Graphic Facilitation and Visual Strategy for Rother Voluntary Action
Just over a year ago, Kim Richards, CEO at Rother Voluntary Action (RVA), approached me to explore how graphic facilitation and visual strategy could support her team, local VCSEs (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises) and wider stakeholders through a period of major change.
RVA provides vital infrastructure support to voluntary and community groups in Rother - signposting timely, relevant and accurate information on governance, policy and training. Their aim is to upskill the workforce, strengthen community networks and build long-term resilience in the sector.
Alongside offering expert advice on funding and initiating crucial partnership working, RVA holds strategic intelligence about the local voluntary landscape and leads on grassroots projects such as Homes for Ukraine, the national scheme supporting people and organisations hosting Ukrainian refugees.
A period of transition
Like many organisations in the voluntary sector, RVA was navigating a shifting political landscape and preparing for organisational restructure. The pressure to meet growing community needs with reduced capacity meant that RVA needed to align on their core mission and values with clarity and focus.
That’s where visual strategy came in.
At the start of this year, I designed a bespoke programme of graphic facilitated workshops to consult VCSEs and key stakeholders. These sessions created space for deep listening and collective insight, guided by the question:
“If your organisation were truly meeting the needs of your community and delivering your best work, what support would you need from RVA?”
Esther and the team at the RVA and VCSE workshop
Using live illustration and visual facilitation tools, we made thinking visible and surfaced perspectives that might otherwise go unheard.
From insight to action
Following these workshops, I shaped and delivered a focused team day for RVA. This was a space to bring together the findings, reflect on them visually and use them as a springboard to inform RVA’s organisational strategy for the next three years. And of course the day wasn’t complete without some team building to boot.
Here’s what RVA had to say:
“Thanks for all your work supporting our Strategic Review at RVA. I know it was not an easy piece of work and that the unprecedent levels and speed of change facing us internally and the sector contributed to the challenge. Your hard work, patience, tact and understanding supported enjoyable and meaningful sessions for us all to come together and it is a pleasure to work with you.”
“Esther turned what could have been a dry, formal day (RVA team day) with many competing ideas into an engaging and collaborative session, and did so with apparent ease.”
Continuing the work
Next, I’ll be working with RVA’s Volunteer Hub to create a series of infographics that communicate RVA’s vision for supporting the voluntary sector in Rother. These will be scaffolded by the NAVCA principles, the national framework supporting infrastructure organisations across the UK.
It’s been a pleasure to support RVA through a time of transition and I’m excited to keep building on what we’ve started together.
A graphic wall captured by Esther Springett in a graphic facilitation workshop
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