BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.2//EN TZID:Europe/London X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London BEGIN:VEVENT UID:664@auntysocial.co.uk DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251210T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251210T200000 DTSTAMP:20251118T231434Z URL:https://www.auntysocial.co.uk/events/defeating-narratives-of-division- review-reflect-what-next/ SUMMARY:Defeating Narratives of Division: Review\, Reflect & What next? DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\n\n Online event\n Dec 10 from 6pm to 8pm GMT\n Part of the Defeating Narratives of Division: Blackpool collection\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n\n\nOverview\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us as we plan our next steps following the Defeating Narratives of Division training programme for local residen ts.\n\n\n\n\nYou're invited to attend our Defeating Narratives of Division forward planning session from 6pm - 8pm on Wednesday 10 December 2025.\nW hat Next? Session\nAn opportunity to explore how to activate your learning and take this project to ‘the next level’.\n\nIn the online session w e'll help you to think about what's next for you and your community by loo king at:\n\n How to build coalitions\n Identifying funding sources for c ommunity actions\n Information and resources\n\nBOOK YOUR FREE PLACE NOW\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout the training programme\n\nMany good people\ , exasperated at the growth in narratives of division feel frozen and unab le to act as they are unsure how to make a positive impact.\n\nThis is the first of a new series of informal online and in-person training workshops begins from the assumption that people who hold divisive views are not ne cessarily bad people\, and that we have a wider responsibility to:\n\n En gage with them about their views\; and\n Work with them to address the is sues that are causing their resentment (usually cross-community issues suc h as low paid\, insecure work\, housing affordability\, the quality of pub lic services\, and the breakdown in an inclusive sense of ‘us’ within communities).\n\nDelivered in partnership with the experienced facilitator s from Ella Baker School of Organising\, these sessions will equip people active at a grassroots level to effectively act to reduce tension\, build unity and address resentments.\n\nWhat will I learn?\n\nOver the last 18 m onths\, we've seen narratives of division poisoning community relations\, escalating to violent conflict on our streets. More and more otherwise dec ent people seem to be being drawn into blaming ‘minorities’ for proble ms that they have not caused. It could be someone in your group of friends \, your family or your wider circle. Sound familiar?\n\nThese sessions wil l share ways that you can create long term change by developing your confi dence and skills so that you can build genuine understanding and lasting c onnections in your own spaces and communities.\n\n \;\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYou r Training Lead\n\nJohn Page from the Ella Baker School of Organising has been a long-time organiser in the trade union\, anti-racist and community spheres and has worked as a specialist union organiser and as lead organis er at a number of leading anti-racist charities.John has won significant c ampaigns in the workplace\, and has helped organise communities to oppose narratives of division.He is an experienced trainer and has delivered hund reds of on-line and face to face training sessions to the BMA\, trade unio ns\, environmental and a variety of voluntary and community sector organis ations.\n\nJohn is co-author (with Jane Holgate) of Changemakers: Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThes e training sessions are supported by the Community Cohesion Fund (Ministry of Housing\, Communities &\; Local Government Community Recovery Fund) administered by Blackpool Council.\n\nThe fund was created to support tho se communities impacted by the public disorder that took place in July/Aug ust 2024. It aims to Foster Community Understanding: Promoting a shared un derstanding of the issues at a community level\, developing community cohe sion.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.auntysocial.co.uk/wp-content/uploads /2025/11/DNOD-bridging-divisions-header.jpg CATEGORIES:Workshops END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251026T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR