Here is the practical side of our work — the exercises, methods, and frameworks that help us listen better, design thoughtfully, and work more effectively. From listening practices to co-design techniques, these posts highlight the tools that support meaningful collaboration and reflection in community settings.
Levels of Listening
A framework for understanding and consciously choosing where to place attention during listening, aiming to create empathy, learning, and reflective understanding. It distinguishes three levels
By Matt Bell
Collaboration handbook
Our thinking behind collaboration can be found here
By Matt Bell
Modelling vulnerability
A practice of being real, exposed, and authentic in interactions, including sharing oneself and integrating personal reflection, to build deeper connections and foster psychological safety. This is pa...
By Matt Bell
Money pot
A method of allocating funds directly to specific groups of people rather than to rigid line items, to foster ownership and allow the group to decide on the deployment of resources for the benefit of ...
By Matt Bell
Asset-based community development and community organising
An approach that focuses on recognizing and building on the existing strengths, passions, and inherent assets within a community rather than solely on identifying problems. It empowers local people to...
By Matt Bell
Personal Invitations
The art of crafting a welcome that resonates, disarms, and inspires action, especially in communities with a history of mistrust. The most effective invitations come from another human being, deliver...
By Matt Bell
Check-ins
Regular sessions, typically held in full group gatherings, where participants share reflections and collaboratively discover patterns and approaches that best serve their diverse community. These rhyt...
By Matt Bell
Groups.io
The primary digital platform for communication within the Belong in Plymouth programme. It was used to implement a principle of open communication, ensuring that everyone had access to the same inform...
By Matt Bell
Embodied Connection/Activity
A transformative practice that helps people create meaning and drive action by fostering a deeper, more personal connection to insights, moving beyond purely intellectual engagement. This involves al...
By Matt Bell
The Circle (for meetings/gatherings)
A deliberate seating arrangement where everyone is equally visible and heard, without a head or a foot, fostering connection, trust, and deeper relationships. This practice became a cornerstone for f...
By Matt Bell
Design briefs
Concise, actionable declarations (often stemming from "How Might We" statements and clustered insights) that transform a broad area of interest into a specific, tangible challenge or opportunity that ...
By Matt Bell
Map of Belonging cards
A deck of cards created from community conversations, each featuring a distilled insight on one side and a fragment of the original transcript on the other, directly connected to the factors and theme...
By Matt Bell