The Growing Up in the West Midlands Strategic Forum, was established in Februrary 2005.
In september 2007 we adopted a new constitution and formed ourselves as an alliance of member organisations.
Our Vision
G:up exists to develop the West Midlands as a region that respects and acts upon the needs, interests and aspirations of children and young people, and the voluntary and community organisations that work with them.
There are three elements to our work:
For more information about G:up please email info@growingupinthewestmidlands.info
Our ethos
There are some core values that frame the work of Growing Up in the West Midlands. Underpinning these is a commitment to democracy and mutuality.
our work is driven by and embedded in a shared aim to:
In principle, and as far as is possible in practice, we operate in an a way that is open, fair and flexible.
Our work has been guided by a clear vision that has been articulated at every opportunity. We exist to develop the West Midlands as a region that respects and acts upon the needs, interests and aspirations of children and young people, and the voluntary and community organisations that work with them.
There are some core values that frame the work of Growing Up in the West Midlands. Underpinning these is a commitment to democracy and mutuality. Our work is driven by and embedded in a shared aim to:
In principle, and as far as is possible in practice, we operate in an a way that is open, fair and flexible. This doesn't mean everybody does everything - we strive towards clearly defined roles and responsibilites and depend upon trust. Grand words indeed, but this is what we attempted with our management adn delivery model in managing our Change Up! money.
The Strategic forum brings together, in a loose affiliation, representatives of organisations and networks in the region that work with children and young people, or support their interests. These are mostly, but not exclusively voluntary and community organisations.
Our Steering Group works on behalf of the strategic forum to drive G:up's work and strategy and to oversee the work of the Regional Development Manager.
We start from the notion that the mere fact of working in a group does not necessarily result in collaborative work. Our group strives to be inclusive and flexible and works hard to be so. Its boundaries are ever moving, changing to accommodate new people with different needs and interests and representing different sorts of organisations and communities. Everybody working towards our vision and willing to share our ethos (not necessarily our opinions) is welcome to participate in a way that is of mutual benefit.
I think we've got a sense of something that people feel a part of, but without building that sense of belonging by creating those who do not belong. This might be to do with how we define the group - its fluidity and its focus around a shared vision and some shared principles rather than around any other similarity. Being part of Growing Up in the West Midlands doesn't mean leaving your own identity or way of working at the door and becoming part of some homogenous mass. It means signing up to a way of being together and working towards a shared vision.
Importantly the group and its members have worked hard to overcome traditional divisions. Our strength is in our breadth and we all know that we are benefiting from resources because of it. Our organisations are of different sizes, work with children and young people of different ages, with different needs and from different communities, are from across the region, and belong (or don't) to other key networks, and deliver a wide range of different services.
We think strategically and look beyond barriers to cooperation seeking to identify and demonstrate what can be done together. We also have an active programme of outreach to support our continued growth. Significantly we have worked to build on what already exists to strengthen and draw strength from existing networks and organisations and to focus our efforts on the things that can only be achieved through collaboration, and that bring added value for all.
Well we've done some odd things- cracker pulling and animation filming to name but two - but these things are just techniques. Our underlying process has been to work in a way that supports the values we seek to promote. We've tried as best we can to put our money where our mouth is. Not because this is laudible (though incidently I hapen to think it is) but because it's the only way it can work.
Every aspect of the work must support the broader intentions of the project. From writinng funding bids, to deciding commissioning principles we've worked to reflect but not appropriate the experiences and needs of others. this has been based on conversation, research and observation, not presumption.
We've sought to value and consider each person and organisation individually, but within the context of the group and the region's wider interests. We foster a sense of mutual dependency and mutual gain. Ours is an ongoing reflective practice and one in which we strive to live up to what we are promoting and to share ideas and values through shared experience. It is not, however, a neutral process.
The things we do are particular to the situation and to the individuals involved and those that are driving things forward. Our approach is also multi layered - operating simultaneously on a number of levels to address the need for change be it structural, political, interactional, ideological...
That might all sound quite lofty or floaty, but this whole process is firmly grounded, and I'd go as far to say dependent on, some good old fashioned concrete action. It wasn't our explicit intent but it seems there is a clear pattern in the work we have developed as a group.
The Strategic Forum (driven by the management group and supported by the developing technology) is at the core of everything. On top of this are a number of focused elements of work (linked broadly to the delivery areas) that work along the following lines
Our use of the creative commons licence underpins this ethos of sharing and development. We believe that by adopting this model we are making the most out of regional working to be strategic and draw widely from expertise and share learning broadly. It is also geared around improving the impact and efficiency of local delivery.
We have produced formidable toolkit for local infrastructure organisations. It covers such issues as outreach, children's trusts, local area agreements, sustainable funding, safeguarding, extended schools, communications, participation, governance... It provides information, support, tools, techniques and models, practical things, and opportnities.
This sort of work is dependent on a group of people who have an understanding of what it is that's to be done and the context; an understanding of process and techniques that support that; and practical experience in different situations. Techniques may be taught and principles shared, but individuals and groups need to find their own way of being and working, and their own way of revisiting and revising this.
We have produced the resources, but we know that it’s not always as easy as all that, and that all too often, no matter how great the materials are, they have a tendency to sit and gather dust on shelves.
That is why we want to offer you the chance to join learning clusters, so you get support in using a selection of these materials in developing your own organisation and practice. This is not a new concept. For us it means getting people together in a structured, supportive and empowering environment to learn and implement change.
We would expect each cluster to be a group of up to 20 individuals from 10 organisations. Most clusters will be structured and time-limited.
To end I go to Nigel Slater:
Each egg, each steak, each potato is different and will behave differently in the pan. That's what cooking is about, and that's why it is essential to understand what you are doing rather than just mindlessly following a recipe.