As we approach a new year the Cloud Chamber team have been reflecting on what has gone well in 2021 and how we can build on this for 2022. There is much to celebrate from the past 12 months – some new clients (British Red Cross, Mental Health Foundation, GamCare to name a few) and continuing relationships with existing clients (The Children’s Society, Marie Curie and YoungMinds, for example).
As a team, we’ve been reflecting on which projects have been most professionally rewarding and have identified the following features (the evaluators among us may recognise these as indicators!). In summary, we have discovered that we love projects where our work contributes to social change, where we feel proud of the quality of our work and where we’ve had a strong, supportive partnership with our clients.
When we are looking at projects for the future ,we will be asking ourselves the following questions and prioritizing those projects which fit our values:
Social change
- Is the project (both the process and the outcome) likely to lead to / influence positive change?
- Will we be able to engage people who use (or would like to use) services, their experiences and voices, in a meaningful way through the project?
- Are there ways to collect and/or disseminate insight and learning in a way that advocates for change?
Quality
- Are we well placed to deliver high quality work with the resource available?
- Are we best placed to deliver this work? Are there ways we can ensure that people who have relevant lived experiences are involved in delivering or leading the project?
- Does the project offer an opportunity for us to develop professionally? Can we use this project as an opportunity to learn / grow?
Partnerships
- Is the client open to collaborative working?
- Are all partners (clients, our Associates) open to learning new things and new ways of working?
- Does the partnership (including with the client and / or with any Associates) feel like a good fit, with shared values and a commitment to social change, quality, equity and inclusion?
We believe that these principles will provide an intentional and fulfilling year ahead for Cloud Chamber. What are you taking from 2021 into 2022?
What makes us tick at Cloud Chamber? We love projects where our work contributes to social change, where we feel proud of the quality of our work and where we’ve had a strong, supportive partnership with our clients.
