Open Hearts Open Minds

Forums

With our on-line community forums you can share experience, find top tips, recommend resources and learn about inclusion!

If you'd like a monthly update on the latest Forum Topics, register here! - We'll tell you about them with our monthly e-news: It contains 3 bite-size articles to help you learn about the realities faced by vulnerable groups, plus training & events lisitngs, and the Top Tips coming out of the on-going Forums.

Looking for more good ideas? Visit our Tools page. It's packed with exercises and resources to skill you up and help you tackle exclusion with good practice.

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Young People - they're up to summat
Enlarge	Young People - they're up to summat, was our readers' favourite article last edition. Have you tried ways to engage better with young people's opinion? Has it worked? What have you learnt? Write your graffiti now on our forum - we all want yo know what you think is cool!

Make sure the un-missable isn't missed!
Enlarge	Watch and listen to TV and radio insights into social exclusion! Click here for the webcasts we've found so far, including the compelling Channel 4 story of "Kimberly: Young Mum - 10 years on"... - and to tell us if you've heard or watched something that helps illustrate the realities faced by vulnerable groups in society.

Awareness Weeks Calandar
Enlarge	Awareness Weeks! Here's a calendar to plan awareness raising into your organisation's year. It gives you links to resources too. Go to our Awareness Events Forum to leave a message there to tell us: ►About awareness week action you've been involved in, or are planning ►Any dates we've missed from the calendar.

Dyslexia doesn't exist?
Enlarge	The latest media debate about illiteracy has been stirred up by an MP who claimed early this year that dyslexia was a fiction. What stories can you tell about reading difficulties and related disorders? Talk with other readers about experiences you've had and their impact. And say how communicators should get their messages across to people who struggle with text. Join our forum to learn or share now.

Let poetry give voice to inclusion
Enlarge	Inspired by the BBC's poetry season, this forum is a place to share poems or lyrics you've heard (or written), and talk with fellow readers about how these shed light on hidden corners of social exclusion today. Perhaps a vulnerable client has written something for you..... Or maybe you've noticed something poignant and can capture it in a few lines.... Or you know of a song or poem that gives voice to the experiences of the excluded. Get poetic, and add now to this collection of word and sound imagery that will give others food for thought.

Lost in Translation
Enlarge	Reaching minority language groups in Devon Readers tell us about good practice in bridging the divide across the 60 languages spoken in Devon. Discover their tips and add your own.......

Are You Deaf Aware?
Enlarge	Deaf Aware Readers tell us about: - deaf aware things you already do - practices you've noticed making a difference in other settings - and what matters to you if you experience any levels of deafness yourself We had some great feedback and to add your ideas to the Forum, click here. For a summary of the practical feedback so far, read on....

Lend Your Face!
Enlarge	"Only the bravest organisations talk about subjects that most people would rather ignore." Says Nicola Brewer, CEO, Equality and Human Rights Commission commenting on the Changing Faces campaign. Instead of running an on-line Forum, we're asking you to start a conversation about attitudes to disfigurement in your own organisation, with these eye catching downloads....

Support men & do women a favour!
Enlarge	What priorities should define current work to achieve equality between the sexes? In this forum, participants have been arguing that not much will change until men are encouraged to balance work and childcare just as women are. One North Devon project has an idea for helping parents navigate their way through childcare options. What do you think will make the difference? To find out more, join the debate here, now.

Build a wall!
Enlarge	Encourage staff & clients to give feedback on what puts up barriers between you and those your service needs to reach. Instead of running an on-line Forum, we're suggesting you get a conversation going inside your own organisation with this "graphic" tool to help you pull down those walls....

What gets in the way? - Ask disabled clients!
Enlarge	Disability exists in many forms, and with users you can identify a variety of means to un-block their way to your service. Instead of running an on-line Forum, we're suggesting you take a tip from a local project that got an enlightening conversation going with disabled people.

That was such a good idea
Enlarge	Readers talk about projects in the past that offer important ideas for the present Click 'more' to find out learning that was captured.

Browse by category:

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Forums

Young People - they're up to summat

Make sure the un-missable isn't missed!

Awareness Weeks Calandar

Dyslexia doesn't exist?

Let poetry give voice to inclusion

Lost in Translation

Are You Deaf Aware?

Lend Your Face!

Support men & do women a favour!

Build a wall!

What gets in the way? - Ask disabled clients!

That was such a good idea