Freshly back from the bank holiday weekend – and it feels that spring has definitely sprung, and the cobwebs are clearing.

The past few weeks have shown enormous promise and progress in terms of the Newtworks project, and much us this is down to the enthusiasm of Fellows.

With this in mind I hope you won’t find it too self serving if I start this weeks blog with this fantastic contribution from FRSA Tessy Britton.

Six months after the launch of the Networks project I feel more enthusiastic about it than ever. This is not because the practicalities seem easier, but the importance of what is being attempted is genuinely quite thrilling.

The RSA Fellowship is made up of extraordinary people, drawn to the RSA undoubtedly because of the organisation’s uniqueness and breadth of vision.

Where the RSA networks project adds to our Fellowship enormously is the invitation to participate. The shift in paradigm from being an interested but largely passive member to valued contributor is a really significant one.

It changes the questions from ‘what is the society doing for me?’, to ‘how can I contribute?’, it challenges our passions, time, imaginations and our commitments. It even challenges our abilities. It shakes us up, sometimes uncomfortably, to examine how, on a very personal level, we can not only talk about social change, but do social change.

The RSA is now saying to us that it is holding open a new sort of space for our ideas to be heard, to be animated by conversation with others and to be supported in many different ways. This is an incredibly inspiring thing to do, mostly because the long-term success of the developing network is dependent almost entirely on the interest and enthusiasm of Fellows to enter this space.

By these actions and attitudes the RSA is exposing the possibilities that are energised by individual generosity. It is rejecting the reductionist, remedial view of society and humanity and is firmly putting its trust and confidence into our innate capacity for collective good.  What could be brighter or more optimistic?

Take this paradigm out of the RSA into local government for a moment.  Imagine a local council where they put real value into their members – all of them.  What would happen if those members were stimulated, inspired, encouraged and supported to form connections and groups in those communities for positive social change?

It can be hard not to envy the nimbleness that other innovation groups can offer, especially in these early stages. However, the RSA comprises a disciplinary diversity and geographic penetration that is wholly unique – and it is through its determination to create these connective opportunities, these equalities and freedoms across disciplinary, social and regional boundaries that I feel some of the most exciting projects will emerge over time.

While others may surely look for evidence of innovation in the output of social projects already, I am simply delighting in watching and helping the process, which for me is the real innovation.   And it is amazing.

Saturday saw me heading to Stockton-on-Tees to speak to a joint Durham University/RSA conference entitled ‘There is such a thing as society’.  I heard some fantastic presentations from inspiring people doing great things in the community.

Iain Caldwell was fascinating about the transformative work of Hartlepool Mind and his reference to the ‘human givens‘ approach to therapy has opened up a new literature to me.

Reverend John Elliston told the story of the 700 Club in Darlington; from its humble origins asking 700 citizens to give or loan £50 to buy a terraced house for emergency accommodation for the homeless to its current dilemmas about how to retain its radicalism and responsiveness while also relying on public grants.

I also listened to RSA activist Patricia (‘Paddy’) Deans who had worked with other Fellows to first persuade and then support her local health practice to build a state of the art, fully sustainable, health centre. Paddy is modest about her contribution but it is clear the RSA was the catalyst, even if the work was then done by the health practice, architects and the North East eco-centre.

I suggested to Paddy that we might develop an RSA Network dedicated to giving Fellows advice and support in seeking to make local new buildings fully sustainable. I’ve put this to our networks team here so watch this space.

Now, thanks to the miracles of modern technology I’m able to continue posting my blog while out of the office. But I wanted to publicly thank Laura Bunt in particular from the Networks team, who did such a stunning job of organizing last night’s event.

Andy Gibson FRSA also made an excellent job of facilitating and I was gratified to see so many staff members turn out to support the RSA Networks Exchange initiative.

There were many ideas buzzing around and the event reinvigorated a lot of Fellows following on from the event we had in November.

This is a perfect example of what Networks is about – it’s about bringing Fellows together, both virtually and in ‘real life’ to develop effective networks for delivering (and dealing with) positive social change.

There were a number of excellent projects proposed, and people were asked to make commitments as to how they would take these ideas forward. So here’s one from me. I think that we should commit to holding a similar event (around the country) at least once a month.

I’d love to hear from more of you who would like to be involved in an exchange event, or for those who attended, ways in which you think this event could be more effective.

What would be great is if, together, we could create a culture of collaboration, in which people with similar ideas could develop one fantastic project, taking the best elements of what each person has to offer. A sort of open source project for social change, which takes as it’s premise that no one person has all the answers or bright ideas, and that we all have something to share and learn.

Again, well done to the team who made this event happen and in particular to the Fellows who showed such commitment and enthusiasm last night!