Making It Easier/Facilitator Sharon Sommerville

Making It Easier

Our Group

Andrea (Basic Income Waterloo Region), Rachel (BIWR), Laura (Williamsburg Community Association), Myron (Disability), Sharon (Facilitator)

What drives your involvement?

• Of all the four values -> it was hard to choose a priority, valued the four

Andrea -> Compassion drives Equity & Fairness & wanting to do it with the others who share the same values

Laura -> Leave a Legacy drives Compassion

Myron -> Wants to add Hope as a value which is a foundation

Rachel -> Dignity / Opportunity of choice for everyone -> Equality

Why do you do this work?

Myron -> Wants to address cynicism / core fibre of our society

Andrea ->

Laura -> Cynicism is an easy out

Rachel -> People are so busy / reflection can counter that cynicism -> wanting to leave a positive legacy

Myron -> Living in intention

Laura -> To support positivity and live from that place

Andrea -> Freedom -- people being able to live the lives they want -> support sin plac eto allow people to live meaningful lives = more choice

What practical supports are helpful?

• What do we have?
• What do we need?

Laura -> Limited space -- being rented -- use org. spaces

• Need more space -> which draws more participants
• In Williamsburg --- (5000 people)
  • HAVE:
    • Partnership (most valuable resources)
    • Community members who use programmes / events
    • Partnership with city
  • NEED:
    • Space / Money
  • Backup resources -> ie. when board member leaves / skill is still there

Rachel / Andrea

• HAVE:
  • Steering committee -> Dependent on
  • Website / social media / newsletter
• NEEDS:
  • Physical Space -> Common space -> facilitating conection -> & online presence / skill sharing -> ie. event planning / website

Myron -- Needs funding

• HAVE:
  • Partnership with Social Development Centre
    • Provides space and office supplies & record keeping (important)
  • Staff support provides link to activities & services / connections
  • SDC helps group have a voice
• NEED:
  • Space -- accessible (meetings) -> conversations and activities / convening space

Other needs:

• How to connect with media
  • Could come out of joint networking
• Sharing strategy
  • Twitter -> Media
• Sharing skills
• Money = continuing / happier employees

Working Together

• Partnerships
  • Builds community -- bringing people together
  • Making connections -> builds community capacity

Williamsburg - Laura:

• WHat can your organization offer?
  • Reach - / practical support - registration / formed /structure -> City
  • Building programming -> offering smaller groups a voice
  • Connector

BIWR - Andrea:

• Connects with other groups to find space to host event
• Looking to connect with other groups
• Looks to improve connections
• Looking for a hub

Myron

• Plug in & plug out
• Needs consistency / continuity
• Maintain ongoing
• Conferring legitimacy -> respectable / credibility
• Places to dialogue on the internet
• Facilitation

• Power in Numbers -- Groups working together will have a louder voice

• Could support a radio show on community radio which introduces and talks with community groups as opposed to Rogers Cable