Get set for #Emerging Proud day 2018!

12th May 2018: SAVE THE DATE! 

#EmergingProud needs YOU to make our 2018 event an even bigger success than last year; together we can continue to raise awareness that mental distress can be part of a transformation journey…will you join in and help us to spread the HOPE?

It’s FREE to join, FREE to run, FREE to take part! 

On the 12th May 2018 #EmergingProud are honoured to be collaborating with Oz Osbourne of ‘The Outsiders’ to utilise their ‘So-Me’ event template; a simple mechanism to encourage public conversations on specific social -impact issues.

The topic of the day will be;

‘Reframing mental distress as a possible transformation process’

and volunteers who resonate with having experienced this will engage in conversations with interested strangers in public places all over the world with the aim to change perceptions that being diagnosed with a mental illness can actually lead to the start of a new, more meaningful and authentic life…

In 2017, fourteen global locations took part in International #EmergingProud day, and we aim to double that number this year; will you take on the challenge and organise a free event with us?

What does it involve?  

About SoMe

SoMe is a mechanism for facilitating 1-1 conversations about specific social, community or environmental issues. The concept uses the things that work well in online social media to bring people together in face-to-face discussion.

Events happen in local communities and at an event there are three SoMe spaces: The Wall, The Chat Room and The Message Board.

The Wall is where SoMe volunteers display pre-written ‘profiles’. These are A4 sheets, printed and laminated, containing some basic information including their interests, favourite books/films etc., along with a quote they have written about the experiences they are prepared to share. This quote must comprise 140 characters or fewer, similar to a Tweet on TwitterTM. Event organisers help volunteers to create their profiles beforehand, and visitors to the SoMe event are invited to look through the profiles and choose one a SoMe volunteer to talk to in the Chat Room.

The Chat Room is the space where SoMe volunteers and visitors sit down and talk. Profiles can be used to prompt and stimulate the conversation, which can be challenging but always respectful. Once the conversation has finished, the visitor is asked to visit the Message Board.

The Message Board is a space where visitors can evaluate their experience, also in 140 characters. Once written, their message is added to the board, which creates an ongoing, ‘live feed’ evaluation of the event and attracts other participants.

Running a SoMe event is relatively straightforward and inexpensive. As long as you have some volunteers prepared to talk to people about their own experiences, a venue, and a few basic resources, you can run a SoMe event.

We aim to collate feedback from the Message Board in each location to produce an impact report on International #EmergingProud day 2018…Together we can create positive change in how mental ‘illness’ is perceived; 

Are you interested in taking part? 

I’ll be interviewing Oz about SoMe and sharing our plans for #EmergingProud day 2018 very soon; stay tuned to find out more about how you can get involved! 12th May; SAVE THE DATE! 

Meet Oz Osborne, Director of ‘The Outsiders’, who inspired ‘So-Me’

The Outsiders create innovative social projects that encourage dialogue, inspire cooperation and promote community cohesion.

Oz is an innovator and a thinker. He asks questions of himself and the people he is working with in order to ensure that there is genuine social value at the end of the project. He has a background in mental health and wellbeing consultancy, and a proven track-record of creating innovative approaches to social issues. Oz began work at Mind in Great Yarmouth as a young person’s mentor and there developed the highly acclaimed Fitography project. While at Rethink, Oz managed the Stuff Stigma campaign, during which time he organised the first national Five Ways to Wellbeing conference, and the first independently organised Human Library in the UK. Oz has organised over 90 Human Library events and together with his business Partner Nick, has become the most experienced Human Library Organiser in the UK. Later, as a consultant with Time to Change Oz developed the Time to Change Village which has since become the national flagship community engagement activity for the campaign.

Follow the  blog to find out more details soon!