through a paintbrush or a senior
rediscovering their spark, the principle remained the same. Engagement works when it is
human, consistent and rooted in place.

Alongside this creative work, my work through Freemasonry has provided the infrastructure to
listen and act at scale. Freemasonry offers one of the most established civic networks in the
country, local people meeting regularly and committed to service over generations, with
volunteering based on time, presence and personal responsibility rather than money alone.
Working with lodges and volunteers, I have been able to connect charities, councils, schools
and health partners in ways that reduce duplication and increase trust.

The results are visible in initiatives supporting children’s mental health, dementia awareness,
isolation and loneliness, community volunteering, and practical support for families in need,
all shaped by genuine local insight rather than top-down design. In every case, the focus has
been on early intervention, sustained presence and consistency rather than short-term activity.
In many cases, the most valuable contribution has not been funding, but time, consistency and
the willingness to show up.

One of the most striking lessons from this work is how much engagement helps those who give
as well as those who receive. I have watched volunteers regain purpose, confidence and
wellbeing simply by being part of something that mattered. This has reinforced my belief that
community engagement is not charity alone; it is prevention, resilience and leadership
combined.

What this work has shown me is that effective community engagement depends on presence.
Turning up. Listening. Staying. Change happens because people step forward in their own
communities, and leaders simply create the space, structure and support for that to happen.
My role has been to help join the dots and ensure good ideas become lasting action.
Community engagement is often spoken about as a policy aim. In reality, it is a shared
responsibility. When done properly, it improves wellbeing, strengthens trust and leaves
communities better equipped for the future.

Everything I have learned points to the same conclusion: strong communities are built when
people are invited to take part, and when leaders choose to lead from the front, not by control,
but by example, every day, in every community they serve.

About the Author:
David Barton BCAa FRSA is a civic leader and charity founder based in Essex. He founded Get
Started Art, an award-winning initiative that has delivered more than 1.5 million creative
wellbeing resources to schools, hospitals and care settings in the UK and internationally. He
currently serves as Provincial Community Engagement Lead for Essex Freemasons, where he
builds partnerships between charities, councils, health services and volunteers to deliver
practical, community-led support. His work focuses on the belief that presence, trust and
human connection are the foundations of lasting social change.