Coronavirus – LATEST
SMK wants to be a positive part of the Coronavirus response. For the moment, we are delaying or cancelling public events and are working on alternative ways to share learning. Stay updated via our newsletter and social media accounts.
We believe that while much of civil society is (rightly) focused on the immediate needs of their communities during this emergency, our role will be to keep an eye on how efforts to create longer-term change are affected.
SMK’s role during the Coronavirus emergency: what do you need?
We don’t know how long the COVID-19 emergency will last. Charities, not-for-profits, community groups and mutual aid groups are now rightly focused on the immediate needs of the communities they serve, and on staying active so they can meet them.
SMK exists to support civil society change-making. Like many others, we are asking what our mission looks like in this new environment. How do we keep asking the big question ‘how is change happening?’ We are now re-imagining our work in the new environment so that we can keep supporting change-makers, for the next few months or much longer.
At heart, we are a convening organisation. We bring people together to understand, learn and share. Now that in-person conversations aren’t possible, and with so many people’s attention turning to more immediate problems, we wonder whether our role is to:
Maintain an eye on how efforts to create social change are themselves changing
Understand how this emergency is revealing and publicising the need for systemic and cultural change, and civil society’s ability to respond to that
Spot longer-term risks to civil society’s ability to drive social change.
We want to invite you to share your own thoughts about this, what SMK can do to respond, and how we can share ideas more widely.
We’ve created a short survey that asks how change-making and change-makers are being affected. It includes very open questions about what you, as civil society change-makers, funders or leaders, would most value from SMK – and how you might like to be involved. We’ll share our own conclusions over the next few weeks. And we may well repeat this exercise on a regular basis.
WHAT WE DO
TRAINING
We deliver a wide range of training from one and five-day workshops to intensive two hour masterclasses. We also provide one to one coaching support to help boost campaign confidence, and coaching to support more personal development and career support.
CAMPAIGNER AWARDS
We bring together the best of campaigns and campaigners – whether working locally or nationally, and from individuals and community groups to people working in large organisations.
CONSULTANCY
We deliver a consultancy service that covers all aspects of strategy, planning, delivery, and evaluation of social change. We work with organisations to develop the culture, processes and staff resources needed to be effective change-makers.
POWER SHARING PROJECT
The Power Sharing Project sets out to envisage how civil society in London might better share resources and power to drive change. The project has a local focus on poverty and inequality in London – England’s most unequal city.
LATEST NEWS, EVENTS AND TRAINING
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST
Listen to instances of change!
Our latest Social Power podcasts feature live recordings from our Change Network events. Our next podcast will be on the law and social change.
PROGRAMME
The Power Sharing Project…Get involved!
The Power Sharing Project sets out to envisage how civil society in London might better share resources and power to drive change. The project has a local focus on poverty and inequality in London – England’s most unequal city.
AWARDS
Nominations have been extended!
Each year, SMK celebrates the best creative, effective and courageous campaigns and campaigners. Know someone or an organisation who deserves to be celebrated? Deadline to submit is 12pm Fri 3rd April.
TRAINING
Intro to Social Change & Campaigning
We’ve partnered with the DSC to run our one-day workshops across the UK. Locations include Liverpool, Swansea and Cambridge.
BLOGS & ARTICLES
WHO WE’VE WORKED WITH
SOCIAL POWER PODCAST
Our latest podcast on the Irish abortion referendum, features Deidre Duffy, Dr Claire Brophy and Rachel Lavin sharing their experiences of the story of a referendum that united a nation, after decades of discord on women’s rights.
SOCIAL POWER REPORT
Our first report urges civil society to unleash its ‘Social Power’ by being bolder and braver. It includes findings from conversations with our 400-strong Community of Practice, and tools to help you think about your own work.
WE’RE LEADING THE WAY FOR CAMPAIGNING AND WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US
Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear about news, training and events