10 Years of EA part 2: a moment to give thanks
This year we celebrate our 10th year since founding year in 2015 we spoke about our heartbeat last time and this time we gathered to give thanks.
We were recently joined by team, supporters, partners and friends in our home town of Tunbridge Wells as we looked back and had a glimpse of what’s next.
There was a special moment when a former participant, friend and poet(!) wrote and performed, especially for us, a spoken word piece called ‘Courageous Empathisers’
We gave thanks for
390 Immersive workshops. 14,500 participants.
a host of ‘Handicraft campaigns’ ranging from Bullets from Cambodia, to gifts at a UN Humanitarian Summit, ‘Peace Doves’ made from scraps of aid items, an alternative valentine’s gift (with an intern-inspired cupid messaging ‘thank your admirer’ follow up!) and a rainbow of hope to send to loved ones distanced in heights of ‘social distancing’ to festival bracelets made by displaced Syrians and more!
the extensive range of ‘space transformation’ into powerful ‘arenas for empathy muscles to be stretched’ from shopping malls, to warehouses and countless school halls.
And, most importantly, our volunteers…. all that we have done has been entirely ‘powered by volunteers’!
Remembering the Moments
A few of our volunteers, Chris, Janet, Allison & Trevor shared ‘their’ moments (click to hear their moments). Founder and former team member Matt Gurney shared his moment and a prayer.
Hosted by the wonderful volunteer (and brains behind the Ethical Cracker campaign last year!), Ally. Ben also shared a taste of what is to come… including a new immersive workshop on UK Poverty (watch this space!), creating the ‘Empathy Action School’ with year round empathy building programmes and an ‘empathy consultancy’ specialising in developing immersive, experiential programmes.
“You were one of the best things that ever happened to me”
Grateful
We give thanks, mostly, for all the groups who have prioritised ‘choosing the importance of empathy’ within their schools, workplaces, communities. This priority is only going to be more and more needed to build up a culture of empathy.
More, still to come
Following the pandemic and a long period of recovering the operation, it feels like our work is only just getting started again. Watch this space… more to come!
“The world doesn’t need more charities... but it does need, and will still need, people to be charitable.”
