Greetings Tribesters
Welcome to our first update of 2020!
There is detail in here, requests for support, volunteering and dates for activities for you to sign up to. When you have time and space, make yourself a cuppa and make yourself comfy 😊. You may need to read more than once. I often do.
The amazing news of our success with the Reaching Communities bid is still settling. Jo McGain, Ben and I are immersed in unfolding and implementing all the work that went into it and the programme development we hope to achieve over the next three years. Personally it’s been a little overwhelming. There is deep gratitude for sure and also now the reality of the work (and pacing) to do.
There is a three stage model around new projects which I thought was spot on:
1) The ideal
2) The ordeal
3) The real deal
The hope is that the ideal is more realistic so the ordeal is less harsh and the real deal comes as soon as poss!
A key focus is how can we do this sustainably, keep relations and connections flowing and strong and ensure we work to our individual capacities without burning out?
New Project Co-Ordinator role (title to be confirmed)
Jo M, Ben and I are currently redefining our job roles and spec, working towards creating space for the new role. This will continue to work closely with the community to help people personally and professionally grow. Keep ‘em peeled.
Creative Pathways
We had provisionally planned a full, non residential weekend on March 14th and 15th for the next stage of our Creative Pathways programme delivery and development. Due to the scale of work we need to do to get all systems flowing with the Reaching Communities funding, we are now going to make this next step a one day Archetypes training with me and Bethan Evans on:
Saturday 14th March. Holne Village Hall 9.30am for a 10am start. Finishes 6pm
For those of you wanting to staff on our next Recovery Tribes residential in April, attending this training and listening to the W2F online Archetypes introduction by Elizabeth Klyne (https://www.writetofreedom.org.uk/archetypes-talk), will be part of your staff application assessment process.
If you want to sign up for the Creative Pathways day (Tribe members only), please email Jo - jo@writetofreedom.org.uk
There will be an option to stay on the moors on the Saturday night and share a meal and share a walk together on Sunday 15th. We’ll be exploring more of the work we cover on the Saturday in relation to the landscape.
There is good value accommodation at The Dodbrooke Farmhouse next to where Amber and I live. £15 for the night for a bed and bathroom. There are two double rooms and a single. First come first served.
Judy Henderson: 01364 631 461
There are also the Shepherds Huts in the village
Mind Mapping the W2F Universe!
This diagram is a snapshot from a bigger Mind Map we are putting together to see at a glance what’s happening and who is holding or needs to hold, what. Where you can see the XXXX in the diagram is where roles need to be taken up either by paid staff or volunteers.
Below the diagram is a more detailed explanation of developments, new structures and roles that are filled need filling.
New Mentoring Days Structure and roles
Ali and Melissa and others have held a lot of the Mentoring Day organising for the last three and a half years. BIG gratitude and thanks for all your hard work and dedication and love!! 😊. It’s great to have others holding this for so many years and its time for them to hand this over to the Tribe. We need your support with this.
Amanda Pugsley has stepped up to be our next Mentoring Day co-ordinator. BIG Gratitude Pugsey!!
If your co-ordinator time falls on an Experience Day or a Celebration Day you will need to co-ordinate these as well. With support!
Each Co-ordinator role will run for between 3-6 months.
We need a volunteer or a nomination for February’s Initiator/Leader, and for each subsequent month. I’ll be Northing and supporting both roles till end of March. The three of us will meet by Zoom to discuss themes and season and who to invite to step up to hold part of the days. TBA.
From April to June, Peter, Melissa or Ali (who TBC soon) will take over Northing for three months. The Northing role will be for three months per person. The idea is to allow those less experienced who want to step up (or to be lovingly nudged 😉) to co-ordinate, initiate/lead, can do this while being properly supported and guided by an experienced member of the team.
Those Northing the co-ordinators and initiator/leaders will be offered a remuneration £80 per month if you wish to take it. Any member of the Tribe can step into this paid Northing role when you have a good handle on both roles and you and we feel you are ready.
If you’re taking on a role as co-ordinator or Northing etc, you will be given a W2F email address to use - let us know if you have any issue with this.
In order to support us all and to ensure safeguarding and container building, going forward all Tribe members will need to let the Mentoring Day Co-ordinator know if you’re coming.
We are hoping to reach further afield and reconnect with those we’ve lost touch with.
We’ll need to know:
· Transport/lift sharing needs
· Are you in active recovery from your addiction of choice?
· Any extra support – where you are in your recovery
For the time she’s in her co-ordinator role, Amanda P can be contacted on: AmandaP@writetofreedom.org.uk
Next Residential
The online application for the next residential (April 24 - 26) will be online within the next two weeks.
Experience Days
Volunteers or nominations open to support elements of the Experience Days. See website for dates - https://www.writetofreedom.org.uk/w2f-events
Celebration Days
We need volunteers to step up or nominations to help build and put on the new Celebration Days. This will be a chance for family and friends to come and celebrate and honour the new members of the Tribe and their journey through the Recovery Tribe residential. There will be a creative element to the days. This could include poetry, spoken word, music - sky’s the limit. Contact Caspar direct - caspar@writetofreedom.org.uk
One to ones and Training Days
As of February, Caspar will be offering an alternating month of up to 8 one to one, hour long, supervision sessions on Zoom, phone or in person.
The alternating month will be a group training day. Details to be announced on website
February is now open for one to ones. First come first served. Email me direct: caspar@writetofreedom.org.uk
March’s training day will be the archetype training with me and Bethan Evans.
Monitoring and Logging Volunteer Hours
A big part of the success of the Reaching Communities lottery bid was down to your volunteer hours and what that said about your commitment and the need for what W2F offers in return. Going forward, we are asking that you keep a tally of all the hours you give in service to W2F so we can evidence this at the end of the funding and match it (or go beyond) the average we calculated in the bid.
Please send your volunteer hours to Jo (jo@writetofreedom.org.uk) by the last Friday of each month, for that month.
Evaluation and Evidence Base for our Work
We are meeting with Exeter University this month to begin the process of building a new evaluation and evidence base. Exciting! This will be looking at the journey each of you have gone through so far and capturing that in a way that shows the impact and importance of what we do together. We will also look to capture the experiences and statistics of all new members joining the Tribe in the coming months and years. The data will be gathered by the new paid project co-ordinator, the volunteer co-ordinators and those holding the south on the residentials.
Community Consultation
We will continue to listen to your thoughts, feelings, ideas and challenges. We’ll set a meeting up later in the year to discuss this further, exploring where we are with projects and development. Do please email Jo (jo@writetofreedom.org.uk) with any feedback you have at any time. A good guide to submitting this is -
· What’s your intention with offering the feedback?
· How could it support you and W2F?
· Do you need any support or to speak to a member of the staff team?
With love, respect and gratitude,
Caspar and the team
