Defining the 'vision' for Belong in Plymouth
In February 2022, the core team of Belong in Plymouth came together to create a Theory of Change for our work. This proved to be challenging due to the emergent nature of the work and the trickiness of the challenges we wanted to tackle!
The problem: Social isolation and loneliness are pervasive problems that harm our physical and mental health. The issue extends beyond individuals to the VCSE sector and between sectors, with patterns of disconnection and misalignment observed at various levels, from teams and organisations and out into the wider system. The current system prioritises ineffective solutions, and a ‘fixing’ mindset can be observed. We observe misalignment between the stories we tell ourselves about the way things work and the way they actually work. Collaboration in the city is insufficient, with differing interpretations of collaboration and superficial solutions. To address these challenges, we need to move beyond quick fixes and embrace a more comprehensive approach. The scale and complexity of isolation and its effects on health mean we cannot carry on working with soundbite answers as solutions.
The vision: Belong in Plymouth envisions a city where no one feels forgotten, driven by a paradigm shift whereby we tackle issues in ways consistent and coherent with the solutions we seek by working together. Collaboration, cooperation, and alignment ensure that efforts and resources are optimised. Listening to each other's stories allows us to discover new ways of working. We seek a mindset shift from fixing to connecting and creating spaces where people feel heard and understood, to build better representations of reality. By exploring and seeking answers together, including the NHS, statutory services, VCSE, communities, and individuals, we can gain insights into the diverse experiences of isolation, loneliness, and connection. Our shared experiences, when thoughtfully told, hold significant power. We know that by meaningfully working together we can achieve so much more.
Reflections: I think the problem and vision we described still hold true. Working towards that vision of a city where no one feels forgotten remains a challenge. What can we do, together, to make that vision a reality?