Trust lies at the heart of all our work. This category features posts about relational practice, psychological safety, and how deep relationships shape collaboration and wellbeing in community and professional spaces alike.
Rebalancing Power Through Trust
A key question we keep returning to is: how do we share power in a way that builds—not breaks—trust? That’s the heart of our many-to-many work. It’s not just about structures. It’s about relationship...
Piloting a Trust-Based Neighborhood Model
When we started talking about a neighbourhood pilot in Stoke, we weren’t interested in setting up another ‘hub-and-spoke’ model. As Matt Bell put it: “We want to try a truly networked approach that e...
Strengthening Local Networks, Neighborhood by Neighborhood
We’ve always known that social isolation and loneliness are local issues. So we began thinking: what would it take to build neighbourhood networks that actually connect people? Karen Pilkington propo...
Engaging and Retaining Young People
In January 2023, Belong in Plymouth turned its focus to a crucial question: how can young people have a real say in city-wide decisions? “Youth influence has waxed and waned,” Matt Bell acknowledged....
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...
Creating Inviting Onboarding
Joining Belong in Plymouth should feel like being welcomed into a community—not like reading a manual. That was the feeling behind our conversation in late 2022, when Stuart Jones said: “We often for...
Transparent Budgeting Through Trust
When Alex Hayes from The National Lottery Community Fund emailed in July 2022, the message was clear: let’s keep the budget conversation open. “If you are holding a cash balance, please let us know an...