Our approach
We are pursuing system change through local action.
We empower people to build powerful partnerships to initiate and sustain lasting change.
What do we do?
We identify and nurture community leaders who see the world as it is and resolve to change it.
We work with them to do whatever it takes to create the conditions for others to flourish.
Who do we work with?
While many people are left despondent by the challenges facing schools today—some are energised and emboldened by the opportunity to come together to take action.
We work with these people.
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The issues we’ve highlighted are multifaceted, ambiguous and deeply intertwined.
The outcomes they produce are uncomfortable and unsettling.
Uncomfortable because they’re so at odds with our collective intention, our everyday endeavours and despite profound progress in distinct areas at the same time.
Unsettling because they’re nobody’s fault, per se, and it's not immediately obvious what we need to do to ‘fix’ them.
We work with individuals and organisations that acknowledge this complexity and engage with it accordingly.
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While we believe it's important to acknowledge the presence of “systemic inequalities” and that many of our existing, evolving and emerging problems seem to have no clear origin, we also have to accept that they don’t create or sustain themselves—“gaps” don't widen on their own accord.
We work with individuals and organisations who accept the responsibility for addressing complex challenges (and embrace opportunities) head-on.
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While we don’t know what the specific solutions are to these big issues; we do know how to solve complex problems like them.
We know there's no magic bullet. We know that no one person or organisation has all of the answers—or the capacity to 'fix' things even if they did.
We work with those committed to: establishing a deep, comprehensive understanding of the issues affecting children and young people; meaningfully collaborating with a wide range of other individuals and organisations to build power and create change; and, adopting an intelligent approach to continuous learning and evaluation.
And here’s how we work…
While we know that all change is complicated, over the last 15 years or so we've identified three necessary conditions that matter more than others when initiating and sustaining change.
These three pillars have come to define our approach to everything that we do.
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Our work starts (and ends) with people. We address people over problems. We put people before programmes. We chase outcomes over outputs.
For renowned community organiser, Marshall Ganz, the first question any leader should ask themselves is not "what's the issue?" but "who are my people?".
Because leadership isn't about solving problems for people, it's about enabling people with the problem to mobilise their own resources to solve it—and keep it solved.
We agree, and commit to:
(1) Identifying people who share our commitment to centring and improving the lives of underserved children and young people; and,
(2) Nurturing people to develop the skills and strategies required to build power and drive lasting change.
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Place is a prism. It determines precisely how systemic issues present themselves as problems in the real world and it informs the resources we have available to overcome them.
We deal in the real and commit to:
(1) Pursuing a practical, asset-based approach in everything we do; and,
(2) Developing a rich understanding of each individual, organisation and community by celebrating their strengths, elevating lived experiences and expertise, and actively expanding the capacity of others.
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They strengthen and transform us. Networks can improve our resilience and expand our capacity to do great work—but only when founded upon strong, trusting relationships.
The Relationships Project says that when relationships are nurtured, valued and prioritised, people are happier and healthier, communities are stronger and more resilient, and organisations are more effective.
We agree and commit to:
(1) Fostering strong, trusting relationships between individuals, within groups and between organisations; and
(2) Promoting meaningful collaboration across our network of "nationally-connected, locally-rooted" leaders.
Finally, all this—to what end?
Ultimately, we’re here to ensure that every child can enjoy a life of choice and opportunity. Thankfully, many children in England are well on their way already—but millions aren’t.
All of our work is rooted in a deep commitment to those children, their families and their communities.
But we’re not just here to ‘solve problems’ or ‘close gaps’. What underpins all of our work is the belief that better is possible. We’re on a mission to create better systems—rather than just reducing bad outputs.
We believe that when we centre the experiences of those underserved by our current systems and approaches, and by confronting the stark realities of marginalised groups, we don’t just ‘narrow gaps’; we weave rich new tapestries of collective strength—better outcomes and brighter futures by design.
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“If you want to go fast, go alone—if you want to go far, go together”
This principle underscores the importance of active, inclusive, pervasive participation.
We bring people together—’into the frame’—to acknowledge, embrace and amplify our strengths.
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“You’ve got to go slow to go fast”
We emphasise a gradual and incremental approach to our work because we’re here to initiate and sustain change.
We start small. We chase and celebrate small wins. We build on those moments to create momentum—because that’s how you build power.
Real, sustained change unfurls over time.
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“Embodying essential intent”
For us, this means that we actively direct all of our activities to improving the lives of those underserved by the prevailing systems.
While we believe that it's important to acknowledge the presence of ‘systemic inequalities’ and that many of our existing, evolving and emerging problems seem to have no clear origin, we also accept that they don’t create or sustain themselves—these ‘gaps’ don't widen on their own accord.
We work with individuals and organisations energised and emboldened by the call to come together to build better systems.
