Cwmpas

With it being my final day in work for 2024, time to summarise what has been another insightful and enjoyable year at Cwmpas. Martin Downes FRSA and I delivered 16 Start Something Good hackathons this year from Newport to Newborough, and from Rhondda Cynon Taff to Wrexham. 752 attendees in total, culminating in the collection and collation of thousands of assets, insights, and ideas for social change. Working alongside Martin and some fellow Cwmpas colleagues, we’ve been working with 8 fantastic social enterprises alongside Andrew Cotton of Torfaen County Borough Council, assisting them with their long term strategies. Martin, Carl Gough and I have delivered 1:1 support, training, and social events to further develop the #SocialEnterprise sector in Bridgend alongside Bridgend County Borough Council. I’ve been working alongside 19 amazing community groups on behalf of the #Newid project to help them better embrace digital culture and technology alongside Marc Davies, Sam Ali, and Rachael Hobbs. This year, I’ve also delivered a number of speeches; “Coproducing Socially Inclusive Communities” at the European Social Services Conference in Antwerp on behalf of the European Social Network was a highlight, a session on “The Future of Funding” for Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid with Penny Lock, and most recently a session on “The Importance of Stakeholder Engagement and Social Practice” to University of South Wales students with Dr Rachael Rees-Jones PhD FCIM FHEA CMktr PGCE. Thank you to all the participants, clients, partners, and the people that made this happen! A nod also has to go out to Ben Bostock and Sarah Beal for their coordination and support behind the scenes. I will be slowing down my LinkedIn presence for the next few weeks for "dad time" at Christmas. Have a great festive break and all the best for the new year!

2024 has been a stand out year for the Start Something Good work I lead at Cwmpas. Maybe this photo sums up the spirit of our work best, bringing people together to create fresh ideas for change. Over a 1000 people have been part of our learning events and hackathon days. The Bridgend Social Enterprise Marketplace event in September broke new ground and was the culmination of months of work with great people. From Ynys Môn to Blaenavon, from Aberaeron to Wrecsam, from Rhyl to Bridgend it has been an absolute privilege to work with individuals, businesses, communities, public services, and a certain football club. I look back on the year with deep gratitude. This work has been building since a serendipitous conversation in September 2019. Early in 2025 we will be convening and hosting the first ever Wellbeing Economy Hackathon: a co-design day for businesses, the Third Sector, and the Public Sector forbetter local economies. I think we will be serving doughnuts at that event too. Merry Christmas to all. #socialenterprise #doughnuteconomics #wellbeingeconomy

📰 Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announced a new economic advisory group bringing together business, government and academia as an opportunity to “rekindle Wales’s proud industrial roots”. Here’s our response.

📰 Cyhoeddodd Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru, Jo Stevens grŵp cynghori economaidd newydd sy’n dod â busnes, llywodraeth a’r byd academaidd at ei gilydd fel cyfle i “ailgynnau gwreiddiau diwydiannol balch Cymru”. Dyma ein hymateb.

Our last event of the year, the Festive Social in Bridgend at Bryngarw House. It has been a phenomenal year working with social enterprises across Bridgend. An absolute privilege to partner with the team at Bridgend County Borough Council. Nadolig Llawen pawb! Cwmpas Paul Stepczak 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴☠️ Steve Dimmick Awen Cultural Trust Carl Gough Vicky Jones Tracy Mortimer Dan Newman Lads and Dads Men's Mental Wellbeing CIC zoe fry Lisa Davies Tanio James Pryce Rob Lester Paula Lunnon

💫 This week we celebrated the final session for the latest cohort of the Clore Social Leaders Cymru, Newport. As programme facilitator I have had the joy and privilege of sharing the room with so many amazing leaders, hearing about their experiences and supporting their learning. We closed the last six months with our very own Story of Stone Soup, improvised with a top hat and fairy lights! 💫 I am excited for the work the group are already doing and for the impact they will have in the future. Huge thank you to each member of the cohort, the programme team and facilitators. Clore Social Leadership Cwmpas Siobhan Hayward Paul Stepczak 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴☠️ Martin Downes FRSA Steve Sloan Angharad I. Beth Goddard, Facilitator, Connector, Coach 🌍(ICF ACC) Georgina Fekete And thank you to Clowns Without Borders UK for the story which I learnt this year on a fantastic weekend of Clowning 🤡

Gwerth Sir Gar – Carmarthenshire Value Conference. This event gave me goosebumps. I love hosting and this was a special one on home turf. 🌟 ‘The sensitivity to suffering in self and others, with a commitment to alleviate and prevent it’ Prof Paul Gilbert. 🌟 Could this be the description we're looking for our social sector? Referenced by Dr Hanna Hopwood in her talk on compassion in leadership. We have Super Stars here too! Cwmpas are so proud of Deri Reed, Ethical Chef and volunteers at Cegin Hedyn Community Kitchen for winning a BBC Food and Farming award this week. https://lnkd.in/ey4viprh *When procurement and social businesses speak the same language, we can have impact in our communities. * When public assets/land are in the hands of the community, magic happens. * Oh, and be more pirate and don't burnout! It's safe to say that the sector is booming and needs continued support. Huge thank you / Diolch enfawr to all our speakers -  Dr Hanna Hopwood, Consultant; @ScottDarraugh @SocialadVentures; @ChrisBlake, The Green Valleys; Dr Sarah Evans; Procurement panel: Claire Jones, Carmarthenshire County Council; Fay Ryan, Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police; Helen Rees, Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service; Huw Thomas, Hywel Dda University Health Board ; and Eleanor Shaw, PeopleSpeakUp. Special thank you to People Sing Up Choir. Funded by Carmarthenshire County Council, UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.  What a day!  Diwrnod arbennig! Check out what we can do for your county, lets chat: https://lnkd.in/eCgudiug

"It takes a community to fix a problem." Teams at the Ceredigion Community Ideas event looking at how we better collaborate to help people get to where they need to get to. Conversations about services, transport, wellbeing, employability, and economy. Good to have Clear The Fog filming our 63rd hackathon event. Ceredigion County Council Hazel Lloyd Lubran Chesca Ross Donna Coyle Paul Stepczak 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴☠️ Marc Davies Transport for Wales Bethan Webber #communitytransport