Cup of tea and a slice of life — that's nice

Cup of tea and a slice of life — that's nice

A few weeks ago, I attended an online meeting of the Community Knowledge Matters network - a space that brings together people interested in how community-led research can shape practice and policy change in mental health and wellbeing. My interest in this area comes from my own research background and my experience of community engagement work. The discussion around the virtual table was engaging, and I left with new contacts and fresh ideas.

Towards the end of the meeting, one participant noted a growing concern that engagement work might not be seen as vital in the face of increasing global political unease. Most on the call acknowledged the difficult and concerning issues dominating the news, with a general sense that negativity was inevitable. However, a few voices offered a different perspective - pointing to past crises where positive, local actions helped communities move forward.

Personally, I shared that this climate of uncertainty has only strengthened my determination to seek out opportunities for local improvements. While small actions may seem insignificant, they can have ripple effects far beyond what we might initially see. One contributor resonated with this and described an initiative she and her colleagues had embraced: each week, they made a point of sharing ‘good things’ they had been involved in, whether it was something small - like bringing in snacks for the team - or something bigger, like a partnership tackling wellbeing. I loved this idea - reminding each other of the ‘good’ is always valuable.

On that note, every Friday, our bulletin highlights Third Sector job opportunities - so if you have any vacancies to advertise, please send them in. We also include a small ‘nice thing’ each week. Last week, it was A Full Moon; the week before, Homemade Soup. If you have any suggestions for a future ‘nice thing,’ let me know.

And, anyway, I was out litter-picking yesterday around my local streets when I came across a wildflower I didn’t recognise. After looking it up, I found it was called ‘Bossier’s Glory-of-the-snow’ …and really, if there are wildflowers with names like that down my street, the world can’t be all bad…