The Relationships Collective
A servant leader group helping to shepherd the growth of the field
At the end of 2022, we recruited The Relationships Collective: a group of 9 individuals who together represent just some of the brilliant, enthusiastic, creative and diverse people who are pioneering a relationship-centred future. We were overjoyed by the interest and whilst it was an incredibly difficult decision, we are delighted with where we have landed.
Over the next 18 months, The Collective will support with our efforts to turbocharge the growth of the field of relationship-centred practice. Together we’ll be advocating, networking, convening, coordinating and tackling the many challenges and opportunities for making relationships the first mile, not the extra mile.
Introducing The Relationships Collective
Fiona Carden
Joint CEO and Director of Learning, Exeter CoLab
“I am excited to look up and out beyond the day to day opportunities and challenges presented by my work, to a wider world of ideas and really explore the idea of ‘breaking new ground’. I am interested in exploring relationships beyond our work; friends, family and with ourselves. I am also curious about how our cultural values inform and shape our relationships and am keen to explore the impact of values based practice.”
Halima Khan
Independent adviser, Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett Institute of Public Policy, Board Member at Mayday Trust
“Relationships are the engine at the heart of social change – they give us a sense of belonging, purpose, confidence and hope. All of which are vital for people to flourish and communities to thrive. So I’m very excited to be joining eight brilliant co-pilots of The Relationships Collective and the supporting team at The Relationships Project. I’m looking forward to a journey powered by curiosity and optimism as we take some steps forward individually and together.”
Verity Howorth
Director of Training at the academy trust Reach Foundation
“I am thrilled to be part of the Relationships Collective because it represents an opportunity to bring currently disparate but like-minded folks together who believe the world could be so much better if we all put relationships right at the heart of our respective work. I think there is much to be gained from taking time to reflect on our own practice, being curious about expertise from other sectors and sussing out where there is energy to create change for a more compassionate, sustainable future.”
Joe Micheli
Head of Communities at York Council
“Personally, I believe, it is not enough for us to reorganise, we need to recentre our approaches and continue to shift the dial on growing the evidence base for relational approaches. The Collective offers a space and profile for this invaluable work to evolve, change culture and mindsets and gain deeper traction. I fundamentally believe that the simple human bonds between us are the foundations of good lives, reflecting the importance of relationships and this should be a world and cultural norm that we are all striving for.”
Farrah Nazir
Insights and Learning on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Wellcome Trust, Co-founder of New Fables Collective
“Building and strengthening relationships is both an integral and longstanding part of my practice – I believe there is so much more to learn, share and imagine what’s possible when our work is driven by relationship centred practice. I’m excited to be part of a collective of practitioners in this space to both explore and champion this work together.”
Elizabeth Oldfield
Coach, Facilitator, Writer and Host of The Sacred
“I am excited to be part of the Relationships Collective because relationships are the very heart of a healthy life and a healthy society and yet we spend so little direct time and attention on them. To gather with eight other relationships nerds and work out how we might contribute to changing that sounds amazing.”
Brigid Russell
Coach and Leadership Consultant, Co-Convenor of Spaces for Listening
“We learn best in relationship alongside each other, understanding and valuing our many different ways of knowing and being together. That’s why I am so excited to be a part of The Relationships Collective – so that we can share ideas, experiences, and learning about what makes relationships really work and how.”
Mel Smith
Deputy CEO at Grapevine Coventry and Warwickshire
“I am chuffed to be part of the Relationships Collective, it’s vital that we work towards a world that prioritises relationships. From the small relational things that nurture friendships and joy to being wholly intentional about the design of tactics and strategy to build relationships that can respond to wider systemic issues. Let’s do this!”
Sarah Yardley
Associate Professor in Palliative Medicine & Honorary Consultant in Palliative Medicine, UCLH and Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust
“All my work is driven by the belief that we need to redeem the role of relationships in healthcare and reclaim relationships as a legitimate part of systems change, not a “nice if you can” add-on. Finding a group of people who don’t just believe this but who are actually working to put it into practice as a core value in different ways, places and for different purposes is great!”
What is this for?
By bringing this group together we hope to:
1. Support these brilliant people to do even more of the relational working and advocacy around relational approaches they already do
2. Explore real challenges and opportunities that we all face as relationship-centred practitioners
3. Identify areas for collective, practical action to push the field forwards and make putting relationships first the norm, not the exception.
Take a look at the full job description below.
What’s the deal?
1. We are providing each member of The Collective with a monthly stipend of £500 (inc. VAT) for the full 18 months of this pilot. This is a contribution towards their day to day work as advocates of relationship-centred working as well as their time meeting with and developing plans with fellow Collective members
2. The Relationships Project’s small team are supporting The Collective. From organising get-togethers to project managing the plans that emerge, we will be the supporters of The Collective to ensure that the members get the most out of the experience and their skills and expertise are put to the greatest use.
3. It is our hope that by being part of The Collective, members will be supported to develop their relationship-centre thinking and practice alongside others who share a commitment to relationships
Our 2 year plan for a 20 year vision
Observatory Sighting #5: From control to participation?
In our fifth Observatory Sighting, we explore the theme of participation, exploring instances in which we've seen a shift from control to participation and asking ourselves how this can be sustained. In the Looking to the Future discussion last week we took...
Observatory Sighting #4: From competition to collaboration
In our fourth Observatory Sighting, we discuss the shift from competition to collaboration born from the necessity of a rapid, joined up response to the disruption wraught by Covid-19. Relationships between organisations are changing as much as relationships between...
It’s All About Relationships: Connecting to connected
In this extraordinary contribution to the Joining the Dots series Dr Nick Barnes looks ahead to a post-Covid future, arguing that to build a better society, we must address inequality and redress power structures. Nick works as a Specialty Doctor in...
Connecting to Connected: Focusing on relationships in the age of Coronavirus
Nick works as a Specialty Doctor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, as a Cognitive Analytic Therapist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at University College London. In this blog, Nick discusses the fundamental role that relationships will play in enabling us to...
Observatory Sighting #3: The recalibration of trust
In this Observatory Sighting, we explore how trust is being recalibrated and the impact this is having on relationships both now and in the futureOver the last couple of weeks we have reported on what we see on the surface: Thousands of new community groups, new...
Observatory Sighting #2: Relational poverty and inequality
In this Observatory Sighting, we reflect on the link between relational poverty and other forms of inequality during Covid 19Observation Offline modes of socialising are moving online, widening the web of participation. But significant numbers slip through the...
Observatory Sighting #1: Stories, language and framing
In this first Sighting, we reflect on the role that stories, language and framing will play as we decide, as a society, how to rebuild. Observation The stories we tell now about how society is responding to COVID-19 will shape how we look back on this time and...
Podcast: The Ethics and Emotions of the Coronavirus Emergency
In brief In this episode of the 'It's Bloody Complicated' podcast produced by our friends over at Compass, guest speakers Julia Unwin, Jennifer Nadel and David Robinson discuss the questions: How do we relate to each other socially and politically now, in the...
The Relationships Observatory
In brief In this blog we lay out our plans for The Relationships Observatory and invite you to share relationship-centred responses to COVID-19 and its challenges.Our plan In my last two blogs I talked about how we can learn from the crisis and embed effective and...
Inventing the Future
In brief In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, David asks the question: What do we need to do now to be able to look back on 2020 as the year when we not only helped one another in a crisis but as the year when we changed for good? What do we need to do now...
