Comments on: Guest Post: Aspiration. Where is it?

By: Helen Walker

Helen Walker — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:39:55 +0000

Hi Steve
Yes I agree entirely with JRF findings and that supporting young people to realise their own aspirations is key. Unfortunately our education system (particularly secondary) doesn’t ask what’s really important to them and what difference they want to make for themselves and for others- ie. finding the relevance and purpose in their lessons and then supporting them to realise their aspiration. This is at the heart of my work in the NE regional CIC ‘r u Making a Difference 2?’ and have fabulous early impact across a variety of settings, such improvements in behaviour, writing, attendance, maturity, social responsibility and psychological capacity.
Most of this is centred around schools in Walker, but have used it with School Leaders and NHS Managers too who have made changes to Performance Management systems to grow psychological capacity and leadership impact of their staff too.
Had a meeting with NE regional arts organisations yesterday who have a large amount of charitable funding to improve artists skills the community- was really dismayed that there was little sense of trying to make a difference for others in the region. Our NE statistics aren’t great as you know.
This afternoon I’m working with a Northumbria Univeristy Academic WellBeing Group along with some of the regions WellBeing charities, to facilitate what’s important to them (aspiration) and what difference they want to make across the NE region in WellBeing.
If anyone wants to try some of the techniques for research and impact purposes that would be fantastic.
Best wishes
Helen

By: Stephen Crossley

Stephen Crossley — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:55:18 +0000

Hi Helen, thanks for the comments.

It looks like you do some very interesting work. What do you think of the recent Joseph Rowntree Foundation research which suggests that the term ‘raising aspirations’ might not be very helpful and that there isn’t a great deal of evidence of ‘low aspirations’? (We’ve done a couple of blogs based on some of these research findings). They suggest ‘keeping aspirations on track’ might be more appropriate and, in the North East, a few people have suggested ‘realising aspirations’ as an alternative.

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Steve

By: Helen Walker

Helen Walker — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:18:40 +0000

Ps Dismayed at lack of vision of PHF funding for artists in the NE today. No care, interest or strategy for making a difference for aspiration in the NE through community art.

By: Helen Walker

Helen Walker — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:08:47 +0000

You may also be interested taking part in training and research in how we are managing to raise aspirations, resilience and optimism in c&yp, families and communities at HOME already in the NE.
http://Www.bloomandgrow.org.uk