Building Confidence  in Walsall

by Daisy King

As part of the project, eighteen local volunteers were recruited as community connectors and trained by the Faith and Belief Forum to co-facilitate sessions. By working alongside local people to deliver dialogue, this approach aimed to support community connectors in building skills and confidence in bringing people together and leading future conversations. As groups linked together and relationships strengthened, it was exciting to see the confidence of community connectors grow. The enthusiasm showed by volunteers as they threw themselves into the unknown of online facilitation enabled participants to feel welcomed and comfortable as they shared their stories. As one community connector reflected, “I was surprised in myself for doing this,” sharing their feelings of pride in their ability to facilitate online. Another individual reflected on their experience of mental health and how the role of being a community connector had challenged their feelings of anxiety.  

As the last session came to an end, the gratitude of participants towards their community connectors was loud and clear as they shared feelings of warmth and friendship. As one participant from Mencap shared “I’ve absolutely loved it…. during this project, it’s been like a little family to me.” Similarly, another participant from Faith Meeting Faith shared their appreciation for the opportunity to come together in an environment which “felt like a holy space.” The dedication of community connectors throughout this project to challenge themselves and become community leaders has been inspiring to see. Hopefully the confidence built through the project will continue to strengthen relationships made during dialogue sessions, supporting the community connectors to continue to make a difference to local people.