“Ordinary people doing incredible things”
Posted by The Cares Family on 12th December 2022
Please note: this post is 24 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
As we approach the end of 2022, we reflect on another year of The Multiplier and the power of grassroots and community leaders coming together to create a ripple of connection across the UK.
The Multiplier brings together a diverse group of community change-makers from across the UK. Since 2021, the programme has welcomed 22 people from Belfast to Bristol, Cardiff to Cornwall, London to Liverpool. On the 9th of January 2023 we will begin the search for the next group of fantastic Multipliers who are bringing people together across generations, backgrounds and experiences to join our third cohort.
We want Multipliers who are inspired to build local connection, to help power to understand communities and to help communities better leverage their collective power. We’re doing this through a programme that amplifies voices from across the UK and nurtures leaders to deepen their impact in communities, spurring a ripple of connection driven not from the top-down, but from the bottom up.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the space you've held and the connections you've enabled us to make. This programme came at a time when I felt alone as a leader and wasn't able to see the bigger picture. The Multiplier programme has played an important role in mine and my project’s next phase.”
Relationships are at the centre of The Cares Family model. The relationship we have with others is at the heart of bringing people together building connection and also creating positive change. We centre relationships by building in space for Multipliers to connect with each other, encouraging peer-to-peer support, pro-actively connecting Multipliers to our networks of trusted partners and funders and embedding ways to celebrate Multipliers’ achievements and journeys together.
The Multiplier is a different type of leadership programme. It’s person-centred, relational, and takes individuals on a journey to increase their collectivism, confidence and capability in building more socially connected communities.
Feeling part of something bigger and gaining a sense of belonging is so important in community building and leadership work. It can be an isolating place and a heavy load to hold. That’s why we’re so thrilled that our evaluation of the 2022 programme showed that 100% of Multipliers felt more connected, less isolated and more confident in their leadership.
Our survey also showed that:
- 100% of Multipliers would recommend the programme to a friend, family member or colleague;
- 100% feel confident in their organisations’ futures; and
- 100% of Multipliers are thinking about how they can make wider systemic changes.
“I think my biggest learning is about how vast the world of people who are working towards change is. I'm not alone in that - and tapping into those resources and working with others holds my best chance of success. It's tempting to just shoulder everything and plough on - but this programme has taught me to lean on others.”
The Multiplier offers nine monthly gatherings exploring community building, fundraising, strategy and vision, storytelling, coalition building, evaluation in the age of new power, systems change and adaptive leadership. The programme is free and we provide Multipliers with a grant to support their engagement and their projects’ growth. We also offer longer-term support and space for connection with a growing community of leaders all across the UK.
“Already, during the Multiplier journey, I have taken big confidence strides when it comes to speaking up about issues I feel passionately about, and contributing to conversations on systemic change with different communities, and these developments will continue to grow and grow”
We are so inspired by the diversity of the projects we see each year, from LGBTQIA+ walking groups that improve wellbeing, to food-sharing initiatives and intergenerational, inter-faith and other creative hubs that connect communities. The Multiplier brings the leaders of those missions together with the goal of building community connection and improving the world around them. A Multiplier at our 2022 celebration shared their perspective that they were all “ordinary people doing incredible things”, but we think they are extraordinary people doing extraordinary things.
