Blog 6 – Community Builder Experiment
by Lorna Lyons
So, we’ve now come to the part of the course where Julian invites us to undertake an experiment within our communities. Are you ready to be bold experimental subjects’ bold partners? Of course, you are.
Our experiment is entitled ‘A Ripple for a Ripple’ and here’s why:
Experimental Design & Technique – how will you explore?
We will boldly explore by sharing a wonderful bold ripple from bold partner Fenella Kerr with a bookmark and pencil case created from the wonderful art created in the workshop she facilitated in her Mum’s care home demonstrating how “creativity & art can help those living with dementia to engage & flourish”.
Research Areas & Methodologies – what will you explore?
We will try and explore and capture more bold ripples in our bold community from all our bold partners, no matter how big or small we want to know as it’s the small actions that can make the biggest impact.
Data Collection – how will you gather information?
We will send bold partners their own bold Ripple pencil case and bookmark and invite them to create a Mindful Design Doodle in return with a bold Ripple included and send back to me.
The Experience of Experimenting – how will your community react?
We hope the bold community will love their new bold Ripple gift and embrace the creative task that is based in bold Social Leadership practice and share their bold Ripple and Doodle by returning them to us.
Analysis & Storytelling – how will we share what it all means?
We will share all the bold Ripples & Doodles from our bold partners who are actively Bringing Out Leaders in Dementia in their communities on social media, online and by e-mail with the #boldripples hashtag and hopefully our partners will do the same in their own communications and communities.
Look out for your special bold Ripple bookmark & pencil case winging it’s way to you soon and REMEMBER to send me a wee photo of you receiving it or stuffed with your creative tools or in your favourite space with a few words at llyons@qmu.ac.uk and I will post on our socials or better still post on your own social media with the hashtag #boldripples ensuring you tag us as follows:
Twitter – @BoldScotland
Facebook – @boldprojectscotland
Instagram – @theboldprogramme
Include the hashtag #boldripples!
But to finish off this series of blogs I suppose I should try and see if on this Community Builder journey, we have answered any of the questions posed at the beginning:
What does being part of the bold Community mean?
This probably differs for every partner but in essence it means you have access to a community of like-minded souls who are trying to make a difference in the dementia world. That community includes those living with dementia, those supporting others living with dementia or working in the dementia world. Dementia has brought us all together but the passion and drive for a more inclusive future is the glue that binds us. And as always there is never any pressure to take part the bold community is here and waiting whenever you want to join in.
How do we communicate more widely?
The answer to this lies in our ‘Landscape of Communities’ and the bold partners and our legacy partners from the Life Changes Trust such as About Dementia, Meeting Centres, Kirrie Connections, STAND, Playlist for Life, DEEPness etc are all doing amazing work communicating with each other. Since Dawn joined our team she has done a brilliant job of forging these connections as we strive on for that future society where ‘dementia doesn’t matter for who we are as people or how we live our lives.’
How do I connect with other partners directly?
This is a work in progress but the bold Blethers and the bold Stories we share are helping and there are definitely more in-person events planned for the future. We have a bold directory of partners and details on the community website so whenever you are ready dive in and connect because if there is one thing we know about this amazing community, every single bold partner would love to hear from you and is more than willing to share their story and support. We had our latest bold Flourishing Blether this week and we had partners in attendance from Cohort 1 which was nearly 4 years ago to the latest Cohort 8 and everyone in between which was amazing to see and a credit to you all with a big thank you from us. I will finish with a quote Brendan shared with us all which really forms the basis of everything we do so go forth and flourish bold community!
Human Flourishing
“Flourishing is the highest good of human endeavours and that toward which all actions aim. It is success as a human being” (Aristotle)
Find out more about Sea Salt Learning here!
Read the other blogs of our Community Building journey here.
