Wednesday again and that can only mean one thing – another trip to London for our CEO Clare!
This week she’s attending the launch of a book of essays – or ‘insights’ – for A Better Way.
A Better Way is a national network of social activists from the voluntary sector and beyond, focused around a shared vision of better services and stronger communities everywhere.
They want to use their ideas, knowledge and experiences to help make this vision a reality – where people and places are no longer treated as ‘passive recipients of services, as problems to be solved, or as failing communities’.
As a member of this network and contributor to the collection of essays’ latest volume, Clare will talk to the audience at the launch event about how building on strengths is better than focusing on weaknesses. Her story, ‘The Good and the Bad’ is illustrated through the experiences of Coventry couple, Chris and Margaret.
“Chris, Margaret and their daughter lived on a tough estate. Some neighbours spotted their vulnerability.
‘They swore and shouted us. Put rubbish through our letterbox. They would knock our door at night with masks on. They even stole our daughter’s birthday balloons and banners.’
“Faced with Chris and Margaret’s experiences we had a choice. We could have just given them a service, a set of transactions – called the police, called the social landlord, supported them to have their say in meetings and make reports to both. But then at the close of day they’d have gone home, to the estate, alone.
“We chose to help them get some real friends instead. Help is available in communities if we know how to find it.”
Read the rest of Clare’s essay in ‘Insights for a Better Way: improving services and building stronger communities’ to find out how Grapevine helped. Plus many other interesting reads from dozens more contributors: www.betterway.network/insights-for-a-better-way
A Better Way is hosted by Civil Exchange, and is co-ordinated by Steve Wyler and Caroline Slocock.