now...April 2016

This is what I'm doing now.

Sharing Learning Doing (my work)

1. finishing off an action research project with Greening Wingrove CIC (in partnership with Ethical HR Ltd) - it's been an exciting and interesting piece of work. I've worked with Greening Wingrove CIC on a business plan and have written up the action research project as a report called Growing Greening Wingrove
2. finishing off a short project with a community centre in the east end of Newcastle to help them build a stronger network around them 
3. helping one two organisation to become a charity (Northern Dance became a charity at the start of April, hurrah!)  
4. working on an evaluation with Neil Shashoua of Trapeze Consulting for a Newcastle-based charity, running 2016 to 2018
5. trying to write a regular newsletter to share inspiring, useful and exciting things. The plan was to send it out every two weeks or so but I have totally failed as I've only sent out a few since September. Must try harder

My learning and networks

1. learning social entrepreneur stuff - I'm a student on the School for Social Entrepreneurs 2015-2016 Start up programme with the Yorkshire and Humber school. It's a year-long programme with study days, action learning sets, a mentor and small start up grant. There have been seven study days so far; our action learning sets have started; and I've met my mentor, John
2. helping to plan the next Urbanistas North East meet up on Tuesday 17 May (I'm part of the planning group. Urbanistas is a women-led network for women working on social change in cities). There's a social too on 18.00-20.00 on Tuesday 12 April at the Town Wall
3. planning the April 2016 collaboration superheroes meet up and collaboration supperheroes supper clubs I host with Robert Laycock. Come along if you like but don't forget to book a place. This came out of North East Together, Leaders Network for Social Change)
4. reading Who cooked Adam Smith's dinner: A story about women and economics by Katrine Marcal for my book group. Our next meeting is in May and I'm feeling (too) smug about reading it already (it was great, I loved it)

Being an active citizen

1. volunteering as a trustee of Northern Creative Solutions, which runs Broadacre House, a meanwhile space project turning an empty 40,000sq ft/6 storey office block in Newcastle upon Tyne into a thriving community hub and home for charities (20 and growing), social action and creativity. It's brilliant, and I became chair of the charity in March
2. volunteering as a trustee of Scotswood Natural Community Garden. We run and manage a beautiful garden in Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne, to help people learn about nature, sustainability and growing and be more healthy
3. running (with William Mortada and Holli Brown) Newcastle Social Media Surgery to help people (community activists, charities, community groups) to use social media better 

Sequins and Tweed

1. working on some product lines for an open studio event in August - so far I've made felt ball garlands, repurposed fuzzy felt for Christmas cards, and, inspired by 70s string art, have hand-stitched more Christmas cards - and now need to get on to packaging and pricing
2. learning how best to mount and frame nursery rhyme vintage playing cards
3. wondering what to do with this blog

I stole this idea from Derek Sivers. It's such a good idea to steal that loads of other people have done the same and there's now a now page movement plus a website that lists people's /now pages nownownow.com.