Best Hopes workshop
Our ‘Best Hopes’ workshop was used throught the action-research part of our project, with groups of commissioners and practitioners in Leicester and Wigan coming together to redefine what ‘good’ business support to the social sector in their localities should look like. The workshop uses a simple format based on Solution Focused skills, and is designed to help diverse groups of people move away from historical or process related barriers, towards their preferred collective future.
Inclusive design
This workshop format enables all voices to have their say, and brought very different opinions together to seek and arrive at common aspirations – so they could take action on affecting genuine change to their business support ecosystems. Click here to read more about ‘Inclusive Design’
“If they had the nouse, they’d find the support available on our website? – ‘but what else do we need to do for those who wouldn’t naturally look for or find that information’ – ‘how can we do better?!” (Workshop attendees)
The session begins with the broad question – ‘what are your best hopes for support to social purpose businesses in your area?’. Participants are then guided through a series of questions that expands their thinking around what they would notice if different if these ‘best hopes’ were achieved (better defining their goals and intended impact), who else would notice these differences (stakeholders, benficiaries), and what these poeople would notice (early success criteria, creating a feedback loop).
We then asked the groups whether some of what they had described was happening already, or had happend in the past, even in some small way. This opened up lots of thinking around what was already working and could be improved through dialogue and reviving connections, rather than just devising new programmes and finding more money. Finally, attendees worked through, given what they’d discussed, what an ideal support ecosystem might look like – and how to get there together.
“We came to the conclusion that despite having different agendas and remits – starting Social Enterprises through one funder, Community Businesses through another, our common goal was helping the hardest to reach become aware of, and access, whatever support most suited them.” (Workshop attendees)