Community Circles join TLAP

Community Circles are delighted to have recently joined the Think Local Act Personal Partnership (TLAP).  Community Circles started in 2012 when Helen Sanderson invited a few us to get together to think how we could develop circles of support at scale.  From those initial conversations, we are now developing Community Circles in Torbay, London, Wigan, Doncaster and Dumfries. 

A Community Circle is a way of gathering people around a person and having focussed conversations that lead to a positive difference in the person’s life.  A volunteer facilitator supports each circle, where members share their ideas that lead to action.  Community Circles are a way that we can support each other in our local communities.

The purpose of Arthur’s circle is to keep him involved with gardening and DIY. Arthur now spends each Friday with the facilities officer supporting the maintenance of the home where he lives. Arthur lives with dementia and this role keeps him active. He takes great pride in what he does and this really supports his wellbeing.

May really wanted to get out and about more and get involved in some activities. She told her Circle that she used to love singing and now they support her to take part in her local Community Choir. She’s an active member and has even helped to organise a performance at her residential home.

Personalised support is at the heart of Circles and our values align perfectly with those of TLAP.  Circles keep the person at the centre, with family and friends contributing to making a difference in the persons life.  Circles engage with local communities, creating positive ripples from an individual, to the circle, through to the wider community by developing connections and contributions, supporting the wellbeing of all.

In his latest blog, Clenton Farquharson MBE talks about doing personalisation differently.  His call to action is about asking, listening and doing what most matters to people.  Through natural conversation, Community Circles are aiming to achieve just that and are looking forward to future working with the TLAP partnership.

In September, Community Circles are launching our range of offers, including free resources for ‘Do It Yourself’ circles, read Martin Routledge's blog on What's next for community circles. 

If you’d like to know more about our future plans, please contact Martin Routledge, our Head of Development martin@community-circles.co.uk

We’d love to hear from you.