We are delighted to be working with Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) to deliver these workshops next month across Berkshire, engaging communities in developing the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Berkshire. If you’re in Berkshire, please join us at your nearest event – or for the online workshop – and do spread the word.
Thank you.
Book your place here: Public Engagement Events | Eventbrite
Thank you to everyone who has booked on to the next in our series of free online workshops aka The Ideas Collaborative.
As promised, below are the details of the session and more information on the agenda for our morning together.
When: Friday 28th October, 9.30 – 12.30
Agenda: Over the course of a morning of sharing, discussing and networking you will share and learn about activities and tools which can be adapted to your own practice including:
A few spaces are still available: Please register here for the event
We look forward to welcoming you on Friday 28th October.
Following our workshop announcement last month, registration is now open for the next in our series of free online peer learning workshops. Join us on Friday October 28th for a morning of mixed workshops and peer support.
This is for you and your colleagues if you are …
• stepping into or changing jobs within the social justice sector
• working in a community-facing role within the public sector
• working creatively with communities for transformation.
Tap into the wisdom
We are again bringing together the wisdom and experience of people who have worked with communities and organisations in the sector in different capacities for many years with the curiosity, questions and ideas of those new to this world, providing mutual inspiration and support.
Please register here for the event and watch this space for more information. We look forward to seeing you then.
Over on our Resources page there is a pdf guide to running successful Hybrid meetings available to download. In order to compile the guide we have drawn on our experience of running hybrid meetings and training events, where some participants meet face to face while other participants join the session via video conferencing (typically Zoom or Microsoft Teams). The guide provides advice in the form of a summary of key tips for running successful and inclusive hybrid meetings.
Please complete the form to download the guide.
We are delighted to announce the next in our series of free online peer learning workshops – The Ideas Collaborative – on Friday 28th October.
Following on from the first session in June, we will be again offer a morning of mixed workshops and peer support – from 9:30am to 12:30pm – followed by the option of an afternoon co-working session.
This is for you and your colleagues if you are …
Tap into the wisdom
We’re again bringing together the wisdom and experience of people who have worked with communities and organisations in the sector in different capacities for many years with the curiosity, questions and ideas of those new to this world, providing mutual inspiration and support.
Please save the date and watch this space for agenda and details of how to register.
In our April blog. Director of Just Ideas – Richard Usher – reflected on how much was learnt and shared over two years working with the Third Sector Research Centre team and being alongside communities across England.
Local Trust have now published the final report in the series they commissioned, entitled “One pandemic, many responses: How community responses to COVID-19 developed and why they varied “.
The research followed 26 communities in England, observing their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis defines a ’model of resourcefulness’ through reflections on the factors that drove strong community responses; and on the interaction of multiple factors that shaped different responses. These include factors such as feelings of community cohesion and identity; past and present investments in communities; having a strong network of community leaders; and having strong relationships with local authorities
Richard reflected:
“It was a privilege to work alongside Brookside Big Local on this research project – their responsiveness to the rapidly changing need of their community during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that isolated people got the support they needed, be it help with food, prescriptions or just someone to talk to. This report explores findings from 26 communities across England and their varied responses to the COVID-19 crisis. It’s an inspiring read and it was great to be part of the wider research group with the Third Sector Research Centre, including our regular partners WSA Community Consultants.”
You are invited to “Connecting, Learning and Growing together” – a free half day workshop by Just Ideas – on Monday 20th June 2022 from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Zoom.
What’s on offer
This online peer learning initiative is designed to support individuals like yourself to:
This is for you and your colleagues if you are …
Tap into the wisdom
We’re bringing together the wisdom and experience of people who have worked with communities and organisations in the sector in different capacities for many years with the curiosity, questions and ideas of those new to this world, providing mutual inspiration and support.
For more information and to register, please cut and paste the following registration link in to your browser – https://forms.monday.com/forms/ab923d611cc9cdc3b45a05c8f1575e48?r=use1
A blog by Bertie Cairns, who has recently joined us as an Associate of Just Ideas.
At the heart of the Just Ideas approach is using the energy of collaboration to help our clients make positive change. In this spirit, we invited our wonderful associates to the first Collaborative Day of 2022.
We really value the skills that our associates bring to Just Ideas and we designed the day as a space where people could share their wisdom and their practical experience.
Here’s just a taster of what we got up to:
We loved the workshop on how to generate powerful discussions. Laura Wallis, who led the activity, used her expertise in mental health as an example. We were asked to consider challenging ideas about our attitudes to wellbeing and place them on a continuum.
No right answers! And, as we listened to other perspectives, we found our views shifting, balancing, reframing. Here was a space that safely facilitated deep thought.
It was such a beautifully simple, transferrable technique that we used it with a client a few days later when helping a team collaborate with questions like: Is it important to like your team members?
At the end of the day, we were struck by the power of a simple tool called “strength stories” which builds on the power of collaboration and active listening. It works like this: recount a challenging event to a partner or group. The role of the listeners is to reflect back to the speaker where they were demonstrating positive qualities. This activity stopped us taking our skills for granted and reminded us where we are strong. At the end of the day, this really increased the energy level and showcased the wonderfully skilled people we work with. Our associates are passionate about creating positive change through connecting with people and it was wonderful to see the diverse ways in which they were working for climate and social justice, for disability rights and improving health. What we also saw was that they share our passion for making connections, for working collaboratively, for learning and growing.
In our collaborative day, we wanted to hear and value the voices of our associates and for them to hear each other’s wisdom. Collaborative practices are at the heart of how we work with clients. It felt important therefore to put that into our own practice with our team. We found that working as an associate can often feel a little isolated and we wanted to draw our team together. We learned hugely from working, listening and being together and participating in techniques that our associates use every day. We felt hugely enriched by the day and we hope everyone who came did too.
We can’t wait for the next one!
‘Together We Plan!’ is a new resource that we worked on for Local Trust, bringing together the insights and experience of Big Local areas as they responded to community priorities during the COVID-19 crisis.
The handbook offers useful approaches for Big Local partnerships in developing and planning their work during these uncertain times. We’re really grateful for the experience and insight that was shared during the development of the handbook – and it has relevance for anyone working in a community group setting.
If you are in a Big Local or community group setting it will help you:
We look forward to hearing how people have been taking up the ideas, activities and tools from the handbook.
With COVID-19 continuing to take a toll on mental health in our communities, it has been inspiring to kick off new work with Local Trust to support mental health in Big Local areas.
Berkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy workshops – registration is open!19th March 2024 - 11:08 am
Sharing highlights from Just Ideas’ 2023 review of the year17th January 2024 - 5:43 pm
Guest blog: Inspiring Change – Reflections on the Reading Schools Climate Conference 202319th December 2023 - 8:46 am