Our Connections Festival 2024: Listening & learning

Last week we held our Connections Festival, with support from the DMU Public Engagement Community Challenge fund, an opportunity for our colleagues, Trustees and clients to come together to connect and celebrate.

The purpose of this event was to invite people who are being supported by Action Homeless to connect through conversation, and to meet staff, volunteers and trustees in an environment in which they were able to share their thoughts and feedback which are crucial in shaping the support we provide. Housing, Support and Connection are the three pillars which make up our Theory of Change, and work towards breaking the cycle of homelessness.

Having everyone together in person for a dedicated full day event allowed people being supported by Action Homeless to hear directly from our CEO and Director of Services. We were able to share in more detail about the charity’s strategy, and show the results of our recent Client Survey and our Impact Report. The Festival also gave clients a chance to participate in taster activities as part of our Community Lounge ‘pop-up’, with staff from our Engage Wellbeing Hub showcasing the activities and support that is on offer for our residents. The Connections Festival also provided an opportunity to celebrate the progress and achievements of clients, and offered people a chance to share these.

 

We received a lot of valuable in person feedback from people using our services, and members of our team were able to have in depth conversations with people and allow them to share their thoughts and feelings in detail. We have recorded all feedback and this valuable information will be used to help shape the support that we provide.

We’d like to thank the DMU Public Engagement team for their support and everyone who attended and helped make the day a success.