Social Action – All the Small Things

Social Action training and support 2022

We are excited to be able to offer a programme of funded Social Action training and mentoring over the next few months, thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

All the Small Things is a Social Action Hub. We help people to listen, be powerful and take action for change, both locally and nationally.
We are committed to positive social change and working for a more socially just, caring and cooperative society.

As members of the National Academy of Community Organising we offer training in the practice and principles of community organising.

Community Organising is the work of bringing people together to take action around their common concerns and overcome social injustice.
Community Organisers reach out and listen, connect and motivate people to build their collective power. When people are organised, communities get heard and power begins to shift creating real change for good.

Training:

Community Organising Taster Session
Wednesday 15th June 2022, 10am-12 noon, online

This short, free course is a two-hour online taster session that gives a broad overview of community organising. It is also an opportunity to meet and connect with others interested in learning more about community organising.

Listening Skills for Community Organising
Thursdays 23rd, 30th June and 7th July, 1-4.30pm online

This community organising course will help you to develop the skills and confidence to start listening to people in your community. It’s run over 3 session and there is the opportunity for some supported, practical listening experience in the community.

Building Power through Community Organising
Tuesdays 26th July, 2nd and 9th August, 1-4.30pm online

On this course you will explore and develop your understanding of power, which is what drives community organising: what power means and how power can be built in community to overcome social injustice and create change.

Action for change through Community Organising
Mondays 12th, 19th and 26th September, 1-4.30pm online

On this course you will explore how you can make change for good through collective action. You’ll learn how to develop a strategy for change based on listening, building people power and leadership and picking tactics and methods for action.

Support

Monthly Peer Support for Community Helpers
Next one, Thursday 16th June 1-3pm online

It is important that community helpers have support for their own wellbeing. We give people time to stop, think and share tips for looking after ourselves.

We connect people together who are busy supporting people in their communities.
We help people share their experiences and ideas, share information and resources.
We work with local partner organisations to make sure people know where to get support and how to make a difference in their communities.

Small group mentoring sessions
Monthly, 1.5 hour session between June and September, online (spaces are limited).

Led by an experienced mentor, these sessions will:

support you to develop your skills and confidence
identify and reflect on your strengths
help you to decide your own focus and set goals
provide space to explore ways of dealing with community challenges

Connecting:

Online Tea Party
Tuesday 28th June, 2-3.30pm

An opportunity to gather with others to celebrate successes, encourage each other and highlight future training or support needs. This is a session for anyone connected to All the Small Things. It’s an opportunity to check in and network with one another. You might be a volunteer, community worker, previous course/event participant or partner organisation representative – all are welcome!

Local Organising Group for North Staffs

The Local Organising Group is for people who have done the Community Organising training and other people who are interested in taking action together.

The Local Organising Group has an Action Plan which is about supporting our communities with the challenges of COVID-19, poverty and loneliness.

If you would like to join or link with us please email: localorganisingnstaffs@gmail.com

Celebration Event

Late September 2022.
More details to follow soon!

Visit our Eventbrite home page which has all the courses and sessions listed for you to book your place.

To find out more and show your interest email us at allthesmallthingscic@gmail.com

We look forward to learning and working with you!

Penny, Carmel, Sarah, Cath, Lynne and Ros – the Social Action Hub team

all-the-small-things-current-sah-opportunities Download

Download our All the Small Things Social Action Hub current opportunities information.

all-the-small-things-sah-booklet-21-c397-29.7cm Download

Download our All the Small Things Social Action Hub booklet

Great Winter Get Together 2022

From 17th-30th January, the Jo Cox Foundation wants to spread the word that there is #NoShameInSharing and to get the conversation started around loneliness.

This campaign is inspired by Jo Cox, who experienced loneliness while she was at university and when she became a mother to her two children. When she became an MP, she was determined that others should not have to go through similar feelings alone, and said:

“I will not live in a country where thousands of people are living lonely lives, forgotten by the rest of us.”

The team at the Jo Cox Foundation want to continue the work she started, and hope to make January a time for connection – bringing people together and reducing the stigma around loneliness.

Visit the Great Get Together website today for a toolkit which has a handy scale so you can discover what easy action you can take that suits your current confidence level.

All the Small Things want to share information about projects and activities going on in our area that connect people (face to face or virtual), as part of the Great Winter Get Together campaign.

Paul is an active neighbour, a real community connector in Stoke on Trent.

“When I see people as I’m going out and about, I say hello and have a chat.
If people are not having as many social contacts as they would like, I’ve started telling them about a coffee morning at a local community centre I go to. I encourage them to meet new people. It worked for me”.

Paul wants to encourage everyone to say hello, or just smile. It can make a big difference to how lonely other people feel.

“Beside you” support cafe.
We want to open a mental health café in Audley parish, this will be for those not only suffering from mental health but those that are supporting and caring for somebody who has mental health issues. Our aim is to have a place where people can meet up and know they have someone to talk to who can relate in some way in regards to mental health. At our cafe we aim to have a therapy room, go on day trips, creative writing, board games area etc We are looking for volunteers for the group or any professionals or ex professionals that wouldn’t mind give up some of their time to help us in this much needed program within our parish. Please contact Jeanette Harris on 07940 127805

CAFAG poster - start your day with coffee and a smile, Coffee cup.

CAFAG and Befriending Service Coffee Morning.
You are invited to the next coffee morning at the Whitfield Valley Centre in Fegg Hayes on Wednesday 2^nd February 2022. It starts at 10:30am and is a chance to find out about our Befriending Service and what other activities and services CAFAG has to offers.

Carelink
Carelink is part of Saltbox based in Hanley. We strive to improve people’s lives by tackling loneliness and isolation and helping people to live healthier for longer. Our service is open to anyone over the age of 65 who lives in Stoke-on-Trent or North Staffs. We provide a free Telephone befriending service and run social activity groups at Redemption Hub Stoke on Tuesday Mornings 10am – 12pm. Plus Hanley Indoor Market and Swan Bank Cafe on Thursday mornings 10am – 12pm. alongside a weekly exercise group (KOKU) and a monthly Digital Inclusion group (Connect Club). Contact: 01782 810320 or e: carelink@saltbox.org.uk

CCMA community centre in Cobridge.
Education, training, exercise group, art group, children’s group, fundraising, domino’s, lunch club, and soup club. Rooms available for meetings, weddings, christenings, funerals, birthday or anniversary parties. 07470 459376

group of older people sitting round tables chatting and smiling

MHA Communities North Staffs has a mission to reduce isolation and loneliness in the over 55’s.
We have a range of groups in the North Staffordshire area, including lunch groups, social groups, exercise, arts and crafts and a History and Reminiscence group. In addition we run a befriending service. We can also organise transport to our groups, at a small cost. We are keen to hear from anybody who would like to join our community as either a member or as a volunteer, in a number of different roles. You are sure of a warm welcome!
Contact Sharon Morley, 07568 612 037, Sharon.Morley@mha.org.uk

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce – Positive Pathways
Supports refugees living in Stoke on Trent or Staffordshire, to develop confidence, skills, job search and help to set up a business with a grant available.
To find out more: phone 01782 202222 email julie.priestnall@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

The Care and Fun Club Blythe Centre offer enhanced library services, groups and activities to keep people connected within their community. careandfun@live.co.uk

VAST Volunteer Brokerage: Connecting volunteers to opportunities across the city. We work with Community partners to share their opportunities. What makes Vast volunteer brokerage stand out is its unique way of taking time to get to know the volunteers and well as service providers so that we make bespoke matches of volunteers to opportunities. Volunteering is a good way for those who can, to find something meaningful to do and reduce their own loneliness and isolation. Community Health Champions: Working with volunteers in the community to connect better with their local community and share health and well being messages including how to look after one’s mental health in order to maintain or improve quality of life. Again in this project, our Champions use their knowledge of the community to provide bespoke support be it through signposting or referral and sometimes handholding into services that may support to reduce loneliness and isolation as well as other associated health concerns.

Westport Lake Community Group
We have hung words of kindness around the estate at Westport Lake to hopefully some of the winter blues residents might be feeling. Katy x wplcommunity@outlook.com

Take action with the Great Winter Get Together

Please pass on this information to people you know to highlight the Great Winter Get Together campaign and help reduce the stigma of loneliness.

Follow the Great Winter Get Together on social media: facebook https://www.facebook.com/greatgettogether
twitter www.twitter.com/great_together
instagram https://www.instagram.com/greatgettogether/

You are welcome to join the Loneliness Strategic Partnership in North Staffs.
If you are a volunteer or paid worker organising activities that connect people to tackle loneliness, please email allthesmallthings AT gmail.com or phone Lynne on 0751 881 3131 for more information.

Caring for our community helpers

Are you helping people in your community to cope with Coronavirus?

Have you felt stressed? Anxious? Depressed? Overwhelmed?

Have you been juggling work? volunteering? furlough? homeschooling? supporting and caring for others?

Then you are amazing and need to be recognised and valued for your kindness.

We have now been experiencing the pandemic for 12 months and all that it brings.

Thanks to a grant from the Local Connections Fund we are running two creative wellbeing workshops for community helpers and a celebration event to say a big thank you to people from community groups, charities, individual volunteers and kind neighbours.

The COVID Community Helpers Creative Wellbeing Workshops are on

Tuesday 2nd March 2021 from 10.30am till 12.30pm

Friday 12th March 2021 from 10.30am till 12.30pm

At the workshops will focus on our own self care … a time of reflection, relaxation and restoration for our mental and emotional well being. Each session will include a hands-on creative activity. We will post out the materials to you before the session, once you have booked on.

We also have funding for Celebration event on the 24th March from 1-4pm.

The event will include

wellbeing workshops,
time to reflect on what we have learned from our experience of community helping in the pandemic
a big thank you to community helpers in North Staffordshire

You can sign up for our free sessions here at Eventbrite.

We will email you with information and the link to join the online sessions on Zoom.

All the Small Things CiC is a Social Action Hub. We have signed up to the Community Action Response for COVID-19.

We are working in partnership with the Community Organisers Local Organising Group to facilitate regular peer support sessions. We are working with local partner organisations to make sure people know where to get support and how to make a difference in their communities.

As a Social Action Hub we bring people taking social action together to help us all to share experiences and learn together. One of the ways we do this is with Peer Mentoring. Peer Mentoring Groups last up to two hours when we:

have time to meet each other
hear what we are all doing in our communities,
talk about concerns and questions we would like help with
suggest places we can go for guidance, advice and more support

If you have any questions please email Penny or Sarah:

allthesmallthingscic@gmail.com

Thank You for all of the hard work you are doing in your workplaces and communities at this time.

Introduction to Community Organising

Do you want to learn how to organise in your community and make a difference to where you live?

Would you like to be part of a local and national network of Community Organisers leading social change?

The Introduction to Community Organising course is a starting point for anybody who is interested in community organising.

The course is in two parts. You need to do both sessions. There are three opportunities to do the course – December 2020, January and March 2021.

Monday 14th and Monday 21st December from 9.30am to 1pm.

Tuesday 19th and Tuesday 26th January 2021 from 9.30am to 1pm.

Wednesday 3rd and Wednesday 10th March 2021 from 9.30am to 1pm.

This free training is part of “It’s Not as Simple as Black and White” project to raise awareness of what brings us together rather than what divides us.

In this course we will explore

• the importance of listening to build relationships and uncover issues

• power in communities and why it matters

• how to motivate people to take action

• how to take your next steps in community organising & social action

The course will be on Zoom online. There are 15 places on the training.

All participants receive a Certificate of Participation if you attend both workshops.

Please book so that we can send you the link to the Zoom training sessions.

Click here for the eventbrite booking link for December 2020.

Click here for the eventbrite booking link for January 2021.

Click here for the eventbrite booking link for March 2021.

The course will be run three times between December and March so if you cannot come in December please let us know and we will send you information about the other dates.

Further one-day courses are available focusing on practical aspects of community organising, plus longer courses for those who want to train as fully qualified community organisers.