Thursday 25 August 2011

The St Leonards (& Action for Happiness) context for 9th & 10th September Training: "words are windows or walls", (Part 1 of 2)

Dear (would-be) attendee of the 'Words are windows or walls" two-day workshop at the Southwater Area Community Centre,
What St Leonards has been offered by the Centre for Peaceful Solutions (worth £6-9,000 at market value; given that the usual cost of these trainings is £300 per person), I see as a precious opportunity for us to learn how we can connect with each other on a more caring & sharing basis. The host organisation for this 'Dialogue Road Map' training is Mediation Support Ltd. I write as CEO of that micro-company, having moved into St Leonards & the Southwater Area Community Centre only this summer & having made the first aim of the company "to support the generation of a more caring & sharing Hastings & St Leonards". It has been a privilege to set-up sufficient structure for Hastings & St Leonards Action for Happiness to attract central committee members who are each exploring the happiness agenda in their own way whilst helping to support a coherent organisation, linked to (and influencing) the national Action for Happiness organisation. Many thanks to Sue, Graham, Shirley, Barry & Gaye.
The initiative that we have taken in St Leonards has been recognised by a 'highly appreciative' and unsolicited letter from the local MP [add link] and by a 'very helpful' write-up in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer [add link]. In the UK as a whole, we are, so far, the leading local group arising from the launch of the national Action for Happiness movemnet/charity in April.

THE VISION & YOUR NEXT STEP
The vision that I'm putting forward is for a network of "local wellbeing groups" across Hastings & St Leonards, each group being formed from areas no bigger than your road and the nearest other 4 roads. PLEASE respond to this communication by giving us the name of your road and the nearest 4 roads, so that we can begin to map who is in the same local area and consider what we can offer to you to support the transformation that you'd like to see. The key question here is: "What, for you, would a better relationship with ALL your neighbours look like?" Perhaps it would involve more sharing of resources & skills (saving everyone money), mutual care, a clearer structure for problem solving, personal/group empowerment & a local voice that makes a difference?
Whatever it is that you want to see more of locally, unless it is unhappiness! - Hastings & St Leonards Action for Happiness have something to offer called a "Happiness 101" session. This is an hour provided for a group of 5 people; during which we begin to unfold the nature of the shared human wish to be happier, the diversity of elements involved -in brief: body, mind, spirit, people, place and planet- and the ways of working with difference to create a unity of purpose (using some mediation skills such as enhanced attentiveness to everyone's needs etc).
Sue and I hope that you will be inspired to ask for a Happiness 101 session & find out what else is then being offered for you & your friends/neighbours to choose from , or shape for yourselves from teh structures interaction we facilitate. PLEASE suggest a convenient location (your place? or a friends or local community centre, for example). PLEASE suggest who you'd like to be there. AND PLEASE make suggestions for the date & time of this hour. Doing that would be greatly appreciated & may lead somewhere truly WONDERFUL FOR US ALL.. The next step is just to let Paul or Sue from the Action for Happiness Grup know that you are a little interested.
The groups email address is actionforhapiness[at]mediationsupport.info. If you send your interest and/ or questions there then we all receive your words & can respond creatively as a team.
Yours
Paul

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