At the heart of the Minor Works Program is Socialannuation.
The idea that when people are given the space, trust, and support to contribute meaningfully, communities build long-term value.
Not just in finished projects, but in relationships, confidence, wellbeing, and trust in one another. And, importantly, in our ability to shape and improve shared life together.
This value doesn’t appear all at once.
It grows quietly, intentionally, over time.
Not through big interventions.
But through many small acts of shared responsibility.
Where the idea comes from
Socialannuation is closely related to the idea of social capital: the networks, relationships, and norms that help people work together and support one another.
Social capital helps explain what exists in a community.
Socialannuation helps explain how it grows.
It focuses on the process of building that value over time, through repeated opportunities to participate, contribute, and act together.
Where social capital is the asset, Socialannuation is the accumulation.
Why we call it Socialannuation
The idea is borrowed from superannuation.
With financial superannuation, value grows through small, regular contributions over time. You don’t expect one payment to do all the work. The strength comes from consistency, patience, and compounding.
Socialannuation works the same way.
Each time someone:
- takes part in a shared project
- feels safe to contribute
- builds trust with others
- gains confidence or skills
- experiences being heard and valued
something is added.
Individually, these moments might seem small. Together, over time, they create communities that are more connected, resilient, and able to respond to change.
What counts as Socialannuation?
Socialannuation isn’t measured in dollars, but it is very real.
It shows up as:
- people feeling more confident to step in
- stronger relationships between neighbours
- trust that makes collaboration easier
- informal support networks
- shared knowledge that stays in the community
- a sense that “we can do things together”
It also shows up in what doesn’t happen as often:
- fewer ideas getting stuck before they begin
- less isolation
- less reliance on formal systems for simple needs
How do you know if it’s growing?
You don’t get a statement in the mail.
But you can see and feel Socialannuation building when:
- people come back again and again
- new people step in more easily
- projects become simpler to start
- leadership is shared rather than concentrated
- neighbours recognise each other and reach out
- communities respond to challenges with less fear and more cooperation
At a program level, it can be noticed through:
- repeat participation
- growing networks of collaboration
- people moving from “participant” to “supporter” to “team member” to “project guide”
- stories of confidence, connection, and shared action
- increased opportunities for social, economic and democratic participation
Socialannuation is best understood through patterns and stories over time, not one-off metrics.
Why this way of thinking matters
Socialannuation gives us a different way to understand impact.
It helps explain why small, local, people-led work matters. Even when it doesn’t look dramatic or fast. It values the slow, relational work that makes future action possible.
It also shifts the focus from:
- “What did this project produce?”
to - “What capacity did this build?”
For Minor Works, this matters because participation is not a side benefit. It is the core infrastructure that allows communities to care for each other, solve problems together, and shape their own future.
When Socialannuation is strong, communities don’t just deliver projects.
They keep going.
How Minor Works builds Socialannuation
Minor Works is designed to grow Socialannuation on purpose.
By:
- keeping projects small and achievable
- lowering barriers to participation
- supporting people through Project Guides
- valuing lived experience alongside skills
- creating repeat opportunities to take part
- making collaboration feel safe and normal
Each project becomes both an outcome and an investment in future participation.
That is the deeper work of Minor Works.
A quiet form of wealth
Socialannuation is a quiet form of wealth.
It lives in relationships.
It grows through use.
And it strengthens communities long after individual projects are finished.