Serendipity Is Priceless A new wave of wellbeing is being fueled by tech-savvy creatives with a passion for social justice and a shared vision of a better world. Their mantra is “do good things, keep moving and stay in touch.” It’s communities doing what they do best and leveraging digital tools to accelerate impact. In …
It’s Your Party Back in the day, we thought it was funny to wind up our history teacher, Mrs Bladen, by humming while she was speaking at the front of the class. It’s was childish “group think” thing which made no sense at the time. Now I know it was an act of rebellion, safely …
Old Farts, Smoke and Bicycles David Cameron’s “Big Society” policy failed to capture the imagination of the British population. Its prominence in the 2010 election manifesto was not borne out by the subsequent legislation, nor did it show impact in the projects sponsored on the ground. Did this foreshadow government’s diminishing ability to cross the …
Gatekeepers and Changemakers According to the adage, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. The idea speaks to the wisdom of prevention through healthy eating. Today it could easily be a metaphor for wider wellbeing. Through our choices, we’re able to do good not just for ourself but also for others. How often do …
Read All About It On the 23rd June 2016, the “B” word became the defining socio-political issue of our time. It was like flipping a coin that landed on its edge then watching in slow motion as it teetered, knowing whichever way it eventually lands it will delight some and isolate others. Those others being …
Facing Up to Isolation The small conversations at Charisse Kenion’s event last week were thought-provoking, to say the least. On a dreary, rain-drenched morning, people turned out to enjoy a coffee and a casual chat, before sitting for a portrait. One sitter talked about “how it was back then” when she and her husband of …
In our experience of working with isolated older adults, a number of factors recur with notable regularity. Chief amongst them is a deep-rooted desire to be heard and to connect. People frequently tell us “no one understands me” and with that, there often comes a sense of frustration. Following on from our Happy Hub experiment, …
Beware The Bias On 20th April 2018, 8,000 Starbucks stores across America closed for a day so all the frontline staff could undergo “unconscious bias” training. Starbucks had received some unwanted, brand-eroding attention when news of an incident in one of its Philadelphia stores went viral on social media and mainstream channels. Why? A branch …
They say Goldfish can only remember For three seconds at a time.Reliving everything over again.Can’t help thinking we are all goldfishAnd life is tucked away tightly in nonsenseFilled seconds; three ticks at a time.One potatoTwo potatoThree potatoBut no more; never four I spendToo much time dreaming about My precious three seconds.They say an elephant never forgets.What a …
The world-wide Maker movement has become a well-established phenomenon over the past decades. Few would deny that hands-on creativity is a good thing. The visceral process of making stuff is powerful energy that affects us and those around us in equal measure. Our most recent prototype (delivered over 18 months in Kings Heath, Birmingham UK) …
