29 September 2022 by Mel Parks

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Stories From Covid Times

In autumn 2021, Dudley Council commissioned the Ideas Alliance to help them get a better understanding of how the pandemic had impacted on people’s lives, in order to inform priorities for the future. The brief included the use of storytelling and one requested outcome was a visual representation of the experiences of the people of Dudley.

Alliance, Case Study, Co-production, Community Based, Community Development, Community Engagement, Coronavirus Crisis, Health, Participation, Storytelling

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3 February 2022 by Neil Denton

When the waters recede, the flood has not finished

Neil Denton explores his lived experience of working with disaster-affected communities, relates this journey to the Covid-19 pandemic and considers a recovery based on connection, collaboration and trust.

Collaboration, Collective Power, Community Based, Community Development, Coronavirus Crisis, Lived Experience

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25 November 2021 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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24 June 2021 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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3 June 2021 by Rachel Campbell

A year on: still looking in

Inflammatory bowel disease Nurse Rachel Campbell reflects on her experience of working with patients during the pandemic: what's changed, what's here to stay and what the future holds.

Coronavirus Crisis, Covid Considerations, Guest Blog, Health

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23 February 2021 by Lauren Wallace-Thompson

Lighting up the dark: Window Wanderland

Something very exciting is happening in the windows of Coventry. A mass community event is spreading hope and helping neighbours to talk to one another in new ways through the medium of creativity and fun.

Arts, Community Based, Coronavirus Crisis, Wellbeing

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18 February 2021 by Charli Dickenson

Tackling Health Inequalities in Manchester: the impact of Covid-19 and what’s next

A story about what can be achieved in a crisis when your way of working is already, and always, driven by listening, building trust and collaboration from Winning Hearts & Minds programme, Manchester.

Collaboration, Coronavirus Crisis, Covid Considerations, Guest Blog, Inequalities, Wellbeing

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28 January 2021 by Anonymous

“We must listen, learn and change the way we do things”: a Public Health perspective on vulnerability and inclusion during the pandemic

A very open and honest guest blog reflecting on the response to the Covid outbreak, challenging our definitions of vulnerability and asking questions about our willingness to engage with people.

Coronavirus Crisis, Covid Considerations, Guest Blog, Health, Participation

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15 October 2020 by Anna Eaton

#COVIDConversations, a digital storytelling project capturing everyday experiences of people across Europe

Stories are the way we understand and make sense of our world. #COVIDConversations is a digital storytelling project providing a platform for sharing everyday experiences of the pandemic from voices seldom heard.

Collaboration, Coronavirus Crisis, Covid Considerations, Digital, Storytelling

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10 September 2020 by Christina Ashworth

The dark side of collaboration

A sobering thought piece by experienced public sector worker Christina Ashworth on how we need to deliberately and mindfully choose to be more radical and face up to past tokenistic consultation and citizen involvement that can do more harm than good.

Co-production, Collaboration, Coronavirus Crisis, Guest Blog

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3 September 2020 by Rachel Berry

Alexandra Park Food Forest

In the early days of the coronavirus crisis, the UK saw empty shelves at the supermarket for the first time in a generation. But in some parts of the country there is a historic lack of access to good food. We hear from a community project in Glasgow looking to change that.

Co-design, Collaboration, Community Based, Community Engagement, Coronavirus Crisis, Food

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4 August 2020 by Bex Clarkson

Covid Considerations: we need to change the way we ‘do’ grant giving

After thirty years experience working in the charitable sector, Covid-19 has made Bex Clarkson question whether the charity model is working. She wants us to use this moment to do more than tinker around the edges.

Charity, Co-production, Covid Considerations, Funding, Guest Blog

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Coronavirus Crisis

Search our articles

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Stories From Covid Times

When the waters recede, the flood has not finished

Understanding the 9 million active neighbours of lockdown

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

A year on: still looking in

Lighting up the dark: Window Wanderland

Tackling Health Inequalities in Manchester: the impact of Covid-19 and what’s next

“We must listen, learn and change the way we do things”: a Public Health perspective on vulnerability and inclusion during the pandemic

#COVIDConversations, a digital storytelling project capturing everyday experiences of people across Europe

The dark side of collaboration

Alexandra Park Food Forest

Covid Considerations: we need to change the way we ‘do’ grant giving