“Big Society” and the Environment Opportunities, barriers & solutions

Aims of the workshop To think through the opportunities open to the environmental community To develop creative ideas for future steps – these will be summarised in a report To learn from each other and discover opportunities for working together To come up with one top idea per table to feedback (briefly) to the plenary session at 5 PM

Introducing the kit – Write /draw on leaves

1 idea per leaf, write so others can read

Coloured leaves for different questions (write on the coloured side)

Overview of key stages of workshop Opportunities Barriers Solutions Choosing a top idea per table for feedback

Time on own to develop ideas

Overview of key stages of workshop Opportunities - What opportunities are there for us to improve, enhance or expand what we already do, either for specific groups or for civil society in general?

Sharing ideas – go round the circle

Branches provide themes, point leaves at branches

Branches Economics Activities Social Environment (built) Landscapes Blank –for themes that emerge from discussion / cross cutting ideas

Meaning of these branches (EASEL): Economics – everything to do with money and finances, sources of funding, institutions related to money. Activities – what activities are happening in the area? What are people doing? What activities could be happening? Social – everything to do with how people are organised, the networks, institutions, culture, how people work together. Environment (built) – buildings, technology, infrastructure – all the human made elements of the environment. Landscapes – the natural environment, habitats, water, ecology, open spaces. Blank –for themes that emerge from discussion / cross cutting ideas

Overview of key stages of workshop Opportunities Barriers - What might prevent us from taking advantage of those potential opportunities? What might prevent us from achieving our overall goals – including things that could limit or compromise activities we are already involved in?

You can move ideas around

Cluster similar ideas

You can add more ideas as you go along, simply write them on leaves

Overview of key stages of workshop Opportunities Barriers Table swap – what’s interesting on other tables and why?

Overview of key stages of workshop Opportunities Barriers Solutions - What would we need, and need to do, in order to overcome those barriers and take up new opportunities?

Overview of key stages of workshop Opportunities Barriers Solutions Choosing a top idea per table for feedback