loveLife Generation training in Sweden - Moves 4 Ideas

loveLife Generation trainers, Jas and Rukiyah, delivered an innovative training in partnership

 with Swedish partners Moves 4 Ideas. The training was aimed at those who work within

 communities and young people and participants came from Spain, Belguim, Sweden and

 the UK. 

See below what UK participant Stephen Ihme had to say about the training course.

 http://tiggerrays.com/blog/m4i-european-union-training-review/

Training Review

Details

Moves 4 Innovative Ideas was a training course looking at facilitation techniques
 when working with  various groups of people. It looked at areas around
 inclusion, motivation, team building, and target  planning. I have had the
 opportunity to attend and organisation several EU training courses, all under

 the Youth In Action programme, which will change to Eurasmus + (link here)
. This post is a training 

review, providing an overview of programme and how it was delivered.

Name

Moves 4 Innovative Ideas

Date

18th – 27th June 2014

Map

Location

It was based just outside the small Swedish town of Mariannelund, on part of Lake Asjon. A beautifully 

serene and calming area surrounded by a thick tall tree forest. The training happened in a family built

 cabin on one side of the lake opposite a camp site which housed many of the participants. This meant

 that participants were able to enjoy a short walk around the lake when coming to and from the daily

 activities. A short video of the walk is on youtube.

Facilitation and Organisation

The training was organised by Moves4Ideas, a Swedish based community group. Funded by the

 European Union youth in action programme, M4I brought in loveLife Generation from the UK to facilitate

 the training. loveLife Generation have been long-term community partners of mine and it was a fantastic

 opportunity to experience their training from a participants point of view.

Physical representations of our hopes and fears.

What do you read from this line of letters?

Review

Overall the training course was noticeably different from previous ones I have attended, or organised. 

Noticeable for the small number of participants, 15 was the maximum number at any one time. This

 meant that I was able to spend more time getting to know individual people. Giving me the opportunity

 to get to know people better, and build stronger relationships.

The organisers made great use of the surrounding area and community in the programme. Giving me

 the opportunity to really experience the local culture. The programme was loose enough to allow for

 both sudden changes, and for participant lead activities to be planned and acted on. This provided 

a sense of ownership that normally only comes when you organise a training course like this.

Gallery

View stream on flickr

The facilitation by loveLife Generation was typically active and emotive. It provided an encouraging

 and comforting environment, so when participants were asked to step outside their comfort zone,

 by acting as animals for example. You felt empowered to engage in the activities. Facilitation was

 the buzz word, and leadership was a prominent element of the training programme.

A unique setting, with a small group of people, all exploring the ideas and practises of leadership

 made for a visual and sensual explosion. The training was educating and thought provoking, whilst

 always being fun and enjoyable. Overall, it was a memorable ten days that provided me with some 

excellent tools for tutoring, or facilitating training courses in the future. Congratulations and thanks 

should go to both Moves4Ideas, and Sofia Jagbrant for organising the training course, and to loveLife 

Generation (website link) for the training.

loveLife Generation go WILD

Well, what a start to the new year that it has taken until March before we had a chance to write about all that is going on :) 


After the success of the Hallywell Project we gained the attention of organisations working in the local area including the Wild Life Trust!
We have joined forces with them and the Generation has been busy working with them learning about the environment, different plants for the garden and creating plant pots from old materials. 
Imagine an old tool box ready to be chucked away as the tools it used to keep have slowly been borrowed and lost. There is no more use for this box...BUT instead of adding to the landfills it is  transformed into a beautiful plant pot!
Or a caretakers old mop bucket will now brighten up somebody's front garden!


The young people involved have been very excited and will go around residents houses and offer them their creation in the hope it will continue the community spirit which they evoked over Autumn last year.


It just goes to show that anything can be beautiful just depends on your perspective...more to come soon :) 




Rukiyah 

Winter warmers at the Market =]

 

Now that winter is approaching we have joined forces with Hand Made Hats (says it in their name) so that whilst they can help you wrap up warm with hand knitted hats and scarves, the loveLife Generation can keep your insides nice and warm too with our range of Winter Warmers.

We have teamed up with qualified herbalists who have shown the young people at loveLife how to create natural products that will keep the chill at bay. These include lip balm, winter tea and bath salts.

These fabulous winter products are all natural and do not have to cost you an arm and a leg - no - we have learnt the wonders of natural ingredients that can be found in our very own back garden!!!

We are hoping to sell these products in local markets and to families and friends whilst the young people gain some invaluable business skills. Look out for the loveLife Generation's Winter Warmers.

Young Person's Persepctive

This weekend loveLife generation took to Forest Gate's Christmas market. We were finally putting on sale handmade natural products that the young people had been learning and making over the last few weeks. 

Some of the most popular products were the Lip Balms & the Candles. After the people had tried a little bit of the Herbal Tea, they couldn't resist and they were soon flying off the table.

Some people converted to tea lovers after they insisted that they only drank coffee. 

Having never had to sell anything  in the past especially in the cold, it was a really good feeling seeing people buy the products which we had made. 

This was a Winter Warmers special but I am looking forward to the Summer cooler special.

If I had the choice to do this again (in the summer) by jolly I would!

Salma

Village in the City- How well do you know Hallywell? (or your own neighbours for that matter?)

Village in the City

Back in the days, we are told, people on a street spoke to each other, helped each other and felt far safer than they seem to do now. 

Hallywell Crescent in Beckton E6 used to be such a street so said residents who had lived here for some time but no more. UNTIL...

loveLife descended upon the neighbourhood to create our very own village in the city, by involving residents across age groups in activities of interest and fun to get to become a closer community.

Funded by the Youth in Action Programme of the British Council, we worked on Hallywell Crescent from August to November 2011 to help develop Hallywell into a friendlier, brighter and safer street.

We spent  two weeks of door knocking with our young volunteers, finding out how residents felt about living on the crescent and explaining what we hoped to through the Hallywell Experience.  

Sundays, during September and October, saw Hallywellians enjoy the spectacle of some very dull wheelie bins transformed into works of urban art; street theatre on the green patch; the 'thud thud' of teenagers getting into shape with fitness work outs and 'piggy in the middle' bringing out the street vibe (no matter what age). The buzz from the street filtered across to the local community centre where children and young people enjoyed arts & crafts, fun and games, dance and drama. The herbal workshops initially designed for adults proved a massive hit with the young as well creating a shared activity across generations. 

When summer decided to visit London in October, Hallywell truly came alive with a community picnic - sunshine, munch, music and laughter.  New friends were made and old ones  reconnected.

Our final Sunday ended with a celebration. Dance and drama performances, herbal give-aways, arts and crafts presentations and the very first ever catwalk of wheelie bins were showcased. Bin number 28 stole the show and was awarded the coveted red ribbon. 

The smiles felt throughout the Halllywell Experience are still with us and we hope that the spirit of our small village in the city will continue to warm us heading into the depths of winter. 

Young person's persepctive :

These last few weeks we have been gathering every Sunday with residents of Hallywell Crescent to help bring back the street vibe to the street. 

After receiving the Youth In Action fund we embarked on this mission which we started off by knocking on residents doors and asking them questions about the kind of activities they would like to participate in; how safe they felt on their street and how much they trust their neighbours amongst others. Their answers sure did SURPRISE us! Seemed like TRUST leaves as one steps out of the house! 

So with the young people we took to the streets again. This time to invite the residents to special Sunday sessions with different activities. This is the fourth week and this is what we have achieved:

Bins are not just for rubbish - Young people have been spray painting their dustbins on the street and creating pieces of art. They first learnt how to spray and with the help of tutors they have transformed smelly bins into smelly 'attractive' bins

Herbal Medicine - young people and parents alike have been taking part in these workshops leaning how to create things from cough medicine to moisturising cream - All from natural ingredients that you can find in your garden!! This has sparked a great enterprising idea Watch out for Winter Warmers

Fitness - and a 1 and a 2 - yep Hallywell have been getting sweaty with PT and have boxed; kicked (football) and shot (basketball) into a huff and a puff

Drama: At the end of every session we have been entertained by some spectacular acting. Not only increasing their acting skills it really has been wonderful seeing people shine and really come out of their shells

Dance: breaking, popping and locking all the way...and finally lots of fun games to keep the little ones happy.

All of this every Sunday with loveLife values and activities underlying everything we do!

Sundays will never be the same again! 


RK