tEAm news #84 | 06.7.22
The Poverty Trap simulations are back!
Nearly 200 students using their empathy to feel with the marginalised of the world to help us ‘leave no one behind’ with around 40 volunteers (half of those being the teachers and students!)
It’s good to be back after 2.5 years… and the best is yet to come.
MOMENT OF PRAYER (term time) - Mondays 9-9:15: a moment to pause and pray for our work & team. All welcome!
Zoom Link here (Meeting ID: 708 452 7633 Passcode: empathy)15th July (1030 & 1430): Desperate Journeys (DJ) trials - programme will last (c60 minutes)
NEW: AUTUMN: The Poverty Trap (TPT) & Desperate Journeys (DJ) for around 6 days each in TW. Watch this space!
Late November: TPT Headington School, Oxford (c 12 people needed)
“BUMS ON SEAT” for next week’s Desperate Journeys trials - would you like to participate or send someone to ‘come and see’ what we’re about? We have around 20-24 spaces available.
LOOKING FOR … Ice breakers activities… love em or hate em… we’re looking to collate a few good ‘uns Q. what is the best ice breaker activity or getting to know you exercise that you have done. Hit us with some inspiration!
LOCALS we’ve been asked from friends at Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees:
One of our families is moving into a house with a sizeable garden and we urgently need the following:
Electric rotary mower or similar (There is a lot of grass!)
2 extension leads
Fan rake – either plastic or metal
Hand tools – trowel and small fork
Spade and large fork
Hoe
Secateurs
Shears
Wheel-barrow
Broom
Large watering cans
Garden hose, preferably with attachments.
Sneak Preview! Paul Thompson (Head of Geography, Sevenoaks) has drafted an article (which heavily features us) on “The importance of teaching and learning empathy skills in the school curriculum” (here’s a super sneaky preview before it goes into their Innovate: Journal of the Institute of Teaching & Learning).
Walthamstow Hall School are ‘open’ to more work with us through their Geography department using empathy materials. Really exciting to be having these dream discussions about the education process to help build a ‘Culture of Empathy’!
Following Canford simulation, we’re following a lead for their Festival of Ideas with a ‘Lite’ version of Desperate Journeys.
Some photos from The Poverty Traps this past week
Most people say if they saw a person in real need they would immediately run to help. However, there is a thing that stalls and stops us: other people. This is known as ‘The Bystander Effect’.
Here’s how to understand it better and exercise your empathy to cultivate your help to others in need.
What we are watching, listening, reading, attending…
Let’s go fly a kite! We LOVE this idea of solidarity on Aug 20th with Afghan refugees (a real forgotten group following the events of last summer and the recent earthquake). It’s being spearheaded by Good Chance Theatre (Little Amal, The Jungle) and there’s even a ‘how to make your own kite’ downloadable instructions here .
Other reads, clips, podcasts, events, films from around the team
“So much wisdom … on taking action on the cost of living crisis” - Alison Dennis re The Hopeful Activist’s podcast: Cost of Living Crisis: Taking Anti-Poverty Action in the UK
Putting on someone else’s shoes and walking around in them is a hard saying to find the author of, but it was definitely used in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ which is currently on the stage in London. It’s powerful & amazing!
Practicing gratitude helps pro social behaviour (from HBR)
Check out our first two REELS (Instagram): how to have those difficult conversations & 5 qus to ask yourself about flexing your empathy muscle
An amazing sculpture by Frances Bruno Catalano, which symbolise the vacuum created by being forced to leave your land, your life, your people…
Tomorrow & Friday! Festival of Education at Wellington College (Sandy will be there with Reboot the Future Thurs at 2.15pm - go Sandy!)
TONIGHT! If you can make it there’s If Prison Walls Could Speak play
6 ways to help us…
Volunteer - watch out for pop-up opportunities here in TN and we really need a bunch of regular helpers (eg a few hours or more(!) a week).
Share the news - please forward, share any social media posts.
Introduce us! - please introduce us to any prospective volunteers, customers or clients.
Regular giving - this year we are looking for 100 ‘Empathy Angels’ to help invest into us as we reboot empathy action to build a ‘Culture of Empathy’. Could you spare us the price of a cuppa (£2.50) a week… We can’t and don’t want to do it alone!
Host a coffee morning with a table of our handicrafts to sell and invite interested people to learn more and enjoy a cuppa
Via smile.amazon - link beneath to enable amazon to give money to EA
Thank you!
“Thought I’d drop you a note to say thank you for your session at Walthamstow Hall today. Milly (my year 10 daughter) came home tonight buzzing with tales from the day. Lots of chat about all what happened during the day - she was taken by how intense it all was with the noise creating such a stressful situation. Really made a lasting impression on her!!”