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Here's what's new:
🕛 Average overall reading time: approx 7 minutes
🔍 We're looking for a Senior Project Officer (Northern Ireland) to join the team (Read more)
👋 School for Everyday Democracy applications now open!
🌡️ Why climate adaptation plans need public voice (Read the blog)
🏴 Advising Welsh Government on strengthening democracy
📦 Unpacking the impact of deliberation (Watch here)
🤔 Reflecting on our Citizens' Assembly for Northern Ireland
🍽️ Supporting public voice in food research (Read more here)
🤝 Getting deliberate about social cohesion (Read the blog here)
💬 Help shape our newsletter (Share your thoughts here)
We're hiring!
🤔 Like us, do you believe that our democracy needs an upgrade? Do you want to help people right across the UK to have a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives? Then join our team and help make our vision of a more vibrant democracy a reality!
🔍 We're looking for a Senior Project Officer (Northern Ireland)
❓This role offers the chance to be at the heart of designing and delivering a wide range of participatory and deliberative processes at a really exciting time for us in Northern Ireland. You’ll work with the public, government, and civil society to create meaningful democratic change
⌛ Deadline: Tue 20th May
✍️ Read more and apply: Senior Project Officer (NI)
🤩 Applications for the next cohort of the School for Everyday Democracy are now live!
At Involve, we believe society works best when everyone has the power to influence the issues that matter most to them. That’s why, together with Act Build Change, we launched the School for Everyday Democracy.
The School for Everyday Democracy is a UK-wide programme that is working to empower 100 people to make meaningful change in their communities.
With the first cohort already well underway, we are excited to announce that applications for the next cohort are now live. Through the programme, these ‘Everyday Democracy Champions’ are equipped with the skills, connections and opportunities they need to make a real impact in their communities. With expert guidance, they learn to engage others, organise within their communities, and create actionable plans to bring about positive change. Together, the Champions form a collaborative network, sharing ideas and working together to create stronger, more connected communities, where democracy takes place every day.
Applications for our second cohort opened last week. Learn more here and help spread the word about the School for Everyday Democracy to shift the balance of power across the UK.
Applications close on the 22nd May!
🌡️ Why the UK's climate adaptation and Net Zero plans need public voice
As the climate crisis intensifies and the UK faces an unusually warm, dry spring, the Climate Change Committee warns we’re dangerously unprepared for growing climate impacts.
At a time when cross-party political support for Net Zero is wavering, our latest blog explores why putting public at the heart of climate decision-making is essential for accelerating much-needed action.
🏴 Advising Welsh Government on ways to strengthen democracy in Wales
We’re excited to announce that our Engagement Lead, Daisy Thomson, will represent Involve on the Welsh Government’s new Innovating Democracy Advisory Group.
This expert group, formed in response to the Comisiwn y Cyfansoddiad / Constitution Commission’s recommendations, will explore innovative ways to strengthen democracy in Wales. It’s a positive step from the Welsh Government and reflects the growing recognition of just how valuable public voices are in shaping decisions at all levels of government.
We’re pleased to bring our experience to the table and to work alongside other fantastic people and organisations to help ensure that democracy in Wales continues to evolve and thrive.
📦 Unpacking the impact of deliberation
Back in March we held the first of our ‘Deliberation Unpacked’ events, a new series that explores the lasting impacts of deliberation. In our first session, we heard from the people behind MH:2K, a powerful project that engages young people in conversations about mental health in their local area. In this session, we explore the routes to some of the impressive impacts that the pilot projects achieved.
You can watch the recording of the first Deliberation Unpacked session here.
Read more about the pilot MH:2K projects, as well as their initial reports, here:
MH:2K was initially ran as a pilot between Involve and Leaders Unlocked. The programme has since gone on to empower many more young people and achieve even further successes. You can read more about MH:2K on the Leaders Unlocked website here.
Look out for the details of the next Deliberation Unpacked, taking place in the coming weeks.
⏪ 7 years on: Reflecting on our Citizens' Assembly for Northern Ireland on social care
In April, we joined Age NI and the ARK team at Ulster University to host a roundtable reflecting on our Citizens' Assembly for Northern Ireland on social care. Seven years on, its 27 recommendations still ring true – and now is the moment to act on them.
With an aging population and increasing demand for services, reforming adult social care has never been more urgent. Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt, recently emphasised that “reforming, growing and enhancing social care is of fundamental importance to society as a whole.” We agree, and the public must be at the heart of this transformation.
Our Citizens’ Assembly showed how a representative group of citizens, given the right information and time to deliberate, can develop recommendations that chart a way forward for everyone.
💡 Northern Ireland is rich in expertise on participation and deliberation, which the Executive can draw upon in shaping reforms. We’re excited to continue this conversation and helping to ensure that public voices are central to building a better social care system for us all.
Read more about our Citizens' Assembly for Northern Ireland here 👇
🙋Read more about our Citizens' Assembly for Northern Ireland
🤝 Setting the stage for a democratic future for Lough Neagh
At the end of March, an initiative of the All Island Better Democracy Network brought together community members, experts, and ‘democracy elders’ from across the UK to discuss how we can make conversations about the future of Lough Neagh more democratic.
Together, panelists and participants explored how deliberative democracy could help address the environmental and governance challenges facing the lough, from toxic algal blooms to fragmented management. Participants explored how public involvement can create more transparent, inclusive, and effective solutions for this natural treasure.
Look out for our report with key insights from the workshop as well as possible routes toward commissioning a Citizens' Assembly for Lough Neagh in the coming weeks.
🍽️ Supporting Public Voice in Food Research
Through the Sciencewise programme, we are proud to support UKRI in bringing public perspectives to the heart of research on ultra-processed foods (UPFs). This year-long public dialogue marks the first in-depth exploration of how people across the UK view UPFs, their impact on health, and their place in our food system.
By ensuring that public perspectives and priorities inform research and policy, we're helping to address knowledge gaps and shape future priorities. The findings will support the development of dietary and health policy, including the new National Food Strategy, and demonstrate the value of public engagement in tackling complex food challenges.
🍽️ Read more about the dialogue here
🧰 Upcoming training
Our Involve trainers bring years of real world experience in participatory design, delivery and public engagement approaches. Whether you’re working with a small group or a large community, we provide hands-on, interactive and participative training that leads to lasting, positive change.
Empower your leaders and team with the skills to create inclusive, effective, and sustainable solutions.
Public Engagement Training
- Thursday, July 3 · 9:30am - 1pm Sign up here
- Thursday, November 6 · 9:30am - 1pm Sign up here
Facilitating Public Engagement Training
- Thursday, July 10 · 9:30am - 1pm Sign up here
- Thursday, November 13 · 9:30am - 1pm Sign up here
👀 Read more about our training offer here
🤝Getting Deliberate about Social Cohesion
Can processes like citizens' assemblies, juries, and other forms of deliberative public engagement foster the social cohesion needed to tackle our climate crisis head-on?
New research reveals how deliberative public engagement can help build community bonds and trust between citizens and decision-makers — essential ingredients for the successful delivery of climate policies.
✍ In a recent blog, Alison Chisholm delves into the findings.
📨 Insights from Involve!
Don’t forget to sign up to our new ‘insights’ newsletter, where we bring you strategies and tools to enhance public engagement in decision making and participatory democracy.
Each edition provides expert guidance, case studies, and practical tips drawn from over two decades of experience in delivering successful participatory and deliberative processes.
📨 Sign up to receive the Involve Insight here!
💬 Help us shape the future of this newsletter!
🤔 With an ever growing list of updates from our work, we want to be sure that we're sending a newsletter that's of genuine interest and use to our readers. That's why we're asking for your help in shaping the future of this newsletter!
Please consider spending just a few minutes answering some short questions that will help us understand more about your interests and what you'd like to see in Involve's future newsletters.
💬 Share your thoughts about our newsletter here!
🙏 That's all for now!
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