Inspiring stronger, more vibrant communities, places and workplaces, and tackling ‘UnSocial Capital’ – #SCW21
Grow Social Capital, a Wales-based social enterprise, will use Social Capital Week (February 22-26) to explore new ideas about the power of togetherness – community, relationships, place and identity – to tackle the crisis of growing division in our society: from urgent issues such as post-Brexit discord, to growing distrust and tribalism, to deep underlying trends where fewer of us engage with people who don’t share our politics or lifestyle.
Social Capital Week showcases positive new ways of being smarter and proactive in using social capital – how we help each other to help each other. It highlights the growth of ‘UnSocial Capital’: the seemingly innocuous things, such as the growth of home delivery takeaways, that work against people connecting with others in their communities.
The rise of social media has led to more of us connecting with people like ourselves: who share our politics, world-view and social interests. But at the same time we are less connected with others with different outlooks – all creating bubbles or ‘echo chambers’ that encourages less interaction with and tolerance of others.
Offering an inspiring call to action for all of us to do more, together, Social Capital Week #SCW21 brings people together to share new ideas and tools via online events, podcasts, webinars that will cover topics from how to get started with social capital, the hidden value of ‘community anchors’, to the launch of a ‘school’ for social activists, and the creative power of walking for bringing people together.
The week-long programme of activities will be a rallying cry for recognising and respecting social capital – the glue that holds society together, that offers an under-tapped resource for creating a more caring, tolerant and together society.
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Social Capital Week 2021 activities include:
Monday Getting Started With Social Capital (or ‘Everything You Wanted to Know About Social Capital But Were Afraid To Ask’) – webinar that serves as a primer for anyone wanting to orientate themselves and their understanding of social capital.
Decentered Media podcast – Grow Social Capital will join the Decentered Media podcast for an episode to discuss how lockdown has impacted on social capital.
Tuesday Walkspiration – the Greek philosopher Hippocrates said that walking “is a (wo)man’s best medicine”. We will bring a bit of active fun to #SCW21 with Walkspiration providing a flavour of how to use the power of walking to transform communities and creativity.
The Hidden Value of Community Anchors – a Wiserd lunchtime webinar that our co-founder Russell Todd is co-hosting.
Wednesday Social capital and the arts – a lunchtime webinar exploring the role of arts and cultural hubs in enhancing local social capital with Wrexham’s Saith Seren
How the social capital of prison sport enhances wellbeing and reduces offending – an early evening webinar with Jamie Grundy, author of 90 Minutes of Football about Wales’s only prisoner football team
Thursday Launch of ‘Social Capital Comms’ – a lunchtime webinar that will see the launch of a new branch of community engagement, communications and public relations practice, with Caroline Pakel and Ronan McNern sharing their insights from Extinction Rebellion.
Friday Inspiring social activists – how to get the party started with the launch of ‘Tummler School’, the first of a series of lunchtime events taking place the last Friday in each month. We are thrilled that our first ever Tummler School guest will be Sophie Howe, Wales’s (and the world's first) Future Generations Commissioner.
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Encouraging people working in all sectors to join in with Social Capital Week, Russell Todd, co-founder of Grow Social Capital, said:
“We all have a responsibility for tackling growing division in our society. Social Capital Week shows how each of us can do more to tackle this challenge. How, by coming together, we can all build a post-pandemic world that is more caring, tolerant and purposeful.”
“Just by harnessing the power of humble activities, like having more purposeful conversations, making small asks, or even walking together – stuff that links us together – we can harness the potential of social capital for good.”
You can register your interest in Social Capital Week #SCW21 here: https://www.eventbee.com/v/social-capital-week-2021-wythnos-cyfalaf-cymdeithasol-2021/event?eid=145899411
