RT @NewSystemAlly: 📢 A new series of free learning events between March and September, which are designed to create connections, inspire pe….

RT @PeteDJohnson: Useful to listen this morning to thoughts from a range of people working across housing, homelessness and care settings.….

RT @PlatfformWB: 📣Join us for a webinar on compassionate leadership!. Uncover the principles of compassion and learn how to begin building….

RT @weareplatfform: A huge thanks to everyone who joined us for our @walesweeklondon event on Wednesday - you made it a fantastic evening o….

Whatever our role – official, volunteer, or neighbour, being kind and showing compassion can have an enormous positive impact. Read our recommendations following conversations with over 57 people currently seeking sanctuary in the UK.

“Without hope, you are just breathing. You don’t live.”. Ultimately, people clearly expressed that a good life is one with hope. This means having the freedom to make decisions. To be free from worry about their own safety. And, to feel hope for the future.

“Security brings happiness.”. Throughout conversations, it was clear that, for many, the inability to meet their basic needs meant they could not think about or discuss hopes for the future beyond obtaining housing and having sufficient food.

“A good life would be to get back to my children and live with them.”. One of the most prominent themes was the desire to reunite with family and, sometimes, close friends. This was seen as fundamental to having a good life.

“I like caring for people, but can’t even do care work.”. Work is more than a job, it's purpose. A key component of being a part of the local community and having choice and control over their lives was the ability to seek fulfilling employment.

“We are all human. We can’t be living isolated away from community.”. It was clear that a good life was something that did not exist in isolation from the wider world. One of the most commonly mentioned themes was the desire to be connected to others.

“Where is the humanity and compassion?”. Where people interacted with services, the way they were treated was often described as a barrier (or, sometimes, an enabler) to having a good life. In contrast, those treated humanely found it transformative.

“A good life means you have many choices.”. People shared the importance of being able to have choice and control over their lives. This could include specific elements – being able to work, being able to choose what you eat, and being able to study.

Working with @CaritasWestm to capture the voices of people seeking sanctuary in the UK has been humbling and grounding. Yet again we were reminded of the importance of listening. Read Wisdom from a Journey to a Good Life here

We want to thank everyone we have worked alongside this year and in previous years. We're looking forward to 2024 and becoming one team with @weareplatfform. Read our joint statement at the link below.

How much energy do we currently waste on trying to manage and control people's lives? . Instead of focusing on someone's deficits, focus on the why - why are we here, why aren't systems working for everyone? .

Wisdom from the Street was carried out 12 years ago, and since then many things have changed, but in our opinion, not enough. Listening is still the first step to change. By listening we can see what's really going on - fix the system, not the person.

RT @NewSystemAlly: Our Directory is made up of over 20 radical organisations who deliver life-changing support to those with lived experien….

Our circumstances may change, but our humanness never will. Moving away from our current system, where people are treated like data points, is the way forward!. Read our Wisdoms to hear more from people with lived experience:

RT @NewSystemAlly: Has your organisation signed up to feature on our radical Strengths-based Directory?. Join over 20 strengths-based organ….

The @NewSystemAlly Strengths-based Directory launched recently, and over 20 brilliant strengths-based organisations have signed up to be a part of it!. Join the strengths-based revolution and sign your organisation up to the Directory here: