New interactive sharing sessions launched

Community Chesterfield has launched a brand new programme of free interactive online networking and learning sessions.

The project, a National Lottery funded partnership between Derbyshire Voluntary Action (DVA) and the University of Derby, is set to hold monthly ‘Connect and Reflect’ sessions, with the first taking place on 13 July.

The sessions aim to connect the community, the health and social care sector and the University to allow them to discuss, learn from and reflect on the common experiences we each have.

Each session will cover a different topic, with the first being ‘Co-Production’. Co-Production is:

• Professionals and people who use services working in equal partnerships towards shared goals.

• A movement towards frontline staff, people who use services and carers having an equal, more meaningful and autonomous role in services, including the planning, development and actual delivery of the service.

• Ensuring the assets of people who use services, carers and staff are valued - recognition that if someone makes a contribution they should get something back in exchange

At this session attendees will get the chance to talk about time when they have worked in a co-produced way: maybe you have used co-production yourself without even realising, or have been involved as a participant, or you think of a time when working in co-production may have been helpful and now you want to use it in the future.  

Kate Burns, skills co-ordinator at Community Chesterfield, said: “We are really excited to be launching the brand new Connect and Reflect sessions. At Community Chesterfield, we work incredibly hard to strengthen the offering of local community and voluntary groups through learning and development, with the overarching aim of improving the health and wellbeing of the people of Chesterfield.

“Through these sessions, we are creating a mutually beneficial forum where people will have the opportunity to share knowledge, experience and skills with others in the community. This will help to discover new opportunities for best practice, ultimately helping to strengthen the skills, knowledge and expertise of people within our community.”

The interactive online networking and learning sessions are for those working at or volunteering for a third sector organisation in Chesterfield and the surrounding areas, staff and students of the University of Derby who have an interest in Chesterfield and individuals working within the Health or Social Care sector in Chesterfield.

The Co-production Connect and Reflect will take place on 13 July, with subsequent sessions held on the second Tuesday of every month. To find out more or to book you free place on any of the sessions, click here.

Please let us know if you have any suggestions for Connect and Reflect topics or for further information contact community@dva.org.uk. 

For more information about Connect and Reflect, click here.