The Decelerator, Community Enterprise, SCVO

Day

Wednesday 11 February

Time slot

15:00-16:00

Room

Pentland auditorium
Wheelchair accessible

Contact

Tracey Bird
0131 378 0630

Topics

Leadership Governance, strategy & legal

Overall aim

• To explore how civil society is changing, and how leaders can approach endings and transitions with confidence, creativity, and care.
• Attendees will gain practical tools, peer connections, and awareness of sources of ongoing support.
• We hope you will leave with renewed perspective, pragmatism, and perhaps even a little hope (!) for the road ahead.

Description

It’s the final session of two packed days at the Gathering, but, much like running a charity in times of profound uncertainty, we’ll make the best of what’s in front of us. After all, endings can be beginnings too.

This practical, energising session will explore how to have courageous, compassionate conversations about endings … with boards, funders, staff, volunteers and communities. We’ll start by introducing a set of endings archetypes to help participants understand their own instincts and responses and those of others when changes, transitions, or endings loom. From there, we’ll move into practices, approaches, and conversation starters tailored to different archetypes.

Over the past three years, The Decelerator, Community Enterprise and SCVO’s collaboration on Empowering Endings has grown into a network of more than 50 brilliant and brave support professionals. Together, we’re rethinking what it means to lead and support organisations through closure, merger, downsizing, and other major transitions, not always from the assumption that everything can or must be saved, but from a belief that leadership for these times might involve knowing how to grow, maintain and let go of things in civil society. Indeed that endings can hold wisdom, dignity, possibility, and the foundations for what is needed next.

The session will also share conversation openers, script templates, and a short guide to creating understanding, dignity and respect in difficult discussions. Through live practice and reflection, attendees will leave with tools they can apply immediately, and a renewed sense that even the “graveyard slot” can be a place of renewal.

Who is the event aimed at?

Development / Education officers, Frontline service delivery, Trustees

Who is speaking at this event?

Iona Lawrence - The Decelerator