A “Virtual Cuppa” with Perry Walker on  win-win, where all sides get their essential needs met, is achievable as well as desirable. Come along and find out how.

Perry Walker of ‘Talk Shop’ hosts a Virtual Cuppa on Win-Win Democracy.

‘There is too much fruitless conflict at present. This polarises – pushes people apart; it creates resentful losers; and it disillusions people with democracy. Win-win democracy counters all the points above. There are no losers. It identifies and creates common ground, connecting people rather than driving them apart. It draws people into democracy instead of repelling them. It is also achievable. For instance, there are patterns to the ways in which the desires of different parties appear incompatible, and hence patterns to the solutions.’

A “Virtual Cuppa” with Liz Citron on Positive Intelligence – an evidence based approach to reduce unhelpful thought patterns.

We all understand that physical fitness helps us stay healthy and active and well. Mental fitness, on the other hand, helps us to respond to life’s challenges with a positive, constructive mindset. And with the help of neuroscience, we can see that mental fitness can be improved in the same way as physical fitness – by doing exercises to build and improve mental muscle.Positive Intelligence is an evidence based approach that helps to reduce the unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours all of us have picked up in some way during our childhoods. Liz Citron is one of the first coaches to be trained in the method, and she will talk about how it works and how you can reduce negative self-talk and rewire your brain to make new default thinking patterns in any area of your life.

Before watching this cuppa you can take the Saboteur Assessment test, to see which negative voices are the loudest in your head at the moment. Just recognising them will help reduce their power!

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/6xzIVJxwoHg

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Tom Atlee, who talks about his experience on the 1986 Great Peace March across the US. After it went bankrupt in the Mojave Desert, 800 marchers went home and 400 re-started with no top-down leadership and few resources. Nine months later they arrived in DC with 1200 people. This amazing story changed thousands of lives, including Tom’s.

Life-long activist Tom Atlee joined the Great Peace March thinking it was a brilliant public relations action. But when it fell apart in the desert, it became a 400-person social experiment in leaderful self-organization. It had to address logistical and interpersonal challenges with no one in charge. Its success inspired Tom to switch his life’s work to helping progressive groups improve their effectiveness using this new approach. But his research soon led him into the emerging field of collective intelligence and co-intelligence – what intelligence would look like if it took wholeness, interconnection and co-creativity seriously. This inquiry expanded in all directions until in 2000 Tom reconnected with his activism through a vision of “wise democracy”. His central question became “How can we evoke and engage the wisdom and resourcefulness of the whole on behalf of the whole?

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/tlZsQQUUz-s 

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Angela Fell, a Wigan citizen, sharing stories and insights from her personal experience of the Wigan Deal & the Life Program.

Angela wants to have a chat about her experience as a Wigan citizen who also happened to work for the Council for a sixth of her life between 2008-2016. She was there when the Wigan Deal was created. During this time Angela tested Hilary Cottam’s relational welfare ideas with families in a community where she spent her early years living and her teenage years getting up to mischief in.

Angela loves her town and comes in peace, sharing stories about what she loved, treasured and learned with the honesty and authenticity that can be found in the DNA of a Wiganer.

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/8JSjx-VbS8U

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Dr Mark Kergrow.

 As we look to the post-COVID build back, it will be important to build on the micro-local communities and connections which have emerged on a street-by-street level during the pandemic. Dr Mark McKergow proposes that the next level up from streets – the ‘Village In The City’ – could be a key focus. Building and expanding village-level connections can lead to more inclusive local communities (cross-demographic and cross-generational), build local identity and mutual support, and help citizens become more purposefully connected. It is also a counterbalance to the globally connected world; we can talk to almost anyone, AND that makes it even more important that we talk to our neighbours too.

Mark has published the Village In The City manifesto to draw attention to the possibilities and to set out his view of what enables a functioning ‘village’. On this call he will speak about the manifesto, a little about the importance of host leadership in villages, and eagerly seek your input, ideas and questions.

You can view this Virtual Cuppa vis this link – https://youtu.be/l2qgFU66-SE

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Jenny Oklikah.

Jenny knows these issues can be challenging and believes that honest and open conversations undertaken with compassion are essential to greater understanding and change for the better. Jenny invites colleagues to bring some of the difficult questions and issues they have faced to this cuppa, and invites us to grow together for positive good. Bring your thoughtfulness and dialogue to the session to ensure we can all learn together.

More About Jenny: she is a former MutualGain Associate and lead for Community Coaching. Her interest in race is both personal and professional. Growing up and 70s and 80s with mixed race heritage, she is very aware of the reality of racism. At university, her undergraduate dissertation was on anti-racist education policies and after her studies she worked with Bernie Grant MP. Her career has been in central and local government, and the voluntary sector. Jenny is currently Chief Executive of Fight for Peace, which works internationally to create peaceful and inclusive communities. She is also a group leader with the DrivenWoman Network. Jenny will be speaking in a personal capacity and welcomes this necessary conversation and looks forward to hearing others’ points of view.

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/2vNLS-eV9X4

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Susan Ritchie and Dr Andrew Fisher.

Susan first learned about Participatory Budgeting (PB) in the late 1990s. Since then she has been an active advocate of the technique to improve the way we make decisions about the use of public money.

Andrew is a former police officer and found PB when he joined MutualGain. Since then he has led more PB processes in policing for MutualGain than any other organisation, tapping into the social capital within communities.

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/0v83yZFt1OA

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Brian Roberts

MutualGain has been training people to deliver world cafes and facilitating world cafes for over ten years.  We have delivered hundreds on a variety of topics from serious youth violence to strengthening community trust.  Brian delivers the post world cafe support for our clients and Covid19 has moved that support from offline to online.  He teaches the 6 steps to Coding and Analysis that forms part of the Level 3 and Level 4 Award in Building Social Capital too.  Here he discusses his different experiences of online and offline delivery. 

You can view this  Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/iBCgUxhdONA

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Garry Shewan.

MutualGain has been training people to deliver world cafes and facilitating world cafes for over ten years.  We have delivered hundreds on a variety of topics from serious youth violence to strengthening community trust.  In this cuppa Garry shares some insight on why this technique seems to be so popular and the role it might play in defining a new future.

You can access for Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/29z-IbJ6YKY

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Professor Donna Hall.

Professor Donna Hall wants to have a chat about the role of local neighbourhoods and communities. She thinks we should all be talking about this as the central government outsources track and trace, and puts plans in place to remove planning powers from local government. She is a passionate believer that community voice and local context should inform social policy and strategies: she uses this hour to explore some challenges that she sees on the horizon.

You can view for this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/Ka2XdRYGF2g

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Phillip Crawley (Lancashire Police).

I have been a restorative justice practitioner for 8 years now and in that time I have run a wide range of meetings between offenders and victims. These range from one where a victim met the offender who had raped her 10 years previously, a family who met the man who had stabbed and killed their son and a lady who met the 2 young men who killed her son in a fight. I relay these powerful stories and how their restorative justice experience answered their questions and helped them gain closure to take the next steps forward.

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/XD43D1z7M8w

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Marina Cantacuzino from the Forgiveness Project.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Tracey Morgan (stalking survivor and campaigner) and Dave Thomason (Cheshire Threat Management Unit).

Tracey shares her learning about myths, facts and solutions to address stalking. She is accompanied by Dave Thomason, one of the country’s lead stalking experts based in Cheshire. If you want to learn more about stalking or have been affected by stalking you may find this cuppa very insightful. 

You can access this film  via this link – https://youtu.be/ggHOqJMkAtI

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Colin Heyman and Deb Cohen.

There are so many aspects to Judaism, and many different ways of being Jewish. Deb and Colin discuss what being Jewish means to them. They answer common questions about Judaism, from the religion to history to the culture to anti-Semitism.

You can access this film via this link – https://youtu.be/Zqq4AhMMbIk

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Colin Heyman.

Organisations are always in the middle of change programmes these days, usually top down change, and often in my view with limited success, particularly at the most important level of changing the culture of the organisation and how people are treated (both employees and customers/service users). This session looks at a model of change from the bottom up – ‘Viral Change’ – by Leandro Herrero, and explores how it can be used to bring about change in organisations (with reference to my experience of running Diversity Champions schemes), and communities. Perhaps it can even help our country change and not go back to ‘normal’ after covid-19?

You can access this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/WxgZD7c0vz8

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Garry Shewan QPM.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Michael Keating.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Sir Kevan Collins

Sir Kevan Collins is the Chair of the Youth Endowment Foundation. He was previously Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation and CEO at London Borough of Tower Hamlets. In this #VirtualCuppa he is keen to talk about the Youth Endowment Foundation and its mission to reduce the number of young people (10 -14 year olds ) becoming involved in crime. The YEF has been awarded £200 million by the Home Office to invest in and evaluate a broad range of programmes to test what works and scale up promising approaches. We have been operating for 8 months and have allocated approximately 12M to support 24 organisations. We have a call for proposals open looking for approaches that can support vulnerable and at risk young people in during COVID and with social distancing. Watch this cuppa to learn about how to prevent 10 – 14 year olds becoming involved in crime.

This Virtual Cuppa can be viewed via this link – https://youtu.be/xDxiUGoxJRk

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Tom Attlee.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Peter Woolf

Peter Woolf was one of the first prisoners to participate in a Restorative Justice programme. It changed his life for the better and he never committed a crime again, after 18 years of being a career criminal. You can hear from him directly in this Virtual Cuppa. Could his story help you?

He’ll discuss what Restorative Justice is and how you could learn more to change the way we deal with crime in your area.   This #virtualcuppa is for communities to learn more about the approach from someone who has changed as a result. Local people to ask questions and think about what it would mean for their friends, family and wider community.

Click on this link to view this cuppa – https://youtu.be/PA-YiOVUje0

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Tom Attlee.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Joshua Malkin.

How the world will look after Covid19 is unknown to us all. Joshua Malkin is interested in developing a new political frame that could be based on Mutualism. He would like this new ‘ism’ to go beyond the traditional centre, right & left of our politics, and would like to work with friends to scope any potential collaborations with the charity he works for called the Network of Wellbeing

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/VlAmTFWDdYQ

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Gary Shewan QPM.

Garry Shewan was a senior officer in policing for 30 years. He found himself interested in policing through the lens of sociology. Today he will share with us whether he thought that was a help or a hindrance in trying to reshape the world of justice.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Bethan West.

Bethan is interested in hosting a cuppa with a variey of people who might be thinkhg about what the transition from lockdown could mean in terms of risk management. She works with young people affected by violence and has a passion to hear from others on what she should be thinking about as she plans for the future.

She will open the session with a short background to the purpose of the cuppa and hand over to the energy in the group to co create a potential risk plan that could be shared with everyone after the call.

Please come along if you are worried about young people and want to help shape a posistive transition.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Shiraz Kothia.

Shiraz Kothia is an Imam based in London. He will open this session with an overview of how Covid19 has impacted on the muslim community. The remainder of the session will go wherever the group would like to take it. It is an opportunity to ask questions about Islam more generally or more specifically about Covid19.

The Muslim community is in the period of Ramadam at the moment so you may prefer not to bring your cuppa to this one! Your presence will be more than enough!

This event is FREE and will take place at 4pm on Thursday 14th May 2020

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Soo Brizell and Garry Shewan QPM.

Soo Brizell and Garry Shewan continue the conversation on Restorative Justice that was started on a previous #VirtualCuppa. In this session they tease out the challenges of delivering RJ and how they can be addressed to strengthen the PostCovid world of criminal justice.

Whilst this is a cuppa with all its informality the session is well suited to those working or participating in RJ processes, and who would like to see a greater role for RJ in the future

You can access this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/KaIYYilWpRo

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Liam Mahon.

Soo Brizell and Garry Shewan continue the conversation on Restorative Justice that was started on a previous #VirtualCuppa. In this session they want to tease out the challenges of delivering RJ and how they can be addressed to strengthen the PostCovid world of criminal justice.

Whilst this is a cuppa with all its informality the session is well suited to those working or participating in RJ processes, and who would like to see a greater role for RJ in the future

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Martha Cuffy.

Martha spent a year on retreat in India: in this session she shared her reflections with us and thought about what learning from there can help us with dealing with Covid19. Watch at your leisure over a cuppa or a glass of wine.

This event can be viewed via this link – https://youtu.be/lDsIA4I3-lQ

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Neil Nerva.

Neil explores the idea that there is a lot more to trains than trainspotting. In this talk he covers a variety of ways in which trains can tell us more about:

• Britain’s imperial past
• Social connectivity
• Markets
• British decision taking

Settle down and watch for an insight into the learning that trains can give us.

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/UcoiNYd2WOI

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Anna Geyer.

Let’s spend a bit of time thinking about why visual minutes work for so many people on so many levels. And while we’re at it let’s have a go at practicing some of the most useful icons. I’ll give you a whistle stop lesson on building a visual vocabulary that will encourage you to have a go. No artistic talent required! Watch now!

Find out more here :https://www.newpossibilities.co.uk

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/12FS_Awe5g0

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Colin Heyman.

What part should feelings play in discussions? The model for discussion of issues and of problem solving in most of society, and in most organisations, is of logical argument leading to the ‘best’ decision. Reason and logic are useful and have their place, but I would maintain that using only logic and reasoning can be quite confrontational, disguises a lot else of what is going on, results in an unlevel playing field, and doesn’t always reach the best conclusion. This session explores the part that feelings play in work, in community discussions, and in dealing with the present situation.

You can view this Virtual Cuppa via this link – https://youtu.be/5mPtT3NukxE

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Garry Shewan.

Garry was a senior officer in Greater Manchester Police and saw from day one of his career that there was a role for justice beyond prison sentences. He has a passion for social justice and wants to have a cuppa with you to think about what it means for policing our future.

This discussion can be viewed via this link – https://youtu.be/YMPHs94DL10

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Liam Mahon.

Find yourself thinking “there’s something wrong with this system“? maybe you are interested in systems thinking? Why not join us for a #virtualcuppa on Monday to hear from Liam Mahon, or the @SystemsNinja as you may know him if you are on Twitter!

This discussion can be viewed via this link – https://youtu.be/BQR6cjQE4nE

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Andy Paice.

Andy Paice will talks about his life as a Buddhist Monastic when he lived in a monastery in Central France from 1998-2007.  Part of his time there (2001-2004) he did a traditional three year meditation retreat which means he was literally “locked down” voluntarily for that whole period with 14 other monastics in a large retreat centre.

That experience was obviously totally different to what we’re going through collectively now with the pandemic, but there are similarities and he’ll share thoughts and anecdotes gleaned from his time there.  We have a chat about what this pandemic can teach us about community, getting on with people we live with and spirituality.

This discussion can be viewed via this link – https://youtu.be/nRwt9LnMttk

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Andrew Fisher.

I was a senior police officer for 30 years and over the last ten years of retirement I have watched the shape of policing change in various ways. My desire for our police is that they play a small but valuable role in community policing – they become the social diagnosticians with communities and facilitate important conversations on what matters in the locality, that means working with and listening to communities I wanted to have this cuppa to discuss what that might mean in these times as we may be moving away from a period of formal surveillance to an increasing level of informal surveillance I will share my thoughts on informal surveillance and the way in and the potential impact on our communities. I will then open this up for debate – what it could mean today and in the future.

Link to be added

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Michael Keating.

After the crisis, a new world won’t emerge as if by magic, we will have to fight for it’, wrote Neal Ascherson on Sunday   (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/19/after-the-crisis-a-new-world-wont-emerge-as-if-by-magic-we-will-have-to-fight-for-it).

MutualGain’s series of VirtualCuppas has highlighted the unique opportunity for those of us not on the frontline to reflect on what that fight for a new world might look it.  So far this has raised a wide range of questions but, as always, finding answers is harder.  We want to explore some principles for how to do this.  Join us to see what’s possible.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Sarah Castro, chill-out with a brew and listen to our chat about how to keep children safe during the Coronavirus pandemic.  There was lots of information and useful tips shared, so this a great cuppa to check out.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Susan Ritchie, time for a brew and a chat about philosophy. This is what she wants to chat about:I did a degree in political philosophy far too many years ago to remember now, and I’ve really wanted to go back and learn it all again. I loved it! The trouble is I don’t get enough time to read my work stuff let alone personal! So I am embracing this downtime to re learn the basics and would like to have a chat about what philosophy might have to do with what we are facing now!

At this stage there’s no academic input but if you are interested in the topic maybe we could set up a philosophy reading club together?!

A “Virtual Cuppa” with Debby Mackay, who covers some hopes, fears and thoughts of students coping with the issues, other than physical health brought about by COVID 19.

These will include:

• Isolation
• Worry about family while staying away
• Loss of income
• Student accommodation
• Staying positive and in touch
• Assignments and dissertations
• Graduation

‘While I don’t have all the answers I am practically supporting a number of students with a range of the above issues.’

Let’s create a conversation and develop some groups to support each other as well as some practical help too.

A “Virtual Cuppa”  with Susan Ritchie, time for a brew and a chat about philosophy. I did a degree in political philosophy far too many years ago to remember now, and I’ve really wanted to go back and learn it all again. I loved it! The trouble is I don’t get enough time to read my work stuff let alone personal! So I am embracing this downtime to re learn the basics and would like to have a chat about what philosophy might have to do with what we are facing now!

At this stage there’s no academic input but if you are interested in the topic maybe we could set up a philosophy reading club together?!