- Considering language. I attended a webinar on Tuesday (run by South Yorkshire Housing Association) on the importance of using the right language in co-production. This sent me down a fascinating rabbit-hole, considering the language I use with members around co-creation, and also the language we use on our website. Interestingly, this same topic came up again in a team meeting this morning. The words we use are integral to the message we want to convey and how we'd like people to feel when they engage with us. Incidentally, South Yorkshire Housing Association, in tandem with other organisations, have produced an excellent Co-Production toolkit which is freely available for all to access. I strongly recommend giving it a read: Co-production toolkit - South Yorkshire Housing Association | SYHA
- Networking. I'm fortunate to be part of the Mighty Creative's Youth Network. We meet fairly regularly to explore effective ways of engaging children and young people, examining and unpicking challenges, and swapping ideas. I always enjoy these sessions - it's a great opportunity to learn from others.
- Rebranding. As some of you already know, ASCEL are going through a rebrand, working closely with our members and children and young people throughout the process. We were very excited to kickstart the visual identity / name part of this journey with two experts this week, and we can't wait to see what they come up with, using the ideas and feedback that have been given to us so far.
We've got a Members' Meet-Up on Monday, with guest speakers from three library services, who will be sharing some of the great work they've been doing with children and young people. Then, a few days later, RNIB will be leading a training session on how to support children and young people with vision impairment. They led some training a while back for our National Committee, which was so thought-provoking and useful, so I'm really looking forward to this.
Last weekend, I snuck off to London with a friend to visit Phantom Peak, an immersive experience with plenty of fun puzzle elements. It was also the perfect chance to check out the local library, which in this case was Canada Water Library. I loved its architectural style; the staircase was especially impressive!
I've nearly finished Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, which was longlisted for last year's Booker Prize. This was passed on to me by a friend and I wasn't sure at first; the world of female boxing isn't something that's ever interested me. However, it's absolutely fantastic; it's laid out in such a way that you almost feel immersed in each boxing match, and in each boxer's head. I'd really recommend.