Tag: Dudley

#FacesofCHADD – Telling the stories of the people behind the services.

Over the last few weeks we have been working on a storytelling project with CHADD: Churches Housing Association of Dudley & District

I (Steph) have been visiting the various services that CHADD offer and shooting the staff and residents. This has included a Domestic Violence Refuge, their Foyer accommodation for 16 – 25 year old’s and their sheltered housing schemes.

The aim was to capture a portrait and story that demonstrated the #FacesofCHADD, the people behind the services. Some of the stories I’ve heard have been heartbreaking, Some touching, and some very amusing but they all show the very human side of the services that CHADD offer, the stories that often get forgotten as organisations are reporting KPIs, on outputs rather than outcomes.

Here’s an example of just a few of them.

Over the next few months more photos and the accompanying stories will be appearing over on CHADD’s facebook page.

Like their page and keep your eye out for more updates.

A perfect description of a perfect social media surgery? Bearwood.

This video is shot by the Lorna Prescott – who’s the surgery manager for the enormously successful Dudley Social Media surgery –  and she’s talking to Coral Musgrave who organised last night’s first social media surgery in Bearwood. It is wonderful to see surgeries seeding with people who run one helping others develop there’s – and all working along the keep it simple lines that started with the recipe.  Lorna (of Dudley CVS)  learnt this from her first surgery:

  • Never underestimate the power of sharing knowledge, skills and experience (crucial in community development practice)
  • Social media surgeries are to help active citizens to join the massive conversation which is taking place on the internet
  • Social media surgeries are not basic IT training – we can signpost to adult learning for that
  • Individuals working in the public sector, voluntary sector and involved in community groups are willing to give their time

Well done and lets hope those organisations come back for more help in Bearwood. Can I make one suggestion Coral?  Put some more dates in – so people who are enthused can book to come to another.

May I also say it’s a top notch piece of social reporting. Lorna came to one of our social reporter training programmes a year of more ago – and is a natural in the business of keeping things relaxed, simple, and get them online quickly.

The First Dudley Social Media Surgery

I think I just got paid with a hug.  Full of the joys of social media surgeoning  Lorna Prescott from Dosti put her arms around me and said thank you.  (sorry Lorna for being embarrasing and thank you!)

It is really one of the reasons I love social media surgeries – they make me happy and they seem to make others happy too.

This was the first Dudley Social Media Surgery, organised by the remorseless energy of Melissa Guest from Dudley CVS and Lorna.  We had been involved with some work helping them pland and organise the surgery and some social reporter training as part of the Black Country Take Part Pathfinder programme.

30 people turned up and the proportion of surgeons to patients was just right.  This rather dark video shows just how busy and absorbed people were:

I shared the evening with two wonderful people.  Michael Dennis  turned up thinking he was there to get some help for the St Thomas Community Network – but because he does web development  he got wordpress ganged into being a surgeon.  It turned out Michael also run a successful ning network for foster carers.

Michael worked with Jackie McGuirk from Dudley Lions.

He helped her understand why social media might help their work.  She said up a blog and wrote here first post (and this jackie is your first trackback).  The worst part for Michael seemed to me interviewing them both:

Great evening and a great start to surgeries in Dudley.