Community Mapping
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We used the Kumu platform to develop an interactive community map centred around the Clapton Commons-based care pilot. This map was designed to surface the rich network of relationships, both formal and informal, that surround and support people receiving care. The aim was to visualise how people, groups, and organisations are connected in the everyday work of care and support, and how these connections create shared value within a neighbourhood.
Mapping is a powerful tool for making the often invisible aspects of community care visible. Where traditional metrics may struggle to capture things like community trust, informal networks, and volunteer contributions, a social network map can reveal these forms of “care wealth” and social capital in a way that's accessible and relational.
Mapping also supports Social Network Analysis (SNA), helping us track changes in connectivity and cohesion over time. We hoped that sharing and exploring the map would help build community pride, spark conversations about the care economy, and motivate others to contribute to or steward the commons.
The map above focuses on a hyper-local community surrounding the Clapton Care Circle. Each dot (or “element”) on the map represents a person, team, business, organisation or group engaged in care work - either formal or informal. The lines between them represent relationships, ranging from loose contact to deep collaboration.
Community mapping was used here not only to evaluate social impact, but to create it - by strengthening awareness of the social fabric and celebrating the people and groups quietly holding it together.
“Care Wealth” refers to the crucial yet often undervalued activities that sustain everyday life - from paid care roles to unpaid support from friends, neighbours and volunteers. These acts of care are foundational to our well-being, even if they go unnoticed in mainstream economic models.
The map captures this care wealth by showing how different types of care - formal and informal, paid and gifted - flow between people and organisations. Because care is inherently relational, the wealth lies not in individuals, but in the connections between them. By mapping these connections, we begin to see care not just as a service, but as a common good: a community resource collectively generated and sustained.
In March 2023, members of the Clapton Circle co-designed the map and uploaded data based on:
their own local knowledge,
conversations with community members, and
personal care maps co-created with individuals receiving support.
While the intention was for the map to be collectively maintained by care teams, time constraints and digital barriers meant this didn’t fully materialise. The final map therefore represents a partial view: biased toward the perspectives of the original mappers. That’s why the Clapton Care Circle sits at the centre of the network.
Anyone with access to a computer can explore the map by interacting with the elements and filters.
Represent people, groups, businesses, care teams, and organisations.
Clicking on a dot reveals more narrative info: who they are, what they do, and how they relate to care in the community.
‘Closed down’ groups appear as squares, representing decline as well as growth.
Engaged (thin solid line): active relationship with potential.
Generative (thick line): strong collaboration or joint action.
Inactive (dotted line): relationships not currently active but with latent potential.
Clicking a connection shows what the relationship involves (e.g. informal care, mutual aid, co-hosted events).
Use the buttons at the bottom of the map to filter by:
Type of connection (engaged/generative/inactive)
Type of element (e.g. person, group, team, business)
Use the dropdown menus at the top of the map to filter by:
Paid/formal care
Unpaid/informal care
The community map is a living resource. We hope others can build on it, use it to reflect on their own role in the care commons, or even start mapping their own neighbourhood networks. It’s a tool for storytelling, evaluation, and ultimately, for strengthening the web of care that connects us all.
To access the Kumu mapping platform in a separate tab click