We’re still riding the waves of excitement from our fantastic annual retreat, which coincided with Participation People’s 13th birthday! This July, Swindon served as our haven for reflection, growth, and lots of fun as we marked another year of empowering young voices and making a meaningful youth impact.
Day one: setting the scene of a year in review
Shortly after arrival, we embarked on an introspective journey, grabbing inspirational environment postcards that resonated with us from the experiences we’d had with PP over the past year. Sharing why these postcards spoke to us was a heartwarming exercise that reaffirmed the deep connections we’ve formed through our work.
Reflecting on impact and building the PP house
But, this retreat wasn’t just about looking within – it was also about looking outward. We took a collective moment to reflect on the impact we’ve made on individual young people, groups, and our partners and clients.
This exercise fueled our creativity to build a metaphorical PP House. Each floor of the house represented an aspect of our achievements this year, from laying solid foundations to the magical mischief we’ve brought to different projects with youth impact. Approaching learnings from 2023 in this way really helped us to see how we’ve grown from year to year, layer by layer.
Capturing key learnings
The next step was an engaging training session geared towards enriching our perspectives using the following themes:
- Using feedback from the team to understand how we could improve ways of working.
- Reflecting on a packed year, the highs we reached and the challenges we had overcome, and creating our own “HAPPY” and “SAD” drawings to add a whimsical touch to this reflection process.
Insights gathered here paved the way for us to collectively envision what PP at its best looks and feels like, using brainstorming to allow us to distil our thoughts into actionable steps.
Celebrating, building, and creating
We balanced the above reflective moments with fun team activities, marking our 13th birthday with a celebration at Cotswold Water Park.
Raft-building brought out our teamwork, creativity, and competitiveness, as well as much laughter and a splash or two. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we dined together, enjoying a lovely private dinner by Joe Ouseley (Wild Goose Chef). An absolute treat!
Day two: evolving engagement and action plan
The second day honed in on evolution and how we could progress our youth impact and engagement strategies with key audiences and potential customers. With a focus on making every interaction count, we held thoughtful discussions, dissecting customer pain and gain points. This collective wisdom was really showcased with sticky notes covering our activity boards!
As we discussed the most relevant challenges, our solutions and an action plan took shape. Resources were gathered, ideas refined, and templates designed. The day culminated in a sense of accomplishment, knowing that our efforts would drive us further toward excellence.
Balancing work and wellness
Our retreat wasn’t all about work – it was about fostering well-being too. We had optional yoga sessions to start the day right, led by the wonderful Amelia Eady. Our minds and bodies were nurtured, setting a positive tone for each day.
Day three: forging a future of collaboration and growth
On the final day, we explored ambitious plans to create a space where GenZ and business leaders could collaborate and learn from each other. An ongoing endeavour that shapes the core values and mission of Participation People – innovation, inclusivity, and impact.
We gathered ideas, built a hot air balloon as a symbol of our aspirations, and took the first steps towards this exciting journey of youth impact. Through brainstorming and collaboration, we laid the foundation for a future of growth and collaboration.
Feedback that warms our hearts
We were thrilled to get the following feedback from our team on the away day:
They loved:
- The stunning location and time spent together
- The visualisation of our touchpoints
- Unforgettable team activities that sparked joy
- Spending time with the team in person
- The awesome vibes, support and love from our PP family
What they learned:
- Gratitude for an opportunity like no other
- Valuable insights into client interactions and processes
- Exploring the potential of a four day work week
- The power of collaboration and connections
In conclusion
After this retreat, our hearts are brimming with gratitude and enthusiasm. We’ve celebrated our achievements, shared laughter, and paved the way for an even brighter coming year for PP. The spirit of Participation People thrives in each of us, and we can’t wait to embark on this next chapter.
At Participation People, we’re not just a team; we’re a vibrant family working together for positive change. Stay tuned for more exciting updates.