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:665@auntysocial.co.uk DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251126T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251126T200000 DTSTAMP:20251118T231722Z URL:https://www.auntysocial.co.uk/events/starting-a-local-initiative-defea ting-narratives-of-division/ SUMMARY:Starting a Local Initiative: Defeating Narratives of Division DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\n\n Nov 26 from 6pm to 8pm GMT\n Free\n Part of the D efeating Narratives of Division: Blackpool collection\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ nOverview\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us to explore how to recruit and put together a small core group of people to start work on community organising.\n\n\n\ n\nThis session will explore how you make the very first steps in developi ng a local organisation capable of reducing the influence of far-right nar ratives of division. This sessions forms part of a series aimed at curtail ing the influence within our communities of narratives of division.\n\nThe focus of this discussion is on racism (including hostility to asylum seek ers and anti-Muslim racism)\, but other narratives of division are very si milar in their origins and impacts.\n\nAt the end of this session\, you wi ll be able to:\n\nFeel: that the task is not overwhelming and that there i s a tried and tested strategic approach to these first steps.\n\nKnow: tha t you are capable of finding five people to join you and start a local ini tiative.\n\nDo: begin the work of creating a local initiative.\n\n\nBOOK Y OUR FREE PLACE\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 fr ozen and unable 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 train ing workshops begins from the assumption that people who hold divisive vie ws are not necessarily bad people\, and that we have a wider responsibilit y to:\n\n Engage with them about their views\; and\n Work with them to a ddress the issues that are causing their resentment (usually cross-communi ty issues such as low paid\, insecure work\, housing affordability\, the q uality of public services\, and the breakdown in an inclusive sense of ‘ us’ within communities).\n\nDelivered in partnership with the experience d facilitators from Ella Baker School of Organising\, these sessions will equip people active at a grassroots level to effectively act to reduce ten sion\, build unity and address resentments.\n\nWhat will I learn?\n\nOver the last 18 months\, we've seen narratives of division poisoning community relations\, escalating to violent conflict on our streets. More and more otherwise decent people seem to be being drawn into blaming ‘minorities ’ for problems that they have not caused. It could be someone in your gr oup of friends\, your family or your wider circle. Sound familiar?\n\nThes e sessions will share ways that you can create long term change by develop ing your confidence and skills so that you can build genuine understanding and lasting connections in your own spaces and communities.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \;\n\nYour Training Lead\n\nJohn Page from the Ella Baker School of O rganising has been a long-time organiser in the trade union\, anti-racist and community spheres and has worked as a specialist union organiser and a s lead organiser at a number of leading anti-racist charities.John has won significant campaigns in the workplace\, and has helped organise communit ies to oppose narratives of division.He is an experienced trainer and has delivered hundreds of on-line and face to face training sessions to the BM A\, trade unions\, environmental and a variety of voluntary and community sector organisations.\n\nJohn is co-author (with Jane Holgate) of Changema kers: Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nThis session is in our upstairs workshop space. We're having a l ift installed in October 2025.\n\nThere is currently no level access. It ’s a single flight of 14 steps then you go around the corner and there a re two small steps. Once you’re upstairs there’s a loo. You shouldn’ t need to come downstairs for anything until the end of the event.\n\nIf y ou can’t manage the stairs but really want to attend\, please let us kno w by the 24th of the month before by emailing (using the contact organiser button/link) or sending us an SMS text/WhatsApp message on 07957 602790. and we will try to move the activity downstairs.\n\nIf you have additional access needs (e.g. large print\, BSL interpreter\, level access) please l et us know.\n\nGETTING HERE\n\n Tram &\; Train to Blackpool North Stat ion\n Bus: No 6 or 18 to Topping St.\, No 3\, 3a\, 5c\, 6\, 18 to Church St (Stanley Buildings)\, No 5\, 5a\, 5b\, 6\, 7a\, 14 to Talbot Rd\n\n\n Driving: The closest pay and display car parks are on East Topping St and Talbot Road multi storey. There is also parking at the nearby Sainsbury’ s supermarket\, please make sure that you check the terms before you use t he car park.\n\nTOP TIP: If you need to park a car\, then there is usually plenty of free on-street parking on Edward St and Topping St from 6pm.\n\ nThese training sessions are supported by the Community Cohesion Fund (Min istry of Housing\, Communities &\; Local Government Community Recovery Fund) administered by Blackpool Council.\n\nThe fund was created to suppor t those communities impacted by the public disorder that took place in Jul y/August 2024. It aims to Foster Community Understanding: Promoting a shar ed understanding of the issues at a community level\, developing community cohesion.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.auntysocial.co.uk/wp-content/uploads /2025/11/DNOD-Misc-Web-headers.jpg CATEGORIES:Workshops LOCATION:Aunty Social\, 28 Topping St\, Blackpool\, Lancashire\, FY1 3AQ\, United Kingdom X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=28 Topping St\, Blackpool\, Lancashire\, FY1 3AQ\, United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Aunty So cial:geo:0,0 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