Through Thick and Thin
How an infrastructure for relationships could unlock the collective action we need to accelerate progress towards a world designed for and around relationships
Lots of people in lots of different spaces are doing amazing work around building better relationships, but the connections between these nodes are often weak or non-existent. Drawing on conversations with over 100 people in late 2020 and early 2021, we (led by Iona Lawrence) explore the challenges we share in prioritising relationships in the places that we live and work and the work that needs to be done to address those needs.
Our shared and uniting goal is to build a world that is designed for and around relationships: a world where relationships are the first mile, not the extra one.
Building a Relationship Collective: Our Proposal
Building on the insights unearthed in Through Thick and Thin, we submitted an expression of interest to the Bringing People Together Fund at the National Lottery Community Fund to bring to life the idea of an infrastructure for relationships. Drawing inspiration from Joe Mills and friends in the democracy centre, we decided to publish the proposal in the open so everyone can see what we’re hoping to do and more easily explore ways to collaborate.
In short, the expression of interest we submitted is for a two year project to design, test and build the necessary infrastructure to support shared learning and collaboration in the field of relationships and relationship-centred practice in the coming decades.
We are delighted to say that our application was successful and, as of Autumn 2022, we are focused on developing the infrastructure for a thriving field of relationship-centred practice. Find out more about our plans for the next two years below.
A season for change? Three hopes for the Burnham government
As political life resumes in earnest after the Summer break, we explore – in a three-part series – the possibility and pitfalls of relational reform under the new Burnham government.
A season for change? Part one: Devolution – a winding path toward relational reform
We explore the possibilities of devolution: a necessary but insufficient condition for relational reform. This is part one of a three-part series by Rich Bell, exploring the possibility and pitfalls of relational reform under the new Burnham government.
A season for change? Part two: Public service reform – a chance to build a more relational state
We discuss how the government’s emerging public service reform agenda could make a guiding focus on the power of human relationships a core feature of how the modern state works. This is part two of a three-part series by Rich Bell, exploring the possibility and pitfalls of relational reform under the new Burnham government.
A season for change? Part three: Social care – a critical test
We argue that the approach the government takes to overhauling our creaking social care system in the coming year will provide vital insight into whether it will in fact pursue a meaningful project of relational public service reform. This is part three of a three-part series by Rich Bell, exploring the possibility and pitfalls of relational reform under the new Burnham government.
To rewire the state, we need relational policymaking
Koen Bartels argues that the Burnham government will only be able to ‘rewire the state’ if it embraces relational policymaking.
Learning out loud in relationship-centred practice: The impact of evaluation
This month, with our relational funders cohort, we turned our attention to evaluation – with the challenge of examining current practices, the origins of these, and what it means in practice for those they work with, particularly grant holders.
Rewilding healthcare: Islands of care in seas of relationship
In brief Through maritime metaphors and first-hand experience, Sarah Yardley, palliative medicine doctor and qualitative researcher, explores the paradox that healthcare systems depend on relationship every day while simultaneously struggling to recognise relationship...
Being more: Confederation of School Trusts’ CEO Summit speech transcript
On the 14th July 2026, David Robinson delivered a speech at the Confederation of School Trusts’ CEO Summit. This is a transcript of the speech.
Present, on task, and still lost: Why ordinary classroom moments matter
Le-Anne Goliath is a doctoral researcher in Social Psychology at the University of Sussex. Her research examines the observable classroom practices through which teachers support academic participation, belonging, and epistemic access for students facing structural...
Learning out loud in relationship-centred practice: Changing our permissions
In brief What dictates our social behaviour, and how do these conditions come about? In this month’s Learning Out Loud blog, we return to the Relational Funders cohort and the idea of permissions. Specifically, how norms, assumptions and rules shape how we behave. In...
