Bulletin #19, June 2022
We are delighted to announce the next series of Better Way cells and drop-in sessions for the summer and autumn. Details about other meetings will follow in the next few weeks, including sessions on unlocking imagination, Better Way leadership, and tackling the roadblocks.
Do please take a look. Our events are all online, and attract people from different sectors and backgrounds, working at national and local levels.
To join any of the following or to find out more please go to our forthcoming events page, or click on the individual links below, or you can email info@betterway.network. New participants are always very welcome, and we look forward to seeing old friends as well.
PUTTING RELATIONSHIPS FIRST
Working relationally with communities. As public bodies seek to plug into community power, how can they do this in a ‘relational’ rather than an ‘extractive’ way? Wednesday 13th July, 11-12.30, online.
Freeing up staff to build relationships. Against a backdrop of ingrained command and control cultures and contracting practices in many organisations, how can we ‘liberate the method’ to do things differently, as Mark Smith explored in this essay from Building a Bigger We. Thursday 22nd Sept, 3.00-4.30pm, online.
SHARING AND BUILDING POWER
Building a ‘solidarity’ model. ‘How can the social sector find ways to work in meaningful solidarity with people and communities… moving away from ‘the ‘hero saviour’ of Victorian philanthropic tradition?’ as our thought leaders Sue Tibballs and Sarah Thomas put it in their Building a Bigger We essay. We’ll be exploring what we can learn from the Sheila McKechnie’s It’s All about Power research and sharing ideas. Thursday 21st July, 3.00-4.30pm, online.
Sharing power to level up. What does it mean for the state to share power in Levelling up? What are the limits, and the potential, and how can we shift the current culture to give more power to local people and organisations that support them? Wednesday 19th October, 11.00-12.30, online.
LISTENING TO EACH OTHER
From listening to action. How to turn listening into action, balancing the urgency of what we hear with the complexities of achieving it? Thursday 7th July, 11.00-12.30, online.
Listening well in a digital age. What are the digital methods that can build good conversations, including with those that are often left out, and allow people to develop solutions together?
Tuesday 27th September, 15.00-16.30, online.
JOINING FORCES
Joining forces for levelling up. What types of local or regional collaboration are most likely to generate the shared purpose, determination and energy needed to drive the levelling-up agenda. What should a community covenant (as proposed by Government) look like? Wednesday 20th July, 11.00-12.30, online.
Unequal alliances. Where there are big differences between organisations, in size, resources, status, for example, what are the best ways to join forces? Thursday 13th October, 11.00-12.30, online.
FORTNIGHTLY WEDNESDAY "DROP IN" MEETINGS
Every two weeks we hold an informal Zoom event for people in our network ‘family’ who would like to say hello, share news, exchange ideas, get something off your chest, and just check in with each other. It’s also a good way for people new to the network to get to know us and explore what we can offer.
All meetings are on Wednesday mornings from 9am to 10am, online.
As well as events listed here more will be posted on our website soon, so do keep an eye on our forthcoming events page.
We look forward very much to seeing you in the coming weeks.
AND BY THE WAY…
If you haven’t yet checked out the recent Better Way essay collection ‘Building a Bigger We’, you are missing out on something rather special. This is what people are saying about it:
“A lovely body of work”, “Absolutely incredible”, “Inspiring”, “Another cracking publication”, “Great stuff”, “Brilliant”, “This is my reading list sorted for a good while”.
Very best wishes,
Caroline Slocock and Steve Wyler
Co-convenors
A Better Way
to improve services, build community and create a fairer society
carolineslocock@civilexchange.org.uk
stevewyler@betterway.network
www.betterway.network
Twitter: @betterwaynetwrk