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.
Relationships and their impact on Community Hubs
In brief In this contribution to Joining the Dots Arvinda Gohil discusses relationship building in local communities and the importance of organisations that “mirror” the communities they serve. Arvinda Gohil has recently taken on the role of CEO at Central...
Who is helping who? Co-production and professional boundaries within social care services
In brief In this piece for Joining the Dots Nick Andrews discusses the true nature of co production and how good support is founded in, and reflects back, the kind of relationships that Martin Buber called “I– thou” not “I- it”. Nick is a social worker, a teacher and...
Politics as usual or a new beginning?
In brief In this Joining the Dots blog (written back in the days when parliaments sat and terms were predictable), Iona Lawrence and David Robinson consider the place of relationships in our national politics. Iona works for The Cares Family and previously...
Finding and keeping a home
In brief In this contribution to Joining the Dots, Maeve McGoldrick discusses the importance of relationships in meeting the needs of the 170,000 people currently experiencing homelessness in the UK today. Maeve works for Crisis, the national charity for...
My journey with the Campaign to End Loneliness
In brief In this Joining the Dots blog, Laura Alcock-Ferguson, the founding Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, reflects candidly on the highs and lows of her nine years at the helm. Laura is an activist and has worked for and led social change on...
Everyday Love
In brief In this blog, Linda Woolston offers a humane and insightful reflection on the role of love in relationships, including her relationships as a Business Coach. Linda is an independent Business Coach, former HR Director, and Founding Partner of successful...
Time for ‘relationship-centred government’? How about it Mr Johnson?
In brief In this blog, David Robinson, who leads the Relationships Project, challenges the UK’s new Prime Minister to take a relationship-centred approach to government, and makes some suggestions for how to go about it. This blog also appears on A Better...
Digital technology isn’t the enemy of warmth within services
In brief In this Joining the Dots blog, Shift’s CEO (and dad to a 3 year old) Nick Stanhope explores ways in which digital technologies can help – rather than hinder – us putting relationships at the heart of what we do, bringing warmth to unnecessarily...
The gift through the fence
In brief In this Joining the Dots contribution, Clare Wightman discusses the importance of relationships in removing stigma and reducing exclusion. Clare is CEO of Grapevine Coventry and Warwickshire which works with individuals and communities...
Practicing Kindness
In brief In this Joining the Dots blog contribution, Ben Thurman reflects on the tensions between kindness and risk, relationships and professionalism, emotions and performance management, and the need to reshape organisational culture to foster a culture of kindness....
