Those who come to The Courage to Be.. are people who entered their profession with a strong sense of purpose - many would describe it as a 'vocation'. They chose to be teachers, lecturers, doctors, nurses, social workers, police officers, charity workers, or to go into business to improve people's lives.
Many of them, however, find that the pressures of the job and the environment they work in – for example the sheer amount of paperwork, the targets imposed from above, the 'bottom line' or the endless cost-saving campaigns – make it very difficult for them to retain that precious sense of vocation.
There is currently a haemorrhage of, for example, teachers and nurses leaving professions they love, because they feel they cannot be – or sustain for much longer – the person they wanted to be and thought they could be.
The Courage to Be... weekends enable professionals purposely to set aside an agenda driven by accountability and attend to their own identity, integrity and moral purpose.
what happens
In a conducive setting and with expert facilitation, a Circle of Trust is formed which, in the words of Parker J. Palmer, helps to re-integrate 'the inner work with the life-giving outer work'. Workshops are offered, through which participants develop skills, techniques and insight to build and sustain integration and clarity of purpose.
A central tenet of the work is that there is 'no advising or fixing': individuals are upheld as the authors of their own lives, responsible for their own decisions and direction. A balance of solitude and being 'in community' reflects and refreshes the relationship of 'inner and outer' through which ethical practice is authentically developed.
In this supportive context, people explore what really matters to them in life and work and support each other in having the courage to live their values more faithfully: for example: a teacher becomes clearer about listening and mutual respect; a police officer wrestles with and resolves an issue about responding ethically to violence.
Between the weekends, a network of mutual support is formed and refreshed by day events, consultation and communication.
background
ViTaL Partnerships has long acknowledged the pressures teachers and other professionals work under. Two years ago ViTaL's Tim Small, a former Headteacher, initiated and developed 'The Courage to Be...' a weekend programme which aimed to provide a supportive space for participants to reconnect with 'who they are, in their profession'.
The programme was modelled on the Courage to Teach retreats founded by Parker J. Palmer, based on his belief that 'good teaching is founded not on technique...but on the identity and integrity of the teacher'.
With the help of a generous grant from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation the first Courage to Be... weekend in the UK was held at the Ammerdown Centre in rural Somerset in December 2005. Subsequent weekends (which have attracted participants from the education, health and police services, the corporate sector and independent businesses) have been highly valued.
In August 2007, ViTaL's ground-breaking work was recognised. The charity was awarded a grant of £50,000 by the Waterside Trust. Over the next three years, this funding will be used to develop the Courage to Be... project into a nationally known programme, supported by local education authorities and other public services.
Supported by a small leadership and management team, the first year of development will include:
- three weekends aimed at professionals in public service
- one two-day midweek workshop aimed at business leaders
- two 'follow up' days to offer space, refreshment and opportunity for reconnection between the weekends
- one 'taster' day to offer an opportunity to experience a little of what a weekend or two-day event would be like.
View 2008 programme dates.
