Upcoming Events
The Sense of Connection: Journeying together
We won’t meet the challenges of the next year, let alone of the next generation, with a continued approach to our shared lives that is bureaucratic and codified, defensive, distrusting, fearful, transactional, centralised and impersonal. We must instead focus on nurturing our greatest natural resource: the relationships we have with one another.
In our latest report, The Sense of Connection, we set out some steps we might take in building strong communities, together. The road ahead will be challenging and the bumps best navigated together. We’d love you to join us.
Past Events
Citizen's Rising: A special briefing with Save the Children
In partnership with Save the Children, we have been listening to young people about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this event, we shared what we have heard and explored together what children and young people need from adult society to be able to thrive
Side by Side: A peer learning programme
Over the first half of 2022, we were honoured to host a group of Community Weavers to explore how we can nurture and sustain the community activity which erupted in the early lockdowns, without controlling and constraining it. Spanning 6 sessions and involving a host of fantastic speakers, it was a great programme covering a lot of ground.
Relational Councils: Third Convening
On 25/04/22, we were joined by Bryony Shannon, author of the excellent blog Rewriting Social Care, to explore how local authorities can develop a more relational lexicon. We discussed the impact of language on relationships, words that make us go hmm, and small steps towards shifting language.
Relational Councils: Second Convening
On 14/02/22, we hosted the second convening for local authorities from different parts of the country. We focused on relational approaches to statutory duties and risk management, hearing from Russ Bellenie and Eliot Fineberg who kicked off the discussion for us.
Relational Councils: First Convening
On 13/12/21, local authorities from across the country came together to unpick what it means to be a relational council. We heard from LBBD, Tony Clements and others about what they’re working on and surfaced lots of questions to keep the conversation going.
Nurturing and sustaining community activity
On 10/11/21, we came together to explore how we can nurture and sustain community activity without controlling and constraining it. We explored possibilities as well as challenges, and we plan to keep the conversation going into 2022.
Loneliness and political life: A transatlantic conversation
On 12/10/21 we teamed up with Pepperdine University to explore the effect that loneliness has had on our political lives. Bringing together speakers from different political standpoints, it was a lively and thought-provoking conversation. Our Twitter summary can be found here.
The Lookout: Reflecting on young people's experiences of the pandemic
On 22/09/21, we came together to reflect on the effect that the pandemic has had on young people’s relationships and what adult society needs to do to ensure ‘recovery’ takes into account their needs. This conversation supplements what we’ve been hearing form young people directly.
Measuring relationships: What's the problem?
On 09/06/21 we came together to discuss the ‘measurement problem’. What are we trying to measure when it comes to relationships? What are the risks? Where does potential lie? We surfaced as many questions as we did answers. Our Twitter summary can be found here.