I wanted to update Innovation Exchange members as soon as possible about our developing plans for 2008.
Our work in 2008 divides into two phases. In the first half of the year, the Exchange is working as a convenor, building substantial communities of interest around our two areas of focus. In the second half of the year, the Exchange will work as a developer, helping innovators, commissioners and social investors to work together and providing the best projects with support and access to the Innovation Exchange Fund.
In this first phase, we need to identify people doing exciting work and build a shared knowledge base and agenda for action. How are we going about that? We are engaging people through this website and through as much stakeholder engagement we can fit into our weeks. We will also engage people through our programme of research and through events. We will draw this work together on the website – for example, members are already helping to shape our research.
In the spring, we will draw this work together at two Festivals of Ideas, one for each area of focus. These events will draw together what we have learnt so far, playing back findings from research and from events and show-casing third sector innovation. They will also create space for people to promote their work, enabling them to seek collaborators and supporters and to begin to build loose alliances around their work. The events will take place on 30th April (independent living) and 7th May (excluded young people). I think they are going to be fantastic events – balancing brief contributions from great speakers with significant time people to develop their own innovations or to identify those of others.
Following these Festivals of Ideas, those who wish to will be given a further couple of months to develop plans to take their work to the next level. I hope this website will support that planning and in the process help projects to reach new collaborators and supporters. In addition, the very best such projects will be given access to the Innovation Exchange Fund and provided with a range of in-kind support.
Naturally, invites to these Festivals of Ideas will go in-part to those who use the Innovation Exchange website to promote innovative work. So use the Innovation Exchange as a platform both to reach potential supporters and to secure access to future events and resources. Not a bad return for a paragraph.
As ever, if you have any thoughts about these plans, comment below or email me.
I posted a blog on your site, a few weeks ago, detailing West Berkshire Mencap’s hopes and aspiration to put into place some kind of transport cooperative or social enterprise for all members of our population potentially being either socially excluded or deprived of services because of a lack of mobility, eg elderly people, people with disabilities and young people living in a rural location (a fair minority of our target user group is likely to fit into at least 2 of the above categories). I didn’t, however, receive an invitation to attend either of the Festival events which was very disappointing. Was this because I didn’t contact IE early enough or is it that transport is not an issue which you feel you can help with? Any signposting to possible sources of help and advice would be gratefully received. Many thanks in anticipation.
Best wishes for successful events.