This category explores the power of working together — from co-creating ideas to building partnerships and shared ownership. Posts here highlight collaborative approaches that drive change, foster creativity, and strengthen community ties.
Understanding System Shifts
We talk a lot about ‘system change’—but what does that actually look like in Plymouth? For us, it means starting where we are: building relationships, noticing patterns, and sharing power. System sh...
Youth Voice: Rewriting the Invitation
In January 2023, the Belong in Plymouth team revisited a familiar challenge: how can young people have real influence in shaping their city? “Youth influence has waxed and waned,” Matt Bell noted, ec...
Sprint Reviews — Balancing Reflection and Action
In January 2023, our Sprint 3 Review became a moment of honest reflection—and raised a powerful tension in the room. “It’s a safe place to articulate what we often suppress,” one participant said. Pe...
Reimagining Youth Voice
On 27 January 2023, we took a fresh look at how young people are invited into decision-making in Plymouth. “Youth influence has waxed and waned,” Matt Bell reflected, noting that we’ve been here befo...
Revisiting Youth Voice: It Matters
Youth voice has come up time and time again in Belong in Plymouth—and in January 2023, we returned to the challenge with fresh determination. “Youth influence has waxed and waned,” Matt Bell acknowle...
Exploring Collaborative Networks
When it comes to tackling complex challenges like loneliness, inequality, and system change, there’s no single leader or linear fix. That’s why we’ve been exploring what we call “many-to-many” collab...
Shaping Change with Changing Futures
Back in December, we sat down with the Changing Futures team—a programme also working with people experiencing deep, multiple disadvantages. “It was a meeting of two like-minded programs that share a...
Finding Shared Purpose with Changing Futures
In December 2022, we sat down with colleagues from the Changing Futures programme. What struck us most? We were speaking the same language—despite different scopes, timelines, and remits. “It was a m...
Transforming Our Work Through Stories
As Belong in Plymouth’s community research grew, so did our understanding of what it means to work relationally. A string of conversations in late 2022 reflected a shift—from collecting stories to co-...
Launching a Community Research Group: Importance and Impact
In September 2022, Belong in Plymouth took a big step forward in its community research efforts by creating a dedicated group for those leading conversations across the city. Karen Pilkington kicked ...
Belonging: Ancient Roots, Modern Relevance
In an August 2022 email, Matt Bell offered a surprising take on collaboration: it’s not a modern invention—it’s a survival instinct. “Cooperation is a fundamental human characteristic,” he wrote. “Fr...
Starting with Questions: The Origin of Belong in Plymouth
Back in March 2022, the Belong in Plymouth Core Team sparked its first conversations with a simple aim: figure out how to make Plymouth a place where no one feels forgotten. Matt Bell’s early message ...