Spaces of Hope has been applied in a diverse array of contexts. Here you will find gatherings of content, which express Spaces of Hope through writings talks, dialogues and larger project work. These should give you a sense of the different ways Spaces of Hope can be applied.
Church of England, Social Responsibility Network (SRN) Annual Conference: In November 2019, the Diocese of Chester hosted the SRN Annual conference. This conference attracted delegates from across the Church of England and the Church in Wales for a 3 day gathering. The focus of the conference was 'Church on the High Street' and was interested in how the flows of people across places characterised by our changing economies, are understood and engaged with, by the Church. Spaces of Hope designed and delivered the substantive content of the day, providing an immersive 'field trip' to different sits across Stockport, which helped delegates to reflect on the theme of the conference. This gathering helped those interested in social responsibility in their own contexts, to understand more about where the spaces of hope might be and how they might access them.
Curating Spaces of Hope: Exploring the Movement from Root to Fruit - 23rd October 2019. This gathering explored the last three and a half years of Spaces of Hope in Stockport, considering both the idea itself, through reflection on its progress, and its potential for development. This symposium explored the curation of personal narrative, professional practice and research led innovation, as a means of drawing through the beliefs and values at the root of who we are, so that they produce good fruit through what we do. This gathering began by asking attendees to reflect on what Spaces of Hope means to them, before engaging with the Spaces of Hope dialogues, gatherings and networks that have formed, and finally engaging with critical questions that will shape the growth of the movement.
Grassroot Movements and Partnerships of Hope - 16th October 2019 - Matthew joined a panel convened by the Faith and Civil Societies Unit at Goldsmiths College, University of London, to discuss the growth of Spaces of Hope in the Northwest, alongside interfaith projects from elsewhere in the country.
World Mental Health Day Service at Manchester Cathedral - 10th October 2019 - Matthew has helped to steer the development of this inaugural service, hosted by the Mental Health Chaplaincy in Greater Manchester. Matthew will be sharing a story of hope as part of the service and helping to develop understanding of interfaith engagement with mental health and wellbeing.
William Temple Scholarship announced - June 2019 - Matthew has been awarded a William Temple Foundation scholarship to enable him to complete his doctoral research at Goldsmiths, University of London. Commenting on the new appointment, Director of Research Professor Chris Baker says: ‘We’re delighted that Matthew has become our latest scholar. The creative and ground-breaking work that Spaces of Hope is generating around partnerships and policy formation is something that William Temple Foundation is proud to endorse and support.’ Read the full announcement here
Winning Hearts and Minds and Curators of Change - September 2018 to April 2020 A project run by Manchester City Council, Manchester health and Care Commissioning, The Manchester Primary Care Partnership and Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust. For more on the 'Winning Hearts and Minds' project itself, click here. Spaces of Hope has been utilised by consultant 'Curators of Change', to use our qualitative expertise to construct Grounded Theories for communities in North Manchester, in a way that is sensitive to cultural and religious nuance, power structures and spatiality, and can inform the development of new health based interventions. You can read more about the project here as well as in the pilot project report (left)
The Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society in England - August 2018 - Spaces of Hope was included as one of four interfaith case studies, given as exemplars from across the UK of 'Bridge Building and Peace Brokering'. The research looked for examples of work that was 'below the radar' and offered opportunities to reshape the ecosystem that they were in. Spaces of Hope stood out as one such example. This research reflected on broader themes of Power, Assets and Accountability, Collaboration and Connection, Transformation and Trust. This comprised what the Inquiry referred to as the PACT analysis, so named as it should for the basis for the relationship with society and the surrounding institutions.
Stockport Spaces of Hope Hubs Network - Across 2018 - commissioned by Stockport Council in 2018. Between 2016 and 2019, Spaces of Hope has grown in the Stockport through a movement engaging 167 people through 9 community gatherings and thousands more through a social media campaign, who have contributed to the co-design of Spaces of Hope itself and coproduced content for delivering healthier, more hopeful and connected communities.
Our first 30 Gatherings between October 2016 and January 2019 This is a Map of the gatherings that have taken place since the first Spaces of Hope public event in September 2016. This map provides details of the location of the events and the nature of the content and expression of each of the gatherings. We have been excited to see the ideas of Spaces of Hope planted across the North West in 2016 and 2017, with links into Leeds and Birmingham by the end of 2018. The combination of personal stories, beliefs and values informing how we work and how we relate to and connect with others is a powerful one.