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by Helen Sturman

Rebuilding Community Connections with Not Another Co-Production Project

Helen Sturman, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire Area Development Manager for Parkinson’s UK, shares her experience of being new in the job when joining Not Another Co-Production Project. She outlines the importance of flexibility when rebuilding community connections with people with long-term health conditions, and how co-production values the range of life experiences, knowledge and skills that people can bring.   …

Co-production, Community Based, Community Development, Community Engagement, Guest Blog, Voluntary Sector
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by Alex Barker

Encouraging women to the podium: Not just about speaking but about influencing

In late 2020, I was booked to speak at two very different conferences a few days apart. Both were public events where the content and the line up of speakers were the main draw.  The first one lasted two days. On the whole it was excellent, but I noticed one thing that rankled me. On both days, the first two…

Blog, Guest Blog, Power, Social Action, Storytelling, Systems Change, Women
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by Immy Robinson

Understanding the 9 million active neighbours of lockdown

The coronavirus crisis saw a huge movement of community activity and support. Immy Robinson, co-lead of the Relationships Project, shares their research about what made people come together. How we can support the different types of active neighbour with an ecology that enables community activity to thrive?

Citizen-led Action, Community Based, Community Development, Community Engagement, Coronavirus Crisis, Covid Considerations, Guest Blog, Research, Social Action, Social Movement
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by Ben Andrews

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.

Asset Based, Co-design, Commissioning, Community Based, Community Development, Disability, Guest Blog, Health, Inequalities, Integrated Services, Social Enterprise, Systems Change, Wellbeing
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by Eleanor September

Unusual experiences?: Tackling the issue of closed cultures through storytelling

Mother and carer Eleanor September shares the experiences that led her to participate in Ideas Alliance's recent project on Closed Cultures. Read about the uphill struggle she has faced to access person-centred care since her daughter was born at 24 weeks almost 28 years ago.

Disability, Guest Blog, Health, Lived Experience, Uncategorised
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by Lourdes Colclough

A year on: Are everyday people our new invisible trauma and loss workers?

Trainer Lourdes Colclough highlights an extraordinary new role being carried out by members of the community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: informal trauma and grief counselling. She tells us about the training being offered to those stepping up to fill gaps in formal mental health support.

Community Based, Coronavirus Crisis, Covid Considerations, Guest Blog, Mental Health
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by Kath Smythe

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!

Asset Based, Community Based, Guest Blog, Systems Change
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by Bex Clarkson

What does the review exposing bullying and harassment at the NCVO say about the charity model and how can we change things?

In this guest blog experienced charity worker Bex Clarkson advocates for radical change and outlines the remedies she sees, from looking at the money, recognising resistance and not just swapping out the CEO.

Charity, Funding, Guest Blog, Leadership, Systems Change
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“The Hub acts as a glue bringing together people and organisations who are doing so much to positively disrupt their local systems.”

Burcu Borysik, Mayday Trust