Foundations: Meeting our collective needs
As a collective, there are some foundations that allow us to carve out time for togetherness, reflection and learning around mental health and collective work.
These include:
Check-ins and check-outs
(opportunity for each person to say a little about how they are at the start and end of each session)
Because when working together we must have a moment to reflect on how we are doing, how others are doing and what could be needed
Payments to cover people’s time.
Because we understand that there is a lot of dedication involved and that we are doing real work, which is not always possible on a voluntary basis.
Child care provided
Because we are committed to parents being able to access these spaces. Providing childcare especially makes it possible for working-class parents, women, people of colour, and people who experience social isolation to join.
Refreshments
Because we know that it is important to be able to offer a hot drink, and snacks to share so that we can have the energy and comfort to work.
Welcoming environment
Because we understand accessibility is also about how we feel in a room. It has been important to meet in our space, to arrange the environment thoughtfully, thinking about what we are welcoming? For more vulnerable moments, we would create soft lighting, privacy, and soft furniture. For times when it is appropriate to hold emotions in a different way we use spaces that are more public, brighter and sit at tables where we can work together. We move in the room when we need to change the energy and welcome something new.
Comfort Breaks
Because we need time to rest, reflect, take care of practicalities such as toilet breaks and refreshments, and adjust as we work.
Meeting these needs gives us a baseline from which to be in community together.
Related Blog Posts:
The Community Wellbeing Collective – ways of working
Workshop 2: Generating Questions
