…click here to find out more!

“Thanks again for inviting me to yesterday’s session. I really enjoyed it, the more I think about it, it’s really good to stop and organise your thoughts about conflict resolving and what is important in it through  talking to other people and hearing about their experience.

I thought about asking you to send the defusing mind-set notes and then I opened the pack I got from you and saw the magnet. Such a good idea, I will put it up in my workplace today – kitchen fridges in every workplace should have it! I think especially the point about ‘saving people’s face’ is very interesting. I see how it can help to avoid future conflicts but I have never thought about it before.

Many thanks to [the Hosts] Diana and Roger for running the session.”

Interested? Why not come and check it out for yourself!

We’ll be running more defusing conflict, first aid and networking sessions in Brixton, take a look at our sign up page to find out what’s happening near you.

It was great to hear the range of reasons why people wanted to train to be Hosts – some were looking at bulking up their CVs, some were using the skills gained at the session in their workplace or to support career moves and others were looking for an unusual way to get more involved with their community. The U is delighted to welcome people from so many different backgrounds and we hope to offer the chance for these people to achieve their own goals, whilst having a great time and learning something new!

If you’re interested in joining the U Brixton Hosts then please ring us for a chat on 0800 254 0154, or email hello@the-u.org.uk

We’ll be running free sessions in everyday first aid skills, defusing conflict and building your networks over the coming months so please check out our webpage to find out when these are happening and to sign up.

Image from cirencesterramblers.btck.co.uk

Last Tuesday The U team were thrilled to host what we hope will be the first of many ventures in Cirencester. Local residents were invited to a taster session at The U, taking part in a free ‘Everyday First Aid’ session which was developed in partnership with the British Red Cross. The turn out was fantastic, especially in light of the glorious weather outside, so a big thanks to all of those who attended.

We hope the experience was insightful and most of all fun, with participants taking part in a series of activities that demonstrate how to take an initial response in the face of seven common medical emergencies.

The session was a great opportunity for The U team to meet residents of Cirencester, and we are now looking forward to spending more time in this beautiful town. With plenty more sessions to deliver and lots of new people to meet, watch this space for more updates about The U in Cirencester coming soon!

To take part, you’ll spend 2 and a half hours participating in a series of activities that are designed to be fun and engaging. You will then have the opportunity to give us feedback about what could be improved. On top of this, all participants will receive a £10 High Street gift voucher from us to say thanks!

Places are limited, so sign up now by clicking on the link below.

Networking Prototype, Brixton:
Wednesday 20^th June, 2:30 – 5:00 pm,  Bizspace Brixton (Unit 205)

We look forward to seeing U there!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Venture Intern – Role Description

What is The U?

The U offers short, lively learning sessions in subjects like basic first aid and defusing conflict. These are led by local ‘Hosts’, who are members of the community that receive facilitation training to deliver the learning sessions on a volunteer basis. We operate out
of high street shops and ‘pop-up’ spaces in the community, currently we’re
running in the Southwest London and in the Northeast of England.

This year, our unique approach to learning and community engagement has been tested with over 1000 people and has proven effective at converting strangers into neighbours through the interaction and sharing that is built into the sessions. The resulting social
impact is an increase in connections between members of a neighbourhood, as
well as greater confidence to communicate with one another, building resilience
in the community. Attending a session is free, and always will be!

The Role:

Working closely with The U’s Community Coordinator and Head of Propositions, the Venture Intern will have the opportunity to work on a broad range of tasks that contribute towards our service development and delivery.  Your main responsibilities will include:

• Helping to manage the recruitment of volunteers and Guests, co-ordinating our network of Guests and Hosts using our CRM (customer relationship management) software and via phone and email.
• Prototyping our newest module with members of the public, assisting with the delivery of these sessions and gathering feedback.
• Helping to maintain our online networks and assisting with the development of new marketing and communications materials.

Person Specification:

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who is passionate about working with people and who is keen to learn about the ‘hands on’ operational side of a new start up venture. You will learn about group facilitation and have the opportunity to develop strong communication skills. Ideal candidates will be:

• Enthusiastic about working with people
• Able to work flexibly and willing to get involved in different aspects of design and delivery
• Proactive and confident to express your ideas
• Hard working and reliable
• Interests may include; media and communications, graphic design, volunteer coordination, service design, research.

How we support you:

The U is a venture within The Young Foundation, where two intern co-ordinators oversee the programme. This includes your pastoral care whilst working with us. You will be joining a wider group of interns who work on different projects at The Young Foundation, and are encouraged to attend a range of lunchtime seminars, events and training opportunities.  We ensure that your input forms a relevant and valuable contribution to the project.

You will be based at The Young Foundation’s offices in Bethnal Green. Travel expenses are reimbursed to and from work (zones 1-6 within London) and we provide £5 a day food allowance. We will also cover any other expenses incurred in the course of your work.

Project logistics for Intern:

Interns are asked to commit to 3 days per week and for a minimum of 12 weeks. The
working day for interns is 10am to 5pm.

Possible topics include:

Combat Workplace Bullying – Bullying in the workplace can take many forms, but no one should have to endure it. Learn how to address bullying in the workplace to ensure a happy and safe environment for yourself and your co-workers.

Successful Job Interviews – Got job interview jitters? Learn to get past the nerves and bring all your strengths to the forefront to make the best impression possible at your next job interview.

Supporting Your Parents - Caring for aging parents brings challenges as well as rewards. Learn how to support the ones you love the most to enjoy their Golden Years.

Street Photography – You don’t need a lot of high-tech equipment to create beautiful pictures. Learn how to take great photos right in your own backyard and share them with your community.

Have another idea for a session? Let us know at hello@the-u.org.uk.

The students explained to local U stakeholders that their inspiration had come from market stalls, and the idea was to have four structures that could very easily be assembled and dissasembled in different ways depending on the space the U was occupying at the time. The stalls could also be taken out onto the high street and set up there as a recognisable portable part of The U.

Inside, the L-shaped structures create a series of flexible spaces for the U in which different activities could happen simultaneously: a coffee and seating area for chit chat, a counter area for leaflets, an interaction space for meetings and an activity area for session delivery. Removable panels also enable the space to be used in its entirety with minimum hassle. The basic structures can be seen in the 1:20 model below:

After the students had presented their work we had a post-it brainstorm from local stakeholders and members of The U team, to give the students feedback on what we felt worked best and where there might be problems.

A lively discussion followed and merged into the second bit of the afternoon where we asked passers by and members of The U network to come and discuss community spaces in  general. A large question framed by the students “What would you like your community space to look like?” was presented to members of the public and their responses collected on still more post-its. People were keen to talk about their experiences of community space and how it could be improved: ‘friendly’, ‘light’ and ‘open’ were the words that came up most frequently along with ‘practical’ and ‘innovative’. With their bright and cheerful yellow cross beams, their flexible application and easy set up we are excited to find that the Kingston student structures fit perfectly into these criteria

So look out for the real thing arriving in Sutton in a couple of months time, and if you’re lucky coming to a high street near you soon after…

The session was developed in response to increasing concern over the frequent escalation of low level antisocial behaviour. A government report into the issue prompted Ben Rogers to argue in the guardian that “the capacity of the community or neighbourhood as a whole to help police itself is crucial.”

In the report “Our Vision for Safe and Active Communities,”  Baroness Newlove recommends several ways in which communities can become safer more enjoyable places to live, saying “Being actively involved in your community and helping to keep it safe needs to become the norm rather than the exception.”

The U wanted to find a way of empowering   members of the local community to address difficult situations in their neighbourhoods  and so we developed this quick, hands-on session in partnership with Dfuse to teach useful tips for addressing life’s little nuisances safely and amicably. Participants are taught to adopt a Defusing Mind-set which will enable them to keep their cool and prevent difficult situations from escalating into something more serious.

The session encourages positive, regular contact with neighbours, which has been shown to increase wellbeing. It aims to give people the confidence to exercise control over their local circumstances in an amiable and effective way.

The design of the session took 6 weeks and involved the delivery of 6 prototypes, each building on and incorporating the insights from the one before. During the prototyping of the project we received very positive feedback from participants involved. One 60 year old woman said: “Normally I would be too afraid to talk to a neighbour [who was having a noisy party] and I would just call the Police. But it really isn’t so hard to talk to them about it.” While a 26 year old man commented “We all have different ways of seeing things. This session allowed me to open my mind to the way other people may think.”

Our local Hosts have been trained in delivery of the session and are keen to share the experience with members of their community.