As 2024 comes to an end, our team took stock of the things we are proud of this year. CTP’s Policy and Programmes Manager Rosie Maguire organised our discussion into CTP’s final blog of 2024, reflecting what it’s like to work at CTP and how we work together, as well as what we are trying to achieve.
We’re going into the holidays very ready for rest and recharging our batteries. But this last week of term we’re celebrating work well done and looking forward to doing more great things in 2025. I, for one, look forward to reuniting with CTP folks and our partners in the new year. I hope you’ll be joining us in our work rewiring the economy and growing the power and voice of local people.
GROWING SUSTAINABLY
We’re ‘doubled’ in many areas. The number of ‘high-quality, wonderful people’, the number of commissioned projects as well as the number of large scale partnerships we are contributing to. We started the year with RORE but are now also contributing to Local Health and Global Profits, looking at the commercial influences on health at a local level.
While we doubled our team, we kept our culture. Our team has retained the trust and collaboration that is easy when you are few.
“We’ve worked hard over the years to build kindness, courage and non-hierarchical approaches into how we do things, and to be able to double our size and keep them is really important.” – Liz
“I’m proud and joyful about the fact that CTP feels like it’s just doubled in lots of things.” – Rachel
“We doubled the team and kept the culture, which I think isn’t necessarily always that easy.” – Liz
Where we’ve grown, we’ve also brought in diversity in thinking, personality, skills and practices. This also gives us the opportunity, led by our wonderful Operations Team Katie and Kate, to continuously co-create how we operate together. We have our legacy but there is always an opportunity for evolution. For those that have joined the team, there was a sense of being able to find a place and feeling able to meaningfully contribute – from the get go – using all their skills, knowledge and experience.
“It’s lovely to be growing the team, but not in a uniform way.” – Lisa
“Being able to use my skills across all the things that you do and be a dependable, supporting person that helps you all then do the wonderful work that you do.” – Kate
“Being able to hit the ground running and really land on my feet here. I want to thank everyone for their part in playing their part in that.” – Fraser
BUILDING OUR FOUNDATIONS
This year we made significant investments in the building blocks of our work. We undertook a communications messaging review which will be the foundation of our future stories and messages. Our Thriving Places Index got a boost from new team members – Ade and Ness – who brought in new ideas and perspectives to complement our established thinking. Their skills and imagination as well as having space and support from the team ‘to fly’ enabled us to generate new different ways of doing things, including our new Local Authority dashboard and enhanced mapping dashboard. We also gathered together stories and practices in our Wellbeing Economy in Action report with support from our Associate Clare Goff. This will help the team to inspire our partners with concrete examples of what’s already working.
“I found [the messaging review] really helpful, and was proud to be a part of helping to deliver that. It’s a fantastic foundation both for me and for whoever takes the reins of the comms role when that person is appointed*.” – Annabel
“I’m proud to have worked as a part of a team that has strengthened the Thriving Places framework and indicator set substantially this year as well as adapting the framework in new ways to deliver impact for a range of clients.” – Mel.
USING OUR STRENGTHS TO DO GREAT WORK
There’s a huge appetite for the particular skills and support our team can bring – often weaving between ideas, practices and activities. We’ve built deep, trusting relationships with folks in communities, in frontline organisations and in strategic positions, all of whom want to make changes in how they do things. These trusting relationships help us to have open conversations about the challenges they are facing, but also what they can build on. From there we’ve helped develop some really meaningful frameworks, approaches behind the scenes practice that can help move their work forward.
“It’s all the things that we do internally and who we have in the team that enables us to build trusting and supportive relationships with people.” – Rosie
CARE AT THE HEART OF IT ALL
It’s easy to tell the outside world about our amazing year and all the ways we’ve grown. But the reality is – it’s been a year! This is not just what’s happening in the world but how we’re all always facing the day-to-day cycle of what it means to be human – navigating transitions, experiencing joy, building connection, dealing with loss and grief and nurturing (new) life. Our team nearly has a full house! We’re proud that we’ve managed to care for each other and work in a way that acknowledges our needs and responsibilities but finds a way to do the work as best we can. We all want a better world – it’s possible – but we also have to build that together in ways that are human. So we will keep reflecting on and adapting how we organise ourselves and our work and how we hold space for each other so our 2025 is as impactful yet sustainable as this year.
* If you want to join our wonderful team, the application process for our new Strategic Communications Manager is open until 22nd January 2025.
Rosie Maguire, Policy and Programmes Manager
Would you like practical support to help shift your organisation, community or region to a Wellbeing Economy approach in 2025? CTP is here to help. Get in touch at hello@centreforthrivingplaces.org
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