Icarus

Engaging the Engagers

“I enjoyed all the content, the delivery was excellent”

“All very worthwhile a huge inspiration!”

We couldn’t have asked for better feedback from participants on our recent two day course in Suffolk where we focused on designing fit for purpose stakeholder engagement processes. With the opportunity to reflect on and plan their own work projects, there was a real buzz in the room as challenging pieces of engagement work were translated into staged, do-able plans.

PCAN are just days away from launching their new website

We are now counting down to the exciting launch of PCAN’s website, created by PCAN’s newly appointed and highly skilled Trustees.

Here is a sneak preview….

PCAN Trustees Create their own Website

PCAN is about to launch its new website, created by the new trustees. Here they are working away at a workshop in the Autumn. The new website is now ready to go live thanks to the brilliant work of the trustees.

Kirklees Parents’ Forum joins the ribbon

Last Saturday around 50 parents of children with additional needs came together to launch a new forum in Kirklees.  There were plentiful amounts of coffee, cake and conversation and some affirming words of support from service managers within Kirklees Council and the Health Service. This is an exciting new opportunity for parents who want to ensure they have better quality information and a stronger united local voice.

Sciencewise evaluation complete

Icarus has recently completed an evaluation report for Sciencewsie on the Ecosystem Services Public Dialogue project. This piece of work focused on three small public dialogue pilot projects in England, Scotland and Wales were established and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and Government Office for the East of England (GO-East), and co-funded by Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre (ERC) .

Evaluation workshops complete

All 115 projects that are Access to Nature grant recipients have now attended an evaluation briefing workshop run by Icarus. Fund holder Natural England has said “thank you for continuing to present an interesting and well received day each time; for being adaptable as well as keeping a weather eye on the detail. Your preparatory work and follow up has also been key. Feedback from attendees at every one of these events has been favourable. Thank you all very much; it’s a great achievement!”

Parent participation action plan and resource book

Icarus is completing a parent participation plan and resource book for Owlet Childrens’ Centre in Shipley. Having worked with the three service teams, interviewed parents and participated in the centre’s activities Icarus has worked up the action plan for prticipation and is linked to a resource manual that guides staff through relevant participatory tools and techniques.

Future Options for Water Abstraction in England

Icarus is currently working with Defra, the Environment Agency and Ofwat to work up options for stakeholder engagement processes that would consider how water abstraction can be regulated and managed in the future. After recent anouncements of official drought status for the south and east of the country this couldn’t be more relevant. Updates on how this work develops to follow.

Icarus evaluates Ecosystem Services Public Dialogue

Icarus has just completed the evaluation of three public dialogue pilot projects in England, Scotland and Wales. These were established and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and Government Office for the East of England (GO-East), and co-funded by Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre (ERC) . In each pilot area consultant teams designed and facilitated engagement processes to test out how well the public and stakeholders can enter into dialogue, using the science of ecosystem services and their own knowledge, to support more integrated and sustainable land use policy making and environmental planning decisions. The full report can be viewed at: http://www.sciencewise-erc.org.uk/cms/assets/Uploads/Ecosystems-services-pilots-evaluation-final-report.pdf

Icarus announce the focus of Access to Nature’s 2011 themed papers

Icarus are half way through the six year evaluation of Natural England’s £27.5 million Access to Nature programme. There’s a lot to be learnt from the 117 funded projects and themed papers will be published over the next three years to share some of the key messages. This year we will be writing four papers: in one we will write about the mental and physical health benefits of accessing green spaces; the second paper will describe the sense of curiosity and discovery that the natural environment can spark for children; in the third we will share what has been learnt about engaging black and ethnic minority communities and lastly we will reflect on how volunteering can contribute to accessible green spaces.