In my last blog – Tried and tested – I wrote about our ‘test and learn’ approach to learning from the work of our delivery partners, and about our Co-production toolkit.

We have since sent out the first edition of our monthly bulletin, Time to Shine Learning News. Each month we will focus on a different theme from our learning. It also includes resources, an event you can join, and examples of change.

Many of the events are aimed at front line staff and volunteers working with older people so if you can ask colleagues, staff members or friends who might be interested, you will help make sure many more people in Leeds find out about tried and tested ways to help them support their members and service users. Events will share the learning gathered from Time to Shine delivery partners in Leeds over the last six years, and will also include learning from the other 13 Ageing Better programmes. They will also involve you in discussion with colleagues about how you might use this learning in real life settings within your organisations.

You can still sign up to receive Learning News every month.

I am pleased to say that you can now book places on the first two events of Time to Shine’s final year learning programme:

As Easy as ABCD
Thursday May 27, 2.00-3.00 – online
We look at how Time to Shine projects based around ABCD (Asset-based community development) principles worked, and what practical steps you can use to make this approach work for you. We will be joined by Sharon Middling, who worked for Community First Yorkshire on projects in East and South Leeds. She will give us a practical sense of what worked and where the pitfalls lay. There will be a chance to talk to colleagues about things you want to try and we will also learn about the co-production training available to Leeds based organisations.
Book your free place here

We all need a warm welcome
Thursday 24 June, 2.00-3.30 – online
There have been a number of times over the past few years when we have talked about the challenges involved in introducing people to new activities to increase their confidence and develop new friendships.
We know it is not an easy thing to do, so we are really pleased that Annabel Collins from Ageing Better in Camden will join us to talk about their Warm Welcome approach. In common with many of you reaching out to encourage socially isolated older people to engage with activities, they noted it was hard for people to join new groups, that they could encourage people to attend once but the older person did not attend again, and that not all groups offer a warm welcome. Ageing Better in Camden have undertaken lots of research around the issue, including on the practical logistics of making it happen, and have some brilliant resources to share.
We will also be launching a Time to Shine toolkit and checklist which you could use with new staff and volunteers to help them make sure the Warm Welcome works day-to-day for your organisation.
Book your free place here

• Please encourage colleagues to join the events, but ask them to book themselves, so we can get an idea of numbers.
• The zoom link will be sent to you when you book.
• Presentations will be available as Word documents for anyone using screen reading software. Please ask.

In July we’ll look at how organisations have worked successfully with older people from diverse communities – look out for details.

Jessica Duffy
Learning Facilitator, Time to Shine