Supports Safe Drinking Water for Haiti Victims. http://www.sea-pack.com/hydrowellvillage.html

The Chain Reaction Network has now MOVED to: http://chain-reaction.ning.com/

The Chain Reaction Network has now MOVED to: http://chain-reaction.ning.com/

The Chain Reaction Network has now MOVED to: http://chain-reaction.ning.com/

Could the Finland model for recycling be adopted in communities in the UK? The Finland model is where people get paid for the return of their waste for example, tins, bottles, plastics etc - as a way of creating income for people and reducing land fill. This model works well in Finland - could this work in the UK? Find out what else was discussed at the Liverpool meeting at http://bit.ly/JFSxf

At the Liverpool Chain Reaction Stronger Communities, Stronger Economy meeting Bank Relationships were discussed. One of the main problems in delivering at grass roots levels is the relationship with cash flow. When winning tenders/commissions/grants money is always given retrospectively. Some agencies really struggle with cashflow, and work needs to be done at a national and local level to ensure that banks are encouraged to view community socia... [read more]

At the Liverpool Chain Reaction Stronger Communities, Stronger Economy meeting participants discussion options for working together at community levels to encourage local growing. In Liverpool there are a number or organisations working on garden produce projects - for example Arts in Regeneration and Rialo Neighbourhood Council. Further work should be done on a local level to develop partnerships between these organisations to work together to s... [read more]

There needs to be support for regular community cultural markets, to enable local small scale trading of home grown produce, cultural foods, home made arts, crafts, antiques, and flea market. This would also serve as a place to meet, share and be neighbourly, which would be good for the community. A community cultural market would enable young mothers to exhange childrens clothing etc, and encourage tourism in the area (i.e. the Portobello Road m... [read more]

We need direct support at neighbourhood level, for back room, admin for voluntary sector agencies to buy into. Individually, we can not afford backroom, collectively maybe we can. This support would avoid duplication and be best value. We could also develop consortia bidding for funding, development, tenders to deliver (i.e. PCT). We need to work together, to enable us all to survive, not burn out - and maybe thrive. Capacity building to enable u... [read more]

Much of my training and work has centered around the ideas from solution focused practice (solution focused brief therapy SFBT). As a side note, I am currently the National Development Officer for the UK Association for SF Practice (UKASFP). I believe this approach has much to offer towards social change and working with communities, so I just wanted to share a few thoughts. This approach focuses on the preferred futures of the client or group or... [read more]

Does the recession provide an opportunity to rebuild a better, fairer society? What can we do now to ensure that we emerge from the current economic challenges with stronger, more connected and more caring communities? The Council on Social Action, set up to advise the Prime Minister on his agenda for social action, would like to engage the Chain Reaction community in developing ideas about creating social renewal alongside economic renewal. Plea... [read more]

As Chain Reactors, please send me useful links to help our local to global communities of any projects that we call collaborate, connect and cultivate in 2009. Here is why we must take ACTION: Benjamin Fulford links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Fulford A good tip is to listen to some of the long interview whilst you are surfing the net as that way you are still being productive. Part 1: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu6dWGfOy2k&feature=... [read more]

I was very inspired by Victoria Hale's talk and discussion yesterday. One of the discussions was around how young people interested in health can get involved in the UK as well as the developing world. A few people mentioned the idea of trained health 'champions' volunteering in their communities. What I wondered was whether there might be interest in building a platform for community health people, either professionals or volunteers, who could c... [read more]

Robert De Souza: Hello Clare, Yes, happy to help support a group who is passionate about health matters. Can we identify who is keen to be part of this exciting group and arrange to meet and share how best to move forward in 2009 to help people we come across to enri... [read more]

Gareth Gault: Hi Claire, very interesting views and a topic of real relevance. There is more onus on the health sector to engage with the patients and the public and emerging and innovative opportunities to co-produce services and in service redesign. The Commissi... [read more]

the idea of fair trade is so important but this does not mean that we should celebrate cases that are hi-cost and non-replicable or that get disproportionate free media blocking out the case of others; equally most fashions are set by youth so a little more knowledge shared/focused and youth could best fair trade's best advertising which do you recommend and with what reasoning I am very keen on the way that a leading us supermarket group's leade... [read more]

This talk/discussion encouraged us to find our assumptions that we take for granted (i.e. we live in a democratic society yet we hardly ever vote and our governing community, town & county councils have little or no dialogue with us, the residents they represent). We must think long and hard about how technology and social innovation can challenge these assumptions to become the catalyst for new behaviour, raising awareness and breaking old parad... [read more]

I have just edited an arts magazine called the Aword. The theme of the first issue is the art of forgiveness. What the inspiring and moving contributions reveal is that the arts can play an important part in helping people to forgive and through the gift of forgiveness can come some incredible art. To download a free copy of the magazine go to www.apcentre.org.uk/arts_on_the_out/index.html Readers have commented "the Aword is a fantastic iniative... [read more]

Hello All, After a suggestion from someone at Chain Reaction '08 we have added a toolkit of useful resources to our website, that anyone can contribute to, and everyone can access. So if you have anything you want to share please contribute. Here's the link: http://chainreactiontoolkit.wikispaces.com/ Full details of this will also appear in this week's newsletter Thanks all! Laura

David Wilcox: Hi Laura - that's brilliant! I've started bookmarking socialreporter stuff here http://delicious.com/socialreporter/ David

David Robinson, founder of Community Links, the organisers of Chain Reaction, reflects on the event as everyone winds down at the drinks reception. David is also chair of the Council on Social Action, set up by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown. I started by asking David how a local, East London organisation, had managed to stage such a large event.

Jonny Gutteridge: Yes it was great to have such strong representation from young people. Yes it's true that lots of new connections were made. You did a great job in creating an incredibly collaborative culture of Chain Reaction. I came away with some very specific co... [read more]

Laura Hyde: Hi Jonny Thanks for your feedback! :) Laura