RSA Bulletin 2013 WEB Booklet 010 13082013

7/27/2019 RSA Bulletin 2013 WEB Booklet 010 13082013

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Moving on from the

East of England Conference

RSA East of EnglandNews Bulletin Summer 2013


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1 RSA - Unleashing Potential - Building a better society 2

Realising the Mission

Malcolm NobleChair RSA East of England

The modern Centre for MathematicalSciences building is located about half waybetween the old city and the UniversityObservatory. Two hundred years ago theastronomers of Cambridge moved theirtelescopes from the town, recently lit bygas light, to the heart of rural darkness farbeyond urban lighting. The East of EnglandRSA conference at CMS was about lightand enlightenment. The CMS is now in thecentre of the rapidly expanding universitywhich has more than enveloped theDepartment of Astronomy. Learning andresearch shines all around, not to mentionscaffolding and yet more brand new shinybuildings.

The conference was designed to showcas eFellows activity in the region for each ofus to get out of our silo to see what elseis going on - to allow light into previouslyunlit areas. Any Fellow who needed a voicewas encouraged to be heard. As planningunfolded we moved from the idea ofsimply showcasing what was happening tobeing instrumental in ensuring appropriateprogrammes were planned for the future.

We had a potential rag bag of contributionsyet somehow our four themes weretransformed into an elegant programme byfacilitators Loic Menzies, Wendi Pasco-

McGregor, Lynette Warren and Sam Weller.After a period of nding out each groupturned to decide what activities need to beplanned for the future.

After all, change for socialimprovement is what RSA is about.

This encouraged the discover y of whoelse in the region had similar interestsand what concerned other Fellows. It hasre-energised local networks and set uppotential new networks and projects.

Not easily pigeon-holed and certainlyknown to be a loose cannon, John Birdthe founder and editor in chief of The

Big Issue, shocked us, electried us andhelped galvanise our will to get on andmake change happen. He is an effectivecomplacency buster.

This regional conferen ce was set inCambridge, providing an opportunity toget 500 or so Fellows based in or nearthe city up and running. I was tasked bythe regional team to get this conferenceoff the ground. For half a year a group ofFellows many of whom knew no othersprior to this put imagination and energyinto assembling a programme of somecomplexity. It was a bit of a gamble butone that came off.

We had to remind ourselves that theconference had to be relevant to nearly2300 Fellows across the entire Region.

The range of presenters and exhibitorsensured this was not just a local show. Themarketplace, comprising 23 exhibitors, wasa triumph of organisation and became thefocal point of the day encouraging muchnetworking. Again the iconic new buildingwas an appropriate space to realise ourvision of buzzing endeavour. Even thecatering had a multi-level appeal as it wasenthusiastically consumed by delegates inthe midst of the marketplace.

At the end of the day I led an informal walkinto the City centre in order to open theeyes of delegates to Cambridge as a citywhich has plenty of issues to deal withas it builds from its historic roots towardsa hi-tech bright future. The weather wasappropriately dazzling.

It was an immensely satisfying day withso many new links made and plans aretaking shape.

Now lets crack on

The conference aim was to engage theFellowship, with like-minded partners inactivities across the East of England. VikkiHeywood, Chair of the RSA, claried theSocietys purpose as enriching societythrough ideas and action. John Bird, fromthe Big Issue emphasised the necessity forpractical activities.

Our method was to showcase RSAactivities through the four workshops:on the themes of Education, Urbanism,Sustainability and Community Initiative.

These themes are based on the RSAsdevelopment plan for the region. Thisis delivered through existing networks:Norwich Education Forum, Shout OutSuffolk, Changing Chelmsford and theRSAs contribution to the Cambridge sub-regions 20/30 vision project.

Some 12 project ideas came from or grewat the conference.

Some of these ideas are already movingforward. Others will need a push to getstarted. The opportunity is here and nowfor Fellows and others to engage withthem. I am happy to put you in touch.

I shall hope to hear from you [email protected]

1 The East of England team isdeveloping a series of cross-regionprojects: the rst on sustainability,

entitled Renewable Energy in the Eastof England.

2 A group of Fellows want to addressthe impact of variable parenting skillson young people. They have identieda local charity called Home Startalready working in their area andagreed to make contact to see whatskills RSA Fellows might be able tooffer.

3 Scale up existing education projectsor volunteering opportunities bycollaborating with other Fellows.

4 Develop the relationship between theRSA and Community Radio stationslike Future Radio in the East ofEngland.

5 Create a route map to Community

Award for Sustainable Living: Identify Fellows who aresustainability activists andadvocates in the region

Engage and challenge theRSAs Academy students todene their views of sustainableliving.

Build a framework or matrix toenable a better understandingof sustainability

6 Set up a sustainability forum wherewe can follow up and start deliveringidentied initiatives - in the interest ofcarbon reduction we could use Skypeand other online communication.

7 Potential joint initiatives between ThePaper Trail, Vertical Allotments and

YOPEY.

8 Beginnings of several alliances, builtaround how a Cambridge 2030process could be adapted for other

local areas like Norwich and Ipswich.

9 Signposts: Use the RSA, centrallyor locally, to make known howindividuals can volunteer, match upskills and signpost opportunitiesto do so. The RSA could establisha volunteering section on theirwebsite. In addition, CommunityFoundations in England are rollingout a programme called Vital Signswhich through a combination ofofcially generated statistics andcommunity verication will highlightthe key areas needing support in localcommunities - this will assist RSAFellows in identifying the areas mostneeding support in the region.

10 Cambridgeshire CommunityFoundation plans to convene regularmeetings locally to investigatepartnerships/sharing of resources.

Voluntary groups will se e if they canoffer support (resource and expertise)to each other on a mutually benecialbasis based on a time banking model.Organisations with spare capacityin terms of space, equipment andresources might be able to helpgroups looking for space, transport,entertainment and opportunities for

job/skills trainin g and the like.

11 Start up an RSA network servingHertfordshire.

12 Local meetings of Fellows, initially inCambridge, to explore the communitybased initiative opportunitiespresented by the Conference. Usethese meetings to build ideas toput into Catalyst (RSA programme

awarding grants and support).

Unleashing Potential

The day dawned, if not bright, rain-free for the Fellows to beunleashed on the Centre for Mathematical Sciences (CMS) for therst ever East of England conference.

To test their mettle and potential for participation in the event, aseries of initiative challenges were set quite serendipitously as ithappened! The rst task was to nd the venue which, as 90% ofthe delegates arrived, proved to be quite simple, especially when afree parking prize was offered in Cambridge of all places.

Next task, to nd the entrance to this spectacular, but notparticularly well signed cluster of buildings. Again, full marks as

everyone found this, but the nal hurdle was to gain access.Not quite as easy as it appeared. Was that a door or a large paneof glass? By standing in front of the impressive double doorswould they open automatically? T his last task seemed to presentthe most challenges to our spirited and enthusiastic delegates.Some searched for a handle on the large pane of glass, otherswaited patiently for the seemingly automatic doors to open, butthe champions found the unassuming door on the left of the glassportico to gain entry. Victor Ludorum! However, in todays spiritof equality for all, everyone was granted access with a bit of helpfrom their friend, the Meeter and Greeter. The day wasabout to begin

Fellowship

RSA

Sue Hind Woodward


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21st century EnlightenmentEnriching Society throughIdeas and ActionKeynote Speech by Vikki Heywood CBE - National Chairman of the RSA

Vikki Heywoods

presentation launched a

new vision for the RSA.The challenge for the Fellows hip is to nda narrative that is accurate, accessible,distinctive, clear, exible and durable. TheRSA recognises that words matter. Butour language is not yet accessible tothe broader public. Many terms used inthe social innovation and enterprise worldthat the RSA inhabits and animates - arepoorly dened and fuzzy. Our previousstrapline - 21st Century Enlightenment-describes an approach, not a purpose oroutcome.

Our job as a Fellowship is, therefore, torene, dene and increase understanding- to be clearer about our purpose andto demonstrate inuence through ouractivities. The new strapline claries whatwe are about and provides a call to action:

21st century enlightenment:Enriching societythrough ideas and action

Our Range is GlobalThe RSA Fellowship will be 100 years oldnext year. We have a global network of27,000 people. And the Fellowship is moreactive than ever, in local groupings likethe Social Entrepreneurs Network and ina growing number of Fellow-led initiativesattracting support from the RSAs CatalystFund. RSA lectures have had 84 millionviewings online in the last three years.

Focussing on the goal of enhancing humanpotential, we are putting our ideas intoaction, with a growing family of Academyschools committed to high standards anda progressive mission. We have research

and development projects ranging fromentrepreneurship and education, throughzero waste manufacturing to the conceptof spirituality and its application. Ourpractical work ranges from working witha rural county to design and establish apublic service campus in a market town, toholding a commission for a County Councilon how to achieve a step change in schoolresults.We have a diverse range of substantivepartnerships with organisations includingMicrosoft, Samsung, Lloyds, RBS,the Technology Strategy Board, MIT,NSPCC and several local authorities.Our international work includes a major

design initiative in the USA, Malaysia andScandinavia.

Our Approach

The RSA nurtures and engages a networ kof Fellows, employees and partnersthat is proactive, intellectually curious,entrepreneurial and diverse. The breadthof our interests, networks and methods arereected in competencies including horizonscanning, generating debate, primary andsecondary research, civic engagement,practical innovation and enterprisedevelopment. The global reach of theRSA, our independence and our broadand multidisciplinary networks mean wecan identify emerging new challenges andspot and curate powerful new ideas. Ourmission is not merely to communicate or torecommend to others but to develop andrigorously test practical, scalable solutions.We seek to make our ideas and innovationsavailable as inspiration, opportunity andresource to all.

Our ValuesWe aim to be independent and creative,practical and resourceful, consistent anddemanding, respectful and philanthropic.

Measures of SuccessWe should seek to measure our success:through our inuence on the assumptionsand aspirations of leaders and innovatorsin all sectors of society; the number andimpact of Fellows initiatives we are able tohelp launch and grow; the quality, impactand inuence of ideas and initiativeslaunched by the RSA Action and ResearchCentre; the quality and reach of our annualevents programme, the Journal andother forms of dissemination. Above all -becoming the type of organisation that the21st century needs.

Questions

The issues were explored fur ther in alively question and answer session. Theyinclude what we mean by independenceas one of our core values party politicalimpartiality is crucial. There was interestin the developing international programme some of the national programmes,including the Student Design Awards, arenow going global. There was agreementthat the arts need to be high on the RSAagenda. And whats in a name is RSAreally accessible, accurate and clear?Probably not - an item for the to do list.

In the midst of the education policy bubble

it is easy to miss the voices of practitionersbut it is even easier to miss the voice ofchildren and young people. However, theeducation workshops at the Unleashing

Potential Conference were a rare exceptionto this: Fellows from the Norwich EducationForum, Shout Out Suffolk, Brunel UrbanScholarship and Future Radio broughtyoung peoples stories to life with audioclips, artwork and stories. They showedhow Fellows were using partnerships andnew technology to give young people avoice in education.

One of the strongest messages to comethrough in the morning session was theimportance of empowering young peopleby giving them the means to unleashtheir potential. For example, by buildinga user friendly and easy to access onlineforum, Shout Out Suffolk brought togetherhundreds of young peoples voices. Theythen fed their views into the RSAs Raisingthe Bar report so that they could be heardby key decision makers in the county

and nationally. Meanwhile the NorwichEducation Forum gave members of thecommunity the skills to participate ineducation debates and used the medium ofradio by partnering with Future radio. FinallyDonna Green, of Brunel Universitys UrbanScholarship Program described the hugerange of opportunities her project givesyoung people so that they can access jobsand university. All in all, the contributorsstories left me with two important lessonsfor Fellows:

Identify what skills and expertiseyoung people might need which youcan provide

Build powerful partnerships (e.g. withother local organisations, schoolsand universities.)

The afternoon sess ion built on theselessons and explored what participants

felt they might be able to do. One highlightwas a group of fellows who wanted toaddress the issue of variable parentingskills and the impact this has on youngpeople. They identied a local charity calledHome Start who are already working inthe area and agreed to make contact tosee what skills RSA Fellows might be ableto offer. This seemed like an excellent areato focus on since research has shown thatthe gap in educational outcomes betweendisadvantaged children and their peersopens up in the rst few years of life andthat the way parents speak to their childrenplays a signicant part in this. Americanstudies have shown that by helping parentsimprove the language in their interactions,

substantial progress can be made inclosing the education gap (see Hart andRisely 2003, Gross 2011).

Several other Fellows shared projectsor volunteering opportunities they werealready involved in and discussed how theymight scale these up by collaborating withother Fellows. Another area of interest wasin how to engage the wider community inFellows projects. Participants were keento open up their projects to non-Fellowsbut also to tap into their communitiesexisting hidden social capital. JohnElliott for example described the strongnetworks that exist within disadvantagedcommunities which are centred onparticular niche interests and argued thatFellows could work with schools to tap intothis hidden richness.

The overall message was clear- if Fellowsare to Unleash Potential in education, theyshould identify the barriers young peopleare facing, what they have to offer which

could address these and which networksand partnership they have access to. Theycan then build bridges and feed in theirexpertise. If the projects we heard aboutduring our morning session are anything togo by, the benets could be enormous.

Loic Menzies FRSA facilitated theeducation strand at the UnleashingPotential Conference. He is Director of theEducation and Youth think and action tankwww.lkmco.org.uk // @LKMco

Education: Hearing Young Voices

Loic Menzies

Vikki Heywood CBE

Today Im chairing th e education strand ofthe conference and get to use an actualchalk board!


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Urban Connections

The Urbanism strand took from usconsidering about how increasinglywe need to think more widely than a city,expanding to include a connected sub-region. Professor Peter Carolin, a previousHead of the Department of Architectureat Cambridge, talked about the process ofusing a series of workshops which formedthe backbone of Cambridge 2030.

Triggered by some forthright conversationsabout the lack of life in some ofCambridges business parks, Peter andhis peers wanted to start a new ki nd ofshared conversation. Showing a still uncutversion of the video to be launched shortly,Peter was clear in his emphasis that thiskind of process provides a different way towork with local government and other keystakeholders, pushing on an open dooras he described it.

From here, John Lyall of Lyall, Bills andYoung Architects talked about the evolutionof the Ipswich waterfront from the earlystages of the Craneld Mill through to theupcoming work on the Tolly Brewery site.

As well as extolling the vir tues of lunchat the neighbouring pub as part of anyfuture visit, John talked with passionabout the ways in which mixed use, andorganisations such as Dance East, canput the kind of life into urban spaces whichputs a spring in our collective steps.

John was followed by Annabel Brown, afellow architect from Maldon, who has beenrunning sessions with young people aspart of the Changing Chelmsford initiative.Using pictures of real places, we wereasked to imagine ourselves as stressedmiddle-aged commuters or busy retirees oreven young artists or urban farmers. Thiswas more a stretch for some of us thanfor others! In a fun, interactive session,

Annabel asked us to imagine different waysin which we could use everything fromredundant car parks to gloomy viaducts.In a burst of creativity, participants rangedfrom pigs on roofs to en-masse tai chi tothe role of elders. And Im sure I heard aslight nervous gulp of when Annabel toldus she would record our ideas as partof the real propositions on the ChangingChelmsford site... Talk about ideas into(possible) action!

Key reections in the closing session reallyfell into two schools; starting different kindsof conversations and using a processsimilar to Cambridge 2030. Startingconversations earlier would enable youto have more creative conversationssaid one participant. This led onto aconversation about how one might use

Art in its widest sen se to retrot life intosoulless spaces. A number of people leftwith the beginning of alliances, built aroundhow they might adapt a Cambridge 2030process, for their local area or initiative.

The Conference was a great opportunit ynot only for Fellows and guests to nd outwhat activities were being developed intheir area but also a chance to meet anddiscuss potential collaboration and newinitiatives.

The Sustainabilit y workshop based roundthe framework of environmental, economicand social activities certainly gave awealth of diverse and challenging pointsfor participants to query and discuss. Arange of current projects were presentedby Fellows in the morning which reectedthis diversity:

YOPEY - highlighted and celebratedyoung peoples achievements in bothsocial and environmental areas

The Paper Trail, based in an originalpaper mill, covered recycling paperand work initiatives for schools,business enterprise and communitysupport.

Vertical Allotments focussed ongreening the urban environment andwith Catalyst funding made possiblehorticultural/social activities for theelderly in sheltered housing with theprospect of creating a apprenticeshipscheme.

Kiwanja - We were hoping that ourpresenter Ken Banks would bring hisnewborn twins as his contribution butunfortunately he stuck to the script inwhich, noting the popularity of onlinegames, he identied anddemonstrated an innovative useof ICT and competition to stimulatecommunity engagement andenvironmental awareness.

North West Cambridge Developmentfeatured Eco homes and developingcommunity involvement to livesustainably.

The challenge for the day was to examinethese complex combinations of currentactivities and to arrive at a consensus fornew actions for the following year. Everyonewas positive and thought there was awide scope for environmental initiativesand some really exciting activities for theRegion. The most popular action pointwas to develop a blueprint/certicatefor sustainable living combined with aninnovative approach to communicationthrough games and competition.

The afternoons discussion s ranged froma collective of septic tanks to deningsustainability but a key factor was theneed for real action and not for talkingshops. A series of action points as routesto achieving a Community Award forSustainable Living was generally agreed;these would:

Identify Fellows who are sustainabili tyactivists and advocates in the region.

Engage and challenge the RSAsAcademy students to dene theirviews of sustainable living.

Build a framework or matrix to enablea better understanding ofsustainability.

The group thought that communicationwas crucial, and felt current channels forchanging peoples mindset were limited ineffectiveness, so introducing competitionand games to stimulate interest was aninnovative approach and worth exploring.

It was noted that most sustainableinitiatives such as Transition Towns andFriends of the Earth and Greenpeaceactivities tend to preach to the convertedand the challenge for the Eastern Regionis to engage with communities and peoplethat normally do not get involved. Th ereare extensive sources of informationrelating to this so we need to be innovativeand utilise Eastern Regions Fellowsexpertise and ideas. The new communityin the Cambridge North West Developmentcould be a focal point for pilot projectsmeasured alongside established communities.

Sustainability is by denition a cross-discipline exercise. There is an obviouslinkage with the other workshop topicsand it would be worth identifying mutualsupportive actions. It would be good toset up a sustainability forum where wecan follow up and start delivering identied

initiatives. However in the interest of carbonreduction we could use Skype and otheronline communication.

In conclusion the Conference was timeshort but content rich and a greatopportunity to meet and hear about otherFellows projects and ideas. In addition thesessions have sparked off potential jointinitiatives between The Paper Trail, Vertical

Allotments and YOPEY. A big thank you tothe team and everyone who made it such asuccessful day.

Green and Growing

Wendi Pasco-McGregor Lynnette Warren


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The workshop started by hearingpresentations on young people,homelessness, those affected by cancerand the elderly.

The ensuing discus sion highli ghted thefollowing issues:

Intergenerational opportunities

It was suggested that youngpeople who could benet fromexposure to the needs of the elderlyand disadvantaged might be invited toengage by offering their time in bothpractical and artistic ways.

Need for volunteers and the lack ofknowledge about how people canvolunteer in the community.

Surprisingly, the session concludedthat there was a lack of generalknowledge on how Fellows mightvolunteer their time and skills and howorganisations could advertise theirneeds for volunteers

Partnerships across sectors throughsharing and time banking

It was suggested that voluntaryorganisations of different size andprole could offer support (resourceand expertise) to each other on amutually benecial basis based ona time banking model. For example,organisations with spare capacityin terms of space, equipment andresources might be able to helpgroups looking for space, transport,entertainment and opportunities for

job/skills traini ng, etc.

The rural/urban divide in theEastern region

Major urban areas in the regioninclude the cities ofNorwich,Cambridge and Peterborough aswell as Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds,Ely, Lowestoft and Great

Yarmouth. Much of the area is stillrural in nature with villages surroundedby agricultural land and agriculturehas always been important in thisfertile region. The rural areas seem todisadvantaged in terms of third sectorsupport both in the number of projectsseeking support and those wishing tohelp them

Need to communicate betterunderstanding of the issues

In order to focus the help, support andvolunteering on the key areas of needin the region, there is a need for moredetailed information on which to baseactions

During the afternoon session, thefollowing actions took shape:

Need for volunteers and the lack ofknowledge about how people canvolunteer in the community. Use theRSA, centrally or locally, to inform howindividuals can volunteer, match upskills and signpost opportunities to doso. It was suggested that one of theroles of the RSA could be to establisha volunteering section on their website

Partnerships across sectors throughsharing and time banking

Convene regular meetings locallyto investigate partnerships/sharingof resources. CambridgeshireCommunity Foundation is planningto convene regular meetings locallyto investigate partnerships/sharing ofresources. Voluntary organisationsof different size and prole will see ifthey can offer support (resource andexpertise) to each other on a mutuallybenecial basis based on a timebanking model. Organisations withspare capacity in terms of space,equipment and resources mightbe able to help groups looking forspace, transport, entertainment andopportunities for job/skills training, etc

Need to communicate betterunderstanding of the issues

Community Foundations in Englandare rolling out a programme calledVital Signs which through acombination of ofcially generatedstatistics and community vericationwill highlight the key areas needingsupport in local communities. This willassist RSA Fellows in identifying theareas most needing support in theregion

Create a network of Fellowsto explore the creation of morecommunity based initiatives in theregion

Convene local meetings of Fellows,initially in Cambridge, to explorethe community based initiativeopportunities presented by theConference. Use these meetings tobuild ideas to put into Catalyst (RSAprogramme awarding grants andsupport)

If youd like to hear more aboutthese meetings, please contact MarySweeney: [email protected] or Sam Weller: [email protected]

Community Initiatives

We wanted the Marketplaceto be a continuation of theworkshops a place wherepeople would mingle, meetand get into conversations,exchanging and sparking newideas. Many of the workshoppresenters had exhibits,and used them to continueconversations they had begunduring the morning workshops,or to meet people who hadbeen in other workshops, andwanted to nd out about theirproject.

The range of exhibits wasgreat. All human life was there,with art (Deanna Tysonsvibrant stand, and lively bookillustrations by students at

Anglia Ruskin Un iversity), craft(the Weaver mans basket-making demonstrations broughthim some customers and someuseful new contacts) and manyinitiatives more or less closelylinked to the key themes forthe day. The RSA Animatevideos ran throughout the day,a place to sit quietly, while stillbeing stimulated by thought-provoking new ideas.

We set out the standsrandomly, in the hope thatdifferent workshop themescould escape from any risk ofgetting stuck in silos, by ndingthemselves next to each otherin the market place. So it wasserendipity that the PeoplesPantry was next to Vertical

Allotments, and found that theyhad a great deal in common.We made exceptions for mutualsupport: so the Academy ofUrbanism looked out for theChanging Chelmsford exhibits,as well as their own busy stand.

The long, low space, with itsarched ceiling, and alcoves withgroups of chairs for people tosit and chat, facilitated the feelof a genuine marketplace. Weplaced the food in the middle,so that people would haveto move through the standsin order to eat. That workedbrilliantly and the food, fromlocal, sustainable and healthysupplier, Origin8, was excellent though we owe an apologyto those who failed to ndappropriate catering. Specialdiets did not get through tous from the registration form,so we had no knowledge ofparticular dietary needs.

Sam Weller Jo Durning

A Marketplace for Ideas


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Terry Lee and Future Radio were partof the Norfolk Educational Forumpresentation but also went freelance inthe marketplace . . .

Hello, Im Terry Lee the Station Managerof Future Radio in Norwich, Board Memberof the UKs Community Media Association,and RSA Fellow.

At the RSA East of England Conferencemy work-colleague Lauren and I were keptbusy recording sound bites of some of theFellows and event organisers from the day

Future Radio is a community radio station,broadcasting 24 hours a day since August2007, with programmes presented andproduced by real Norwich people, using ourNorwich studios.

This form of local radio is not exclusiveto Norwich - we are one of around 200Community Radio stations that exist in theUK but I am proud to say that we areconsidered one of the best in the country.I think this is because we are not afraid todo different - we are the alternative voiceof Norwich, broadcasting for listenerswho love music, debate, and coverage ofkey local issues. We have a multi-genreschedule and over 150 volunteers currentlyon our books.

We are fully inclusive; lots of our volunteersare of retirement age (but young at heart),many dont speak English as a rst language,there are youth programmes made by andproduced for the youth of Norwich. FutureRadio is about reecting the views of thedifferent communities and communitiesof interest across Norwich, and creatingintelligent, alternative radio thatengages our thousands of listeners.Indeed, Ofcom found out last yearthat Future Radios listeners are themost engaged radio listeners in the UKwhen they produced their report TheFuture for Small Scale Radio.

In the East of England I am looking todevelop the relationship between theRSA and Community Radio stationslike Future Radio. You may see meat a future East of England eventsometime soon, armed with my voicerecorder. One day I would like to seethe RSA use Community Media as itsprimary communication tool. I dontthink there is a more appropriate wayfor an organisation like the RSA to getits message across locally.


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The Necessity of Poverty

John BirdQuartet Books, London, 2012

Endpiece: Whats in a region?

In chapter 9 of Necessity of Poverty JohnBird sums up his idea that we are allimplicated in the continuity of poverty.

Our society, our marketplaces are angledto make the most out of the poor. Sowhen you read the inane comments ofthe supposedly well educated there is noworking class anymore you might quibblethe wholesale diminishing of the lives of thelargest part of the worlds population to thatof servers of our appetites, and supplyingus with work and purpose, needs to befaced. To do so we need to get rid of someillusions along the way.

Until we act on the vast consumer powerthat is within our own hands we are foolingourselves. If we seriously want to closethe gap between the rich and the poor,we better stop making the rich richer. Webetter stop trading with the people whoselifestyles we nd vile and selsh.

We have to realise the collective power we

hold in our hands. Only collective actionshave made changes in the world, whetherdefeating Nazism or eradicating smallpox.We may choose to make political noisesand gestures, but they will not make thedifference we require

We need a deeper, less off-the-shelfprotest politics if we are to get anywherein getting rid of poverty. We will have toplace ourselves right in the centre of theequation.

I work with homeless people who havehad everything thrown at them. What holdsthem back is not what is done to them,but what they end up doing to themselves

and their inability to hold themselvesaccountable. Hence they often blameeveryone else for their poverty ratherthan accept the fact that they will remainhomeless until they put themselves at thecentre of their problem. I would suggestthat we have to take the same attitude.Until we recognize the power for changerests with us, we will change nothing.It is the collective power of our abilitiesand inabilities to change that we mustrecognise.

Until we invent new means of buying andselling that do not enrich one group at theexpense of another, we are going nowhere.Until we go back to the marketplace andreform it, the poor will not get a living wageand we will continue to increase the gapbetween rich and poor.

The reform of the marketplace around fairtrade is the only way forward. That meansbuying products so that people can feedand educate and care for their children.

All the Robin Hood taxes in the world wi llchange nothing.

Do we think of nodes, centres andhierarchies or do we think borders,networks, arteries? Build out from anotional core or arbitrarily divide up thebigger cake like imperialist settlers in daysgone by? Do we attempt to articulate,however ill-dened, a unique identity?

There is no perfect answer. Ask in

Peterborough, Bedford, Watford orThurrock and you may have a surprise!In the RSA we seem to have the makingsof a core in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex,Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire solong as we know which parts are reallyLondon. But where the boundaries areland not sea - I am not so sure. Unlike our

national government we quite like porousboundaries and learn to live with them,even celebrate them.

The vast majority, over 80%, were satisedwith the event, the way it was organised,liked what they heard at the keynote andRSA session, were clear about how to

contribute going forward and wished for asimilar regional event to be organised in thefuture - some were thrilled to bits with theday.

Most attended to learn more about regionalactivity, to network, to nd potentialactivities in which to participate or simplybe stimulated by being alongside theirpeers and most felt that their objectives forthe event had been met.

Some commented that the programmewas available only during the previousweek which left inadequate time for makinginformed choices. The building signagecould also have been better.

On the day some of the timings weretoo tight and workshops unbalancedfor some attendees. Some presentersfelt they had been short-changed. Many

were delighted with their platform. Thisis an area for signicant improvement inthe future. While, in general, the cateringattracted positive comments, we failed innot catering for special diets. Elsewherewe have apologised for this. Some found itexpensive.

The Marketplace was very useful formany but others did not get the timeor the opportunity to use it sufciently.Networking for some can appear anexclusive clique to others. We could havetried harder to ensure that after meetingand greeting Fellows were looked afterbefore the event started.

Most comments received were verypositive and there was virtual unanimity thatit would be worth repeating the regionalconference. The question is where? If it

becomes a regular event it must movearound our very clumsy region.

The organising team attempted to makethe day busy and full. We ended up with anambitious programme which did not workin every respect but, by and large, mostpeople had a good experience. T he proofof success will be whether some of thenetworking and learning on the day resultsin new projects and groupings across theregion. Get those Catalyst applicationsprepared!

Was it Worth Doing?

The RSA East England conference provedto be a worthwhile experience for the

Academy. We garnered interest in ourorganisation and had the opportunity tospeak with a number of interesting peopleengaged in urban-related activities. We arekeen to foster our relationship with the RSAand meet new people, and this conferenceafforded us that opportunity. Bright Pryde

Academy of Urbanism.

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation willrun a pilot with 10-12 local voluntary groupsto see if there are ways they can help eachother by exchanging skills and resourcesfor mutual benet, using the timebankingprinciples. The aim will be to link this withthe timebanking that is in operation aroundthe county. Anyone interested to participateshould contact: [email protected]

At the RSA East of England ConferenceI was kept busy (alongside my workcolleague Lauren Cooper) recordingsoundbites of some of the Fellows andevent organisers from the day. It was abrilliant event, with Big Issue CEO JohnBirds talk a particular highlight. Terry Lee

We were delighted the National Trustcould be involved in the conference. It wasgreat to meet new contacts and nd outabout other projects underway in the East.Were already now nalising our plans forcontributing to the Changing Chelmsfordevent in the autumn. I am looking forwardto developing other ideas arising from theCambridge event - there is huge potentialthat arises when potential partners withshared values and objectives get togetherin this way. Ben Cowell

The market place was a great opportunityto test the appetite of Fellows forcollaborating to launch, pilot and scalea new community supported agriculture(CSA) initiative The Peoples Pantry in the East of England. Not only wasthe general feedback from Fellows veryencouraging but a number of connectionswere made with Fellows who actively wantto get involved in a personal capacity. Iwas also presented with a very promisingopportunity to explore a collaboration witha well-established national organisationwith compatible objectives. Just one ofmany great outcomes from a highly positiveday. Gavin Shelton FRGS [email protected]

Organisations, leagues, administrators, politicians, service providers,utilities and businesses all struggle to dene regions which make sense totheir needs. The East of England is a brilliantly ambiguous concept.

Feedback on the Marketplace

Vikki Heywood The work of the RSAis to promote 21st century enlightenmentthrough ideas and action. We are a changeorganisation looking for ways we canenrich society, make the world a betterplace, by bringing people together toconsider active ways that we might changethings.

John Bird reform of giving, whichis about giving opportunities, not justhandouts. So I was very interested in

meeting with members of the RSA howwe could reform giving, so that people weremoving on from poverty, rather than beingmaintained in it. I got a chance to talk tomembers - very useful for me

Peter Carolin,

Cambridge 2030 Vision Seeing that,whatever our focus, whether it is urbanism,education or sustainability actually thelinks between us are very clear. Its veryimportant that people should meet and talk

together instead of sitting in their own littlesilos, getting on with their part of the job

Simon Gillighan, Adec Here to tryand meet people with similar interests andsee what we can possibly do with workingtogether

Jackie Bennett, Paper Trail Usefulnetworking. Everyone I have spoken to hashad a useful idea that I might be able to usein the future

Heard in the marketplace

We used an online survey to gauge delegate feedback on various aspects ofthe conference. About 40 per cent of those who attended replied.


8/813 RSA - Unleashing Potential - Building a better society 14

Mick and I enjoyed theday hugely and met somevery interesting peopleMick had a great timein his workshopreally connected withdelegates He nowwants to join the RSA

it was good to hear somany positive things for achange.

As someone recentlyretired to help me thinkthrough what I am going

to get involved in.

Everything about theevent was excellent.

Being inspired by thecase studies I heard.

The conference reected

that the notion of anEastern region is andwill continue to be

problematic because ofthe diversity across thecounties.

The chance to network!

I have no negativecomments. I was tooengrossed in learning

Casual yet purposefulatmosphere facilitatednetworking andengagement.

Not sure how well followJohn Bird, but will betrying to change ideasinto action

Excellent presentationfrom Annabel Brownabout ChangingChelmsford.

Tony Lyall and Ipswichwaterfront.

TodayImchairing

theeducation

strandofthe

conferenceand

gettousean

actual chalkboard!

thatsthepaper

industryitsmore

interestingthanThe

Ofcemakesout!

Youre-cycleitto

createevenmore

knowledge.

JustheardabouttheamazingFrogmorepapermillcombiningbestofVictorianandC21stengineering.

Superb@askokaUKfellow@Kiwanjatellsusabout@meansofexchange:democratisingtechforsocialimpact(fyi@evge

nymorozov)

Excellent

presentationfrom

AnnabelBrown

aboutChanging

Chelmsford.

Brilliantsessionwith

KenBanksfrom

@Kiwanjatalking

aboutsustainability

andcashmobsin

localcommunities.

Brilliantidea.

Just once again to say thank youfor a stimulating day that has set a

high bar for succeeding RegionalConferences. You have left us with

a number of well thought throughideas to think aboutYour marketplace concept workedso well as a space to engage

with each other over meal andcoffee breaks. It offered manyopportunities for informingFellowship and visitors of the workof the Region and to showcase

key RSA initiatives, includingcontinuously screened Animate

material. I could not help noticing achanging audience around thisscreen captivated by the contentthroughout the day. The afternoonEducation workshop prompted

a comment that the Animate treeof knowledge featured only men,so someone was watching intently.Mixing the excellent food and the

manned stands seemed to be thekey ingredient quite apart fromyour high quality venue.The well patronised lunchtimeroof walk and the post conferenceCambridge walks were nicecomplementary touches which

helped mix the audience.

Meeting and chatting with oneanother is a vital part of Fellowship,in this instance greatly assisted bythe ne weather and Chris Kingtons

knowledgeable commentary.Incidentally I left the evening walk at7.30pm. No one seemed to want to

go home.

It was your core programmeand carefully thought throughworkshops that have left thedeepest impression. The

professionalism started beforearrival with your printed programmeincorporating what amounts to anannual report, followed on arrivalby a well organised welcomeand refreshments in the MarketPlace. It felt good even before

anything actually started. Smoothprofessionalism shone through it all.You, your team and Vikki conveyed

an image of a condent andpurposeful RSA.On the workshops, I made aneffort to move around, managingthree of the four, (CommunityBased Initiatives, Urbanism andEducation). Again the discussionswere structured to engage the

audience in a purposeful way tofurther the work of your regional

themes to the extent of having realevidence of activity to show at theend of the day through the direct

participation of those attending:a turbo boost to ideas that givessomething to work on

Dear Malcolm

East of England RSA AGMSaturday 14 Sept 201310.45 for 11.00Flatford Mill Field Centre,East Bergholt, Suffolk

CO7 6UL

Flatford Mill is on the River Stour close tothe Suffolk-Essex border. The eld centrebuildings (run as an educational centre bythe Field Studies Council) particularly theMill and Willy Lotts House, are instantlyrecognisable since they feature in manypaintings by John Constable.

The Centre is at the end of a lane (beyondthe National Trust car park) which hasno through trafc. It offers visitors amuch sought-after sense of tranquility tocomplement a unique study environment.

After the regional AGM we shall havelunch in the Mill House (18.00) and a tourof the site including the recently installedarchimedes screw turbine in the mill race,

Valley Farm and other recently renovatedbuildings and a walk through the delightfulcountryside with resident tutor JonathanOldham.Book in advance: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/7483131247

A chance to catch up with the outputs and keep up the momentum

Dr Peter RobinsonChair RSA East Midlands

John Blandford, Carlos De la Riva, Jo Durning,Michael Fincham, Chris Kington, Sue Martin,

Bob Porrer, Bob Satchwell, Gavin Shelton,Mary Sweeney and Sam Weller.

Thanks to Chris Kington for front page photograph an d to RobertPorrer for all other conference ph otographs.

Bulletin design by Magstar Ltd.

East of England RSA Committee members 2012-13

Chair: Malcolm Noble; Deputy Chair: Susanna Pickering; Treasurer:Aled Jones; Programme Secretary: Sue Hind Woodward,Secretary: Lis Goodwin, John Elliott, Jerry Gibson, Chris Kington,Christine OHanlon, Wendi Pasco McGregor, Alaric Pugh, KeithRichards

Excellent RSA East England conference, all day lots ofthoughts and huge commitment to action. If you spot a

model question it!

The local conference team was large and changing.

The key movers in the Cambridge team were:

Documents

RSA Bulletin 2013 WEB Booklet 010 13082013