SWSC will be two years old in March 2015. Building on the good momentum of our events over the summer – the shift in Scotland happening through the referendum process – a number of us within SWSC have seen an opportunity to host a big, bold and boisterous conversation that brings our network into conversation with people from citizen-led movements working with assets approaches – such as the recovery movements in addictions and mental health; ‘community assets’ activists, and folk from the social enterprise sector.

We imagine this will happen in February or March 2015. As far as possible, we aspire to organise and host this event on the basis of a ‘gift economy’ and reciprocity… Who can offer a space? Help with hosting and catering? Help get the word out?

To register visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VMZL6V5

Our idea is to bring together at least 300 people from Scotland’s citizen-led movements into conversation with workers and others involved in Skilled Workers, Skilled Citizens to ask, together:

• How can we build on core learning and philosophies of these movements (for example, the ‘recovery’ approach and different flavours of community assets practice) to influence public service reform – including innovations in workforce development?
• How can momentum developed during the independence referendum now built upon to support reform?
• How can people within Scotland’s public services best welcome, enable, encourage and evidence the benefits of doing this?

HELP US think this through – find the right venue – and get the right people there!

This event can only be a success if we are able to include people who are up for some creative, collaborative invention. If  you’ve not been involved in designing a large scale participatory event before, there will be the added bonus of seeing how it’s done- and maybe picking or sharpening up some extra skills…