By David Robinson on Medium December 2017. Republished with permission.
Ten weeks ago I set out to develop some ideas around tackling isolation. I wanted to do it in plain sight, involving others in unpicking the issues and designing a response. I have written a blog a week, this is the last for the time being. 35 people read the first one, by the end of November readership passed 1500. Still tiny numbers of course but, without any marketing, evidence that the ideas might have traction. I began to discuss them more widely last month at London Tedx, at an open meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group and in many smaller meetings. Here to mark the tenth blog are ten tentative headlines from my various conversations:
I have begun to put together some sets of activity.
Within each set I have begun to sketch out the action, big things, little things and also sticky fixer things that hold it all together. In the second half of this journey. I will be testing and developing all the above. Then, on March 12th I’m doing a public lecture at the LSE. Here I will be talking about the idea of places where “meaningful relationships are the central operating principle”, and setting out some plans. Hilary Cottam and Jon Cruddas will be responding and starting the discussion. I hope very much that you will come along and join in. Please note the date now – 6.30 March 12th 2018, Old Theatre, LSE. and let me. know if you would like to know more.
I am very grateful to everyone who has taken an interest in this work over the first ten weeks. I hope you feel that the emerging ideas reflect your contributions. Please do keep them coming!
D.Robinson3@lse.ac.uk