The Relationship Makers’ Toolbox

Practical resources to help you put relationships at the heart of what you do

Our continually evolving Relationship Makers’ Toolbox contains practical resources to help people everywhere to put relationships at the heart of the places they live and work. 

For Councils

Kit for Councils

What is the appropriate statecraft, in style and substance, for enabling strong and connected communities? How does the state open possibilities without undue risk, and raise the game without controlling and constraining? This kit lays out a set of principles and resources for putting relationships at the heart of how councils operate. 

You might also be interested in the Relational Councils Network. Bringing together councils from across the UK, our Relational Councils Convenings provide a space for learning about how to create a relationship-centred council.

For Community Weavers

The Community Weavers Companion

How can we nurture strong communities in the good times as well as the bad? How can we sustain the community activity we saw in the early lockdowns without controlling and constraining it? How do we build a positive Covid legacy and resist the pull back to old ways? The Community Weavers Companion draws together all that we learnt through Side by Side: our 18 week peer learning programme for Community Weavers across the UK.

The Active Neighbours Field Guide

Covid-19 saw an outpouring of community-led support in which 9 million ‘volunteers’, or 15% of the UK’s population, stepped forward to help out. What are the stories behind these statistics? What factors have shaped their desire and ability to contribute and care? What’s needed to support and encourage them to carry on caring? Our Active Neighbours Field Guide explores these questions and presents five Active Neighbour groups. 

For Bridge Builders

The Bridge Builders’ Handbook

Over the course of the Covid pandemic, our communities have achieved an extraordinary amount. We’ve met people we have never met before and we’ve gained an insight into how others live down the road. At the same time, we’ve spent an unprecedented amount of time apart and tempers have, understandably, frayed. 

As we move forward, we must focus on healing divisions and building strong, connected communities. We’ve teamed up with Neil Denton and the After Disaster Network at Durham University to create a Handbook to inspire and guide those willing to embark on this journey. 

You might also be interested in The Sense of Connection. Weaving together the crafts of conflict transformation, disaster recovery and community development, this report explores the need to build strong communities in crisis and beyond. 

For Organisations

The Relationships Heatmap 

Where are the warm and cool spots in your relationship-centred practice? The Relationships Heatmap is a diagnostic tool that will help you build stronger, more impactful relationships, by identifying the strengths and areas for improvement in your approach.

The Relationship Makers Guide 

The Relationship Makers Guide shares 5 simple steps to help you to strengthen the relationships in your organisation, community or business. Anyone, anywhere can use the guide to help them on their journey to becoming a Relationship Maker. You might want to work through the guide with a partner or in a small group to get the ideas flowing.

For Young People 

The Lookout 

The Lookout is a space for children and young people to look around at everything that’s happened over the Covid pandemic and share the things that they’d like to see change to make sure that ‘Recovery’ takes into account their needs and priorities. Including a guided meditation and a session guide for teachers, you can participate in The Lookout individually or in groups.

Inspiration 

Case Studies 

There are lots of great examples of relationship-centred practice in action that we can all take inspiration from. From multi-million pound businesses to small, grassroots organisations, we hope that there’s something in here for everyone.