An idea from Eden

October 9, 2009 by
Filed under: The RSA 

I’m at an event for the great and good (and me) at the Eden Project. Some great people here, most of whom have done important things to try to promote sustainability. Unfortunately, we’ve spent quite a lot of time trying to agree how to work together. We’ve decided now on a kind of Dragon’s Den process in which we break up into groups, develop an idea and try to sell it to the rest of the group. My contribution has been to say that we should focus on what value this particular group can add to all the types of activity taking place already. I might do an extra post tomorrow to report how it’s gone.

The high point so far was a small exhibition of community based projects here in the South West. They ranged from the Transition Movement, which is now global but began in the UK town of Totnes, to a really impressive community regeneration project in Falmouth. Listening to the exhibitors talking about their projects I was reminded of my current obsession: encouraging the RSA Fellowship to work together to make a difference in the world. I was really pleased at the commitment to this idea of the first meeting of the Fellowship Council on Wednesday but the difficult question is, of course, how?

We have tried various approaches that get Fellows together to develop projects but while there are good ideas, the problem is that there is still too big a gap between the good intentions and the capacity to do something about it. So, I wondered whether a city network might try something rather like the exhibition here at the Eden Forum -  inviting a number of innovative community projects to present to a group of Fellows identifying the ways their work could develop or be replicated.

This could provide the concrete challenge that might spark Fellows to think about how we can combine our resources to make a difference. To do something like this the city network would need to be confident that enough Fellows would come with a real openness to taking ideas forward. To be fair, we would probably have to cover the costs of the groups coming to the event and making their presentations – but this shouldn’t be much.

Could this be a runner? Is there a city group out there that might take it forward and if they did what support could we give from John Adam Street? (By the way it’s only my idea, so I’m more than happy if colleagues back at HQ comment – even to say it wouldn’t work!)

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8 Comments on An idea from Eden

  1. Olivia on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 1:40 pm

    2. I think that another necessary component here is the opportunity for Fellows to meet with other Fellows who have taken projects forward; with a view to exploring the hurdles and the success stories. Perhaps then adding the ‘personal pledge’ component to generate action afterwards (if anyone would like to pledge now, you can do this using the Fellowship Charter Exhibition online pledge form). Fellows in South Central and South East are keen to get active, but first want to know what a project can look like. I know the team will be working to achieve these examples, but it may also be that these work to inspire Fellows to collaborate, share sucessful models and then build upon them. If any Fellows from the South are reading this, what do you think? I spoke with a Fellow in Salisbury and we thought about making this a bi-annual ‘projects forum’ for South Central whereby the format would be participatory and encouraging. Celebrating the successes of the regions and also working to inspire in a practical way.

  2. Judith on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 1:49 pm

    3. This might provide an opportunity for Fellows who are working on successful community projects to have a platform to tell other Fellows about it. From experience, I know that there are some incredibly innovative, entrepreneurial projects out there led by some of our amazing Fellows. I don’t necessarily think that the city networks are the space to develop this idea but I definitely think that there would be a great deal of openness to making a commitment to providing practical support to some good projects.

  3. joe on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 1:58 pm

    4. Yeah, I like the idea – I think working on an concept together would work because there are many fellows who see things from totally different angles. The problem is how to tie down an agreed concept and how to carve out time from everyone’s diary to make it happen.

    For me the strength of what Matthew seems to be refering to above is not so much in replicating existing ideas from community projects but in gathering experiences and applying them to new and different problems.

  4. Clare Reilly on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 2:13 pm

    5. This is a great idea for London and something Fellows have previously discussed both on and off line since August. See discussion on the London Ning – http://londoncitynetwork.ning.com/forum/topics/do-we-want-external-nonfellows

    We have seen a similar model work really successfully at Social Innovation Camp and it could be redesigned for RSA city networks. Potential projects and ideas could be presented to ‘panels’ of Fellows who could offer help, assistance or resources to supporting or getting them off the ground.

    Hopes for the London network have not been realised to date and this could be the catalyst for pushing it beyond a social gathering. I am meeting with some London Fellows next week about possible structure for November’s network and beyond so this suggestion is one we will continue to develop.

  5. David Gauntlett on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 2:51 pm

    6. The Social Spaces project, which Tessy Britton and I are developing with RSA support, proposes to do just this: to inspire Fellows and others to action by showing the wonderful stuff that has been initiated by others.

    We now have a website at http://www.socialspaces.org/ where you can click ‘Download concept brochure’ for a colourful 45-page romp through inspiring projects and our own programme.

    We’re now at the (boring) point where we are preparing funding application(s) so we can make it happen on a biggish scale…

  6. Daniel Snell on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 8:04 pm

    7. Hi Matthew,

    The Eden Project rocks, who are you with down there? Gaynor or Tim?

    Did you know we did a green talent fellowship programme down there this summer? With Lucy Parker? We’re expanding that programme over the next three years pretty dramatically.

    BTW you were on form this week…

    i’d love to get involved – let me know how?

    See u soon

  7. Gary Lloyd on Sat, 10th Oct 2009 9:19 am

    8. Matthew

    You are so right about the gap between intention and action. I created a free, flexible place in cyberspace for people to collaborate on anything that interests them at http://www.thegreymatter.net/

    We have a lot of members but, so far, few contributors. It is certainly a place that fellows and other interested individuals and groups could use, when not physically congregated together.

    Gary

  8. David Wilcox on Mon, 12th Oct 2009 9:45 am

    9. This is clearly a hot, top topic … so how about one place where this discussion takes place, and we can focus energy? At present we have discussions spread around regional and city networks, and on the Fellowship council site, and occasionally on this blog … which is lively, but gets lost.
    How about an online space where Matthew, staff, Fellows, council members, Trustees, can discuss, and here is a clear archive of discussions? Ideally linked to a face to face gathering.
    The Fellowship council site would be OK, if everyone would commit to joining in there. It’s the other space where there is some buzz, and ties in with charter etc.
    Once there is a framework it could be applied through regions.

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