NET update: February 2022

Here’s our February update…

Our main focus this month is getting ready for our first Leading, together event in March…still working on the collaboration toolkit version 1 and detailed planning for the event (we’ll share an update soon).

Our exciting announcement this month is two extra supporters have joined Yes We Can to fund reduced price tickets to enable more organisations to take part. NEYA is funding six reduced price places for youth organisations, and Thriving Communities project hosted by VONNE is also funding six places for organisations in the Thriving Communities social prescribing network in the north east and Yorkshire. We’re really grateful to these two North East Together members, and love how they are helping their fellow members take part…a clear demonstration of mutual support. We also like how a small amount of resource can go a long way.

We’re also continuing to plan the NET x Human Learning Systems pop up event with Dr Toby Lowe, Centre for Public Impact, and Laura Seebohm, northern convenor of A Better Way network and new CEO of Maternal Mental Health Alliance (formerly at Changing Lives). This short series of events will now start in June…we were a bit rash with our April/May thinking.

Our upcoming events

Leading, together: Growing and developing collaborative leadership practice, 23 March, 09:30–16:30, Newcastle University Business School

A one-day event for North East Together members and others to grow and develop collaborative leadership practice in the north east. Together we’ll build on and explore what we (NET members) have created in whole network events, learn from others, and create new tools and understanding. We’ll be looking to move from theory to practice together, and each leave with an understanding of our collaborative leadership strengths and a plan for what we need to develop and how we might do this. Each place costs £125, with a small number of supported places at £65.

If you are as committed to effective collaboration as we are, then this is the event for you — come join us.

Go straight to the booking form or read more first.

NET pop up: NET x Human Learning Systems

Our first pop up event for 2022 will be about Human Learning Systems with Dr Toby Lowe and others. Human Learning Systems (HLS) is a radically new way of doing public management: the task of resourcing and organising public service. We’re still in the planning stages but so far it looks like a three connected events each with two or three week gap inbetween, around two hours, in the June and early July. We’ll share dates and booking as soon as possible.

• Event 1: An introduction to Human Learning Systems and short stories from those who are working this way, 7 June, 15:00–17:00, online
• Event 2: Deeper exploration and rummaging — hearing detailed case studies organisations to learn what they did and how, ask questions, get in to the detail, 21 June, 15:00–17:00, online
• Event 3: Having a go — moving from theory to practice with a new learning cycles toolkit, 5 July, 13:00 for 13:30–17:30, in person (venue TBC)

This event will be for those of us feeling frustrated with how things with public service (in its broadest sense) work, and looking to do things differently. It will give you time and inspiration to rethink how we work. You’ll be able to come to one, two or all three events.

What else is going on?

Of course, there’s more going on than North East Together events, and think these are worth making time for…

• Leading in uncertainty: Peer support for trustees Getting on Board is working with IVAR (Institute for Voluntary Action Research) to offering three free, 90 minute online peer support sessions for up to 10 trustees each. Apply by 21 February
• Illuminating Leadership Festival 2022, Collective Leadership Scotland, 28 February to 3 March 2022, is a global online festival aiming to shed light on the benefits and opportunities, as well as challenges of collective, systems- and place-based leadership. There’s a variety of self-hosted events, during which participants and hosts can reflect, share, and identify ways in which we can support people across public services and beyond to feel truly empowered, sufficiently emboldened and able to use their creativity in a way that supports real improvement.
• Why being heard is not enough, Women In Sustainability Network and WINS Newcastle Hub joint event, 1 March , 12:00–14:00, about women’s climate leadership. The event will be facilitated by Sheri-Leigh Miles, Netpositive Futures and Mary Ann Sieghart, broadcaster, journalist and author of bestselling The Authority Gap: Why women are still taken less seriously than men and Bevis Watts, CEO of Triodos Bank UK are part of the listening panel.
• Coaching as an embodied practice, Thursday 17 March, 12:30–14:00 hosted by Newcastle University Coaching and Mentoring Forum for forum members. The forum brings together a community of coaches and mentors to further their individual and collective professional development and impact. It’s focussed on scholarly research and offers a collaborative space for coaches and mentors to come together and engage in stimulating discussions.

What else are we reading, watching and listening to?

We’re pleased to see the North of Tyne Poverty Truth Commission, a new approach to hear the voices of people experiencing poverty, launched last month and is looking for people to take part.

We’ve been reading more about community building and relationships. This includes how we pay attention to the hidden work we all do to make things happen by honouring the grout; recognising the guilt we may all feel as community members when we can’t take part in networks as we might want to (and what we might do about this — it’s got us thinking!); and working at the speed of trust. And we’ve been hugely inspired by CoLab Dudley with how they’re creating stories of place building on their street detectorism work in Dudley High Street. And finally, for those to set up a board shadowing scheme, which will help existing trustees support people from diverse backgrounds to take up trustee positions, the Getting on Board webinar recording will help.

That’s all for now…we’re looking forward to seeing you next month at Leading, together.

Stephanie

For the NET team Cisse Tsang, Dr Jo James, Marie Foalle, Robert Laycock, Stephanie Cole