Beyond Empower: supporting healthy, active lives for disabled people by transforming mainstream spaces and services

In this guest blog, Beyond Empower founder Ben Andrews tells us about their work to transform mainstream spaces, communities and leisure services so that they’re accessible to people with disabilities. By thinking differently about the barriers, Beyond Empower help providers, councils and businesses create services that everyone in the community can access and enjoy.
Secret Musings of a Change Agent

Experienced change consultant and coach Kath Smythe tells us all about her new blog series where she talks to “some fabulous ordinary people who are really great at making change happen” to try and discover what it is that underpins their skill. It’s a must read!
Joy of Sound: Collective Power Award

Read all about the surprises, best bits and learning along the way for this small, inclusive community music organisation who have adapted over the last year with an incredible list of partners and collaborators. The next in our CHWA Collective Power Award shortlist showcase.
Talking about balancing belonging and freedom at work in Research Matters magazine

We answer some questions for the Social Research Association’s quarterly Research Matters magazine about our organisational structure as part of their look at business models for social research. Read the reprinted article here.
Ideas Alliance and People’s Voice Media awarded National Lottery funding for Co-production Project

We are delighted to announce that we’ve been awarded funding through The National Lottery Community Fund for a three-year co-production project alongside People’s Voice Media.
Exercising Citizenship Through Creativity Is More Important Than Ever

Paul Hine, Director at Made by Mortals explains how they’ve adapted during Covid-19 with innovative ways of working to keep helping people use their creativity to take an active role in society and bring about change.
The Art of Coproduction – A Guerrilla Guide

We celebrate the launch of a guerrilla guide to coproduction. Whether you’re new or experienced this is an invaluable source of all things coproduced!
Making Manchester: Design Studio Involve 1,000 Members of the Public in Making 2,000 Tiles

A great example of people being engaged through free workshops to contribute towards creating artwork and props for the city’s international festival.
Amazing animated film about foodbanks co-created by young people wins film awards

The film is a great example of how we can tell important stories together and how these stories are even more powerful when they are told, made and shared by those affected by the issues the stories are about.