Our first Skills Camps sessions started off with a bang. For a few moments at the beginning, we paused to reflect on how much this moment means for us — that it is not 'just a programme'; it is about transforming people's lives and learning all the time how to improve the way we do it.

"I do not want to be a prisoner of my past" said one participant as he enrolled. The course is about liberating people to be more of who they are, to reach the labour market, and to learn to help others to do the same. We are with the participants every step of the way.

The Social Startups Labs that follow, are about a strength-based approach but applied to the community through the creation of startups — using an enterprise approach. "Use what you have, to apply it to what you need", is the thread that runs through it all.]]>http://londoncreativelabs.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14665399.xmlAnn Danylkiwcrowd-fundemploymentpolicyrethink workworkLondon Creative LabsSat, 19 Nov 2011 20:08:48 +0000http://londoncreativelabs.com/blog/2011/11/19/rethink-work-future-proof-your-work-life-and-your-kids-10-da.html448884:6215974:13790157 Last Friday we met Ann Danylkiw at the Hub Westminster. Ann has dived deep into issues of work and unemployment, with a refreshing perspective and passion. As she spoke she described an emerging feature set of the future of work, which we see more and more of amongst our peers and also within our own organisation.

Governments all over the developed world are answering employment problems with what we believe are growth models designed for the industrial revolution.

We believe the implications of our research into the future of work will extend beyond the labour market to education, learning, human resources, public services, families, and government budgets.

We have completed some research already and interviewed people like JP Ranganswami, Indy Johar, Frank Duffy, Anna Coote, Colette Fagan, Anne-Marie McEwan, and Benjamin Hunnicutt.

We have read widely as well: studies on the French 35 hour week, social insurance policies in Denmark and Germany, Kellogg’s 24 work week, to new approaches to digital learning in work. We have more research to do and more interviews to complete, but at this point, we’ve definitely got a pretty good idea of what the story is. We just need some time to put it all together!

We think this a project well worth backing, and it will put you close to some of the most exciting emergent ideas around the future of work. Both Mamading and I have personally put in. Just click on the sponsume link and it will take you to page where you can sponsor!]]>http://londoncreativelabs.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-13790157.xmlDavid PereraSocial Reportercommunity resilienceLondon Creative LabsMon, 07 Nov 2011 23:28:34 +0000http://londoncreativelabs.com/blog/2011/11/7/martin-murphy-an-enterprising-vision-for-communities-of-unta.html448884:6215974:13632032vi·sion

   [vizh-uhn] 
noun
1.
The act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.
2.
The act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision; the vision of an entrepreneur.
3.
An experience in which a personage, thing, or event appears vividly or credibly to the mind.

"By 2030 the majority of businesses in and around 'deprived communities' are run on a cooperative or social enterprise model, are incentivised to recruit locally, and allocate a proportion of their profits to the regeneration of the local community – in consultation and collaboration with that community."

When someone says that they "have had a vision", in the past tense, in my mind it refers to some form of perceived clairvoyance on the part of a person in receipt of a revelation that is unique only to that individual; that being, in essence, something I can not share in, something I do not understand or necessarily believe in myself and therefore something that is far removed from my own concept of reality. However, when someone is heard to say that they "have a vision", in the present tense, the word suddenly takes on a far more palpable, arresting and therefore believable meaning. When looked at in this context, it really is quite amazing how much difference a single word can make when your mind perceives the potentially hidden meaning behind a simple statement.

The vision quoted above, which serves as an introduction to an article written by Martin Murphy entitled 'Encouraging Social Enterprise In Deprived Areas' and consequently published on The Guardian website at the end of September, sits firmly with the latter belief; that belief being a tangible conviction that can be viewed subjectively without any hint of being unrealistic or limited to the view of a single person. It is a compelling vision that can be shared amongst many people, considered scientifically and therefore existing as an idea that is potentially achievable through a collective investment in a common cause. It is this belief in a common cause that is a driving factor behind the work of London Creative Labs in striving toward creating a self-sufficient and sustainable economic base for 'deprived' communities all over the country, starting from the ground and working up together, as a community.

Now 51 years old, Martin has most certainly experienced life on both sides of the tracks, punctuated by a period of homelessness beginning in 1999. Living day to day and, in his own words, 'doing what I had to do to get by - which included some things that were not so positive', Martin spent three years living in a hostel for homeless people before reaching a point where he decided that enough was enough. "I got to a point in my life where I was sick of this feeling (of social abandonment) and decided that I needed to make a contribution myself; instead of being an outsider and complaining about it, I decided to get in there and work and also to make a concerted effort to find people who felt the same way."

During this three year period Martin attended a number of programs targeted at homeless people and began a process of re-educating himself before beginning work as a volunteer for Training For Life, a homeless charity, in the year 2000. This volunteer work led on to full time employment with Training For Life as part of the personal development program in which he had initially enrolled, seeing him then rise up the ranks to begin managing the very course for which he had originally been a volunteer. This positive experience, after encountering so many negatives over an extended period of his life, led Martin into his current role as a Personal Coach and mentor, working mainly within the homeless sector. His continued work with individuals then led to him also considering the wider issues and the causes behind unemployment in what he regards as 'communities of untapped potential' (CUPs).

"The job centre doesn't look at communities; it focuses on individuals. This comes as a massive surprise to me. These communities, the communities that many of us live in, have been in place for long enough. They've always been present, and it still surprises me that a greater effort is not put into encouraging enterprise (by the government). The talent has always been there, as has the entrepreneurial spirit, which is evident in the amount of young people engaging in illegal activities to make money… They're making their own opportunities because, as far as they are concerned, there is seemingly no legal avenue for them to create or contribute toward a viable business structure that they can be a part of.

People always want to 'think big' so, due to lack of alternatives, they gravitate toward illegal options. For many people there is no legitimate outlet for expression, particularly on the estates, when they're surrounded by what they're surrounded by on a daily basis. If you've been living in what is very much a helpless situation for a long time, with no creative avenues to explore, your outlook is bound to become negative and that negativity will then turn inward. This begs the question - If they're doing 'that' (illegal activity), why are they not able to do 'this'?"

'This', of course, is Social Enterprise, which is a field that Martin has now been involved in for around four years, alongside the nine years he has spent in personal development and coaching homeless people. It is the Social Enterprise business model that is the driving force behind the work of London Creative Labs, and the conversation takes an interesting turn as Martin outlines the thoughts, feelings and obvious passion that he holds for the process; something that is wholly reciprocated by LCL.

"I feel a personal responsibility to help raise the feeling that we, as individuals and as part of a wider community, can do something to change these situations for the better. What we're working with is disengagement on a massive level; people have to be willing to participate, but it has to be recognised that a lot of people require support and encouragement in order to participate. There's a frustration that comes from the feeling that there is there is no way out - believe me, I've been there. The main outlet for frustration for many people, of all ages, is ambition; if there is no obvious pathway to the expression of ambition, people do not see an outlet, and this in turn can lead to frustration and apathy."

One example of this frustration is the recent riots and consequent looting in London that then spread across the entire country. Although opinion is still divided as to whether the 'looters' were politically driven or just opportunistic thieves, there surely can be no doubt that a number of those involved were motivated by the frustration born out of feeling that they, as communities, have been let down and ignored by each and every government that has come into power; governments that promise so much change but deliver so little. It is a topic that Martin obviously feels a particular affinity with.

"That's one of the main things that annoys me about the government… For the most part they assume that people who are in receipt of benefits do not want to contribute (to society as a whole). In my experience, everybody wants to feel that they have a purpose in life and that what they are doing everyday with their lives is worthwhile and of some value to other people. The government have not made the effort to create an inclusive system that allows people an avenue to make those contributions and therefore feel worthwhile (in themselves).

My weakness is also my strength in many respects - you have to keep your radical thoughts in check, but it is also important to allow them room to breathe when you are trying to make a positive impact on the social landscape. Social enterprise is neither left wing nor right wing; it is its own opinion… I'm tired of the old left wing versus right wing arguments where you must make a choice between one or the other - it causes polarisation, which leaves no room for common sense."

It is these 'radical' thoughts that saw the original article that Martin submitted to the Guardian cut in half, which in his own words, was 'a wise choice.' The publication of the article did, however, prompt a question and answer debate that served to put more emphasis on the role of the government in the stifling of the creation of a strong social enterprise model for communities of untapped potential.

"One interesting question that arose from The Guardian Q&A was 'How do you insulate communities against the government?' The government changes the 'rules' every five years with a whole new set of parameters and boundaries and new finance, which means there is very little sustainability or consistency in government policies. When money is poured into community regeneration schemes, it often gets frittered away. Money is thrown at the problem and the people on the ground do not have a say in how the finance is distributed within the community. It is all directed from above. The people that the money is intended for have no control over how and where it is spent and no money is then reinvested, which in the end results in less well off communities being hindered rather than helped by government politics."

Martin is no stranger to this situation himself, having previously been part of a successful program aimed at offering personal development to homeless and hard to reach people. The program was a success, but the funding ran out and it was forced to close. If the opportunity was there for the community itself to generate its own income, it would have given that very same community the ability to sustain programs that actually worked, ensuring these services were available to future generations. As is the case here at London Creative Labs, Martin is clearly very passionate about the potential implementations of social enterprise networks for positive change; not just within communities of untapped potential either, but also with a much wider scope.

"There needs to be a balance between social enterprise and campaigning for change. Look at the Occupy Wall Street movement, for example. People are campaigning because they don't like the way things are and have been going. We recognise that something different is needed. Some of it is about getting in there and creating the businesses we want to see, the rest of it is raising awareness as to the reasons why we are doing this. We're not creating social enterprises to become rich and wealthy, we are doing it because we don't like the way things are being run and we want to see a positive change for the people.

I view social enterprise as a movement; not just a business movement, there's more to it than that. We have to build a case for social values and creating a positive network of motivated people is key. That's my main focus when it comes down to coaching. Coaching people who want to make a real, positive change into social entrepreneurs. As an individual I look where I can to create the maximum impact through social enterprise - and that's what I'm aiming for, maximum impact.

I have created a space where I am able to work in and for the things that I believe in. The bottom line for what I believe in is raising the bar for people - believing in them and giving them something to aspire to - because at the end of the day that's what we all want. It's about having faith in people. I am particularly interested in how people can make a difference in how they perceive themselves and what they believe in. At the end of the day we're all made of the same stuff and we can all contribute. We all need support at some point in our lives, every one of us."

Martin Murphy is a personal coach 'with a particular focus on helping those wishing to bring about social change through business'.

Follow Martin on Twitter here : www.twtter.com/network2012

You can read Martin's article, published on The Guardian website 27/09/2011 entitled 'Encouraging social enterprise in deprived areas' here

You can also read the subsequent Q&A hosted by The Guardian on the article (here)

Interview conducted by Mamading Ceesay and David Perera

Written by David Perera for London Creative Labs ]]>http://londoncreativelabs.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-13632032.xmlMamading CeesayMon, 08 Aug 2011 12:24:46 +0000http://londoncreativelabs.com/blog/2011/8/8/london-riots-and-youth-unemployment-sinking-or-swimming.html448884:6215974:12431376I wrote the following previously unpublished blog post last February, but in the wake of the riots in London last August this seems relevant. Even though the behaviour of the rioters was undoubtedly criminal, that doesn't mean there isn't an underlying sense of grievance over socioeconomic exclusion motivating them.

Recently in the process of doing some research, I came across a book called Not Quite Adults which addresses the changing pathways to adulthood being taken by today’s young people. According to this book, what appears to be arrested development or “failure to launch” may actually be a sensible strategy for navigating the cultural and economic forces shaping our complex society. I’m not going to elaborate on the book’s main thesis here.

What struck me was the book’s metaphor of swimmers vs treaders. Swimmers have invested enough in themselves educationally and their careers in order to successfully obtain and hold on to well-paid, highly-skilled jobs. Whereas treaders have prematurely taken on the challenge of marriage, children and a job to pay the bills before they have reached a sufficient level of educational and professional attainment thus becoming trapped in poorly-paid, less secure jobs.

What this metaphor doesn’t address is the truly wealthy and the truly poor. Let’s call them flyers and sinkers respectively. In the UK, the term commonly used by institutions for sinkers is NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training).

Parents play a huge role in whether their children become flyers, swimmers, treaders or sinkers. Flyers inherit sufficient wealth that they never have to worry about working for a living unless they are recklessly wasteful enough to burn through their inheritance. Swimmers tend to have well-off, middle-class, hands-on parents who support them in getting a good education, convey to them the communication skills, social and economic cultural norms & provide access to the social networks necessary to get ahead as a professional in today’s world. Treaders tend to learn all the wrong lessons from their poorer, struggling parents. Sinkers are similar to treaders, with a few distinctions like neither of their parents work (and perhaps have never worked) and the very idea of a job is an aspiration that is out of reach.

In Lambeth, South London as in many inner cities far too many young people can only be described as sinkers and unfortunately institutions who should be part of the solution in helping them are all too often part of the problem. Parents and the community have lost their grip on the young people, bullying is endemic, young people band together in gangs for mutual protection, indulge in drink, drugs and casual often unprotected sex, the gangs get involved in crime and violence, the downward spiral becomes self-perpetuating. These are young people who have lost faith in the system and don’t have any real hope for their futures. Most importantly, they have no pathway to navigate to an adulthood that is both truly viable for them and for society.

I’ve met some of these young people and a number of them are much brighter and more capable than you would think. The soft infrastructure of guidance and support that would enable them to make it just isn’t there. Through no fault of their own, they’ve been left trapped in the margins of society. A Big Society that doesn’t reach these young people isn’t a Big Society worth having.

Lord Scarman’s report on the 1981 Brixton Riots advised the government to tackle the disproportionately high levels of unemployment amongst young black men - as high as 50% in Brixton at that time. Writing thirty years later, I can attest to the lack of a systemic solution to high levels of unemployment that various demographics have suffered, not just in Brixton but in the rest of the UK. The recent council budget cuts arising from the Comprehensive Spending Review of 2010 may prove to be the last straw. The risk of a reoccurrence of the Brixton Riots in the next two years is quite high and this time around both the police and the rioters will be much more heavily armed with a higher death toll likely. Tunisia and Egypt are extreme examples of what happens when the hopes and aspirations of people are ignored for decades.

Bottomline, the difference between swimmers and sinkers seems to boil down to two factors:

• family background
• levels of investment in education (academic as well as social/economic norms and soft skills) and social networks

As an intervention, the Social Startup Labs programme devised by London Creative Labs can directly impact on social/economic norms, soft skills and social networks. Indirectly, Social Startup Labs can provide a pathway to employment, education and training through the creation and incubation of new businesses in the form of social startups that provide employment and the provision of an supportive ecosystem for social startups that delivers education and training for people participating in the social startups.

August Postscript: We are about to launch our first full scale Social Startup Labs programme in the Loughborough Junction neighbourhood of Brixton, which has one of the highest level of unemployment in London. In due course, we'd love to take the programme to places like Tottenham and Enfield. We are keen to work with anybody who wants to collaborate with us in making the programme the sort of successful intervention that is clearly so very much needed in the wake of the London riots.

Back in January and February, London Creative Labs did a couple of events in association with the Capital Community Foundation who are a grantmaking foundation in South London. They are currently working with donors in supporting work in the area surrounding Loughborough Junction in Lambeth, for the benefit of the community. This is a rundown, deprived area with lots of social and economic challenges. These events provided an opportunity for residents, businesses, local community groups and service providers to help identify ways in which any future investment could benefit the area and improve people’s lives. As ever, we posted the harvest from those events shortly afterwards, and are now linking to them from this blog.

Loughborough Speaks!

Nearly 50 local residents, community activists, public sector workers and councillors mapped assets, needs and opportunities of the Loughborough Junction neighbourhood using an enhanced version of the Bigger Picture mapping process from our Social Startup Labs toolkit. Then they discussed the underlying themes with a focus on coming up with solutions. Read more about Loughborough Speaks!

Loughborough Speaks Again!

Over 20 local people considered the solutions from the previous event, came up with their own solutions and explored those solutions in more detail. Read more about Loughborough Speaks Again!

Back in December, London Creative Labs did a couple of Open Space events in association with Lambeth First who are the Local Strategic Partnership for the London Borough of Lambeth. We posted the harvest from those events shortly afterwards, but we never got round to linking to them from this blog. So we're taking the time to remedy that now. We had a lot of learning which we'll share at some point here on the blog.

Stockwell Park Open Space

Over 40 people, local Residents, staff of Lambeth First and local agencies came together on 14th December at Stockwell Park Community Centre to address the following question: "How can we work together for the benefit of everyone in Lambeth?". You can find out what happened here.

Tulse Hill Open Space

Similarly over 25 people, local Residents, staff of Lambeth First and local agencies took part in an open space on 16th December at High Trees Community Centre in Tulse Hill with the question: "How can we work together for the benefit of our neighbourhood?". You can read all about it here.

Open Space Events in Lambeth

London Creative Labs is pleased to be facilitating a series of Open Space events in Lambeth, London, sponsored by Lambeth First, the Local Strategic Partnership, and hosted by various community organisations.

The events aim to get to the conversations that need to happen and to identify practical ways to move forward right away. Come and join us for a session of Open Space!

Some of the issues we could discuss include:

• how to improve the lives of local people and keep key services going?
• how can third sector organisations survive and thrive in the face of the cuts?
• how to make best use of what we have (equipment, places and people)?

What is Open Space? 
One of the most effective processes for organisations and communities to identify critical issues, voice their passions and concerns, learn from each other, and, when appropriate, take collective responsibility for finding solutions.

Open space starts with a blank canvas. As participants, we all set the agenda on the day.

This is an invitation to residents, communities, local businesses and services to come together and help shape the future of Lambeth. If you think you’re not invited you definitely need to be here!

To book, contact Lambeth First or telephone 020 7926 1708

More info on how to participate and full list of the upcoming events ]]>