Les Mills International’s Post

🔊 Our Better Together Awards 2025 are open for entry ! 🔊 Celebrate the Impact of Your Community Projects 🎉 We're recognising the incredible work being carried out across communities in the UK and shining a spotlight on those who are making a real difference in the lives of others. There are five award categories : Environment, Economy, Community, People, and We Care, to celebrate projects across the full social value spectrum. WHY ENTER? 🏆 Each category winner will receive a £5,000 prize to further their community project and continue making a difference. 🏆 National Recognition – Showcase your work and gain visibility for your organisation and the incredible people who make it happen. 🏆 Inspire Others – By sharing your success story, you could inspire others to take action and make a difference in their own communities. HOW TO ENTER?: Entering is simple! 📧 Email: bettertogetherawards@travisperkins.co.uk to get your entry form. Whether you’re a housebuilder, housing association, registered landlord, FM contractor, or volunteer-led initiative, we want to celebrate the diverse ways you’re improving lives in your community. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of something bigger — to be "Better Together." Submit your entry today! 🤞 #SocialValueAwards #Recognition #CelebratingImpact #MakeADifference #TPMSBetterTogether

A couple of interesting stats in the Capire Consulting Group recent Engagement Compass survey results caught my attention: - Over 80% of respondents had online engagement embedded in their community engagement processes - Only just over 40% of respondents thought the engagement tools meet the participation needs of the community Some of the other feedback about engagement process weaknesses included: - the depth of engagement is too shallow - not enough diversity in the participants  - the need to break down the barriers for underserviced community members to participate -  the need to update engagement tools and important industry resources so they are more relevant to today’s expectations and minimise participant fatigue from ‘rinse and repeat’ approaches This begs the question - is our industry's love affair with (and perhaps over reliance on) quick-and-easy online engagement tools over? Thanks to the Capire team for this very interesting and annual survey of our practice. You can get a copy of the report on the Capire.com.au website Amy Hubbard Sandra Jerkovic 👏 #stakeholderengagement #communityengagement #genuineengagement #evaluation

In an era when championing DEI&B faces both social and legal challenges, it's crucial to navigate these waters with knowledge and care. A commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace is a must. This is a great guide from HiBob with effective strategies to support DEI&B initiatives while ensuring compliance and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued. Check it out: https://hibobl.ink/3MbciTJ

The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Gift Guide is back for 2024! 🎁 It's a fantastic reminder that whether you're in Lincoln or anywhere else, supporting local businesses strengthens our communities. Seeing this initiative reminds me why shopping local matters: 📊 According to the American Independent Business Alliance, for every $100 spent at local businesses, $68 stays within the community, compared to only $43 from national chains. 💼 Local businesses create 2 out of 3 new jobs, driving economic growth right where we live (SBA, 2023). 🤝 Studies from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance show that communities with thriving local businesses have stronger social ties and civic engagement. 🌱 Environmental impact: Local businesses often have smaller carbon footprints due to shorter supply chains and local sourcing. For my Lincoln connections: Local businesses can showcase their holiday offerings in the Chamber's Gift Guide by submitting at lcoc.com/ShopLocal by November 15th. For everyone else: Check if your local Chamber has a similar initiative. If not, why not suggest one? Every community can benefit from highlighting their local businesses. Challenge: Let's all commit to shifting just 10% of our spending to local businesses this holiday season, no matter where we live. Small changes create big impacts. Share your favorite local business below - whether it's in Lincoln or your hometown! Let's create a network of support for local businesses everywhere. #SupportLocal #ShopSmall #CommunityFirst #LocalBusiness #Nebraska #LincolnNE #LincolnChamber #SmallBusinessSaturday

Our next series of Community Engagement pop-ups will start in 2 weeks. The theme this time is Equity in Engagement and we plan to take the results around Australia. Recently we carried out an Equity in Engagement survey which currently sits at just shy of 500 responses. Results show us how Equity is tracking globally when it comes to our engagement practice. At these pop-ups we will present and discuss the results we have found and ask, how is equity in engagement in your projects compared to what we are seeing. Brisbane will be our first pop-up and is supported by International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Australasia - register at https://lnkd.in/gBNj7auu The Equity in Engagement survey is still open if you haven't already taken it. Participation should take 5 minutes. Take it via https://lnkd.in/gcG5QfCx After Brisbane you will find us in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne this side of Christmas. #communityengagement #equity #digitalengagement #survey

Engagement isn't the end. Keep them coming 🧲 Ask most community builders about their member retention programs, and you're likely to be on the receiving end of some blank stares. It's just not something more folks are focused on because we're so busy trying to grow our New Member metrics. What's the point of doing all of that work to get people in the front door if no one is watching the back door? Enter Retention Programs. You should be making a concerted effort to keep the members you already have. Use the measures below to get started. Check out our course on Engagement & Retention here: https://lnkd.in/guKMXNga

At NCDS, we’ve spent nearly five decades empowering Chambers and EDOs to drive impact through strategic member engagement. One thing is clear: organizations that actively understand and nurture their member relationships thrive, while those that don’t struggle to create the impact they hope to. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our proprietary Five Levels of Engagement framework . The framework provides Chambers and EDOs with actionable insights to strengthen member connections and amplify the value they bring to their communities. Follow us over the coming weeks as we share key strategies and lessons from the Five Levels of Engagement, including how to identify where your relationships stand, practical steps to deepen connections, and ways to unlock sustainable growth for your organization and community. #EconomicDevelopment #ChamberOfCommerce #MemberEngagement #StrategicGrowth

Has been my December highlight (at work!), to sit down with reps from the National Policing Race Action plan yesterday. Thanks for the invite Rebecca Tipping! It’s probably not had as much visibility locally, but Cambridgeshire Constabulary has been quietly getting on with a number of cutting-edge initiatives to address disparity: co-producing approaches with local communities most affected by inequalities, working intensively on internal culture and incrementally putting in place meaningful structural changes to change trends (discrimination, hate crime reporting, use of force, diverse recruitment and more). This organisation does co-production at a greater scale and more consistently than you might expect, through scrutiny groups, the IAG, advisory groups and other community-led co-productive spaces. Having been away, things have changed a bit and many organisations are doing much more, but I see them as a local leader in terms of citizen involvement Impressed by the leadership of Rebecca Tipping, Neil Billany, John Massey and others in this space Has been fab to spearhead the Let’s talk race approach with neighbourhood officers (and to see the measurable impact on cultural awareness levels), to help to expand the reach of positive action work and to broker elements of new co-productive initiatives /spaces during the development stages. Very kind words from partners at the meeting. Great to discuss opportunities to share the learning from one specific project more broadly. Let’s see where it goes… Also huge credit to Ian Lombardo Caitlin Bones Oliver Warsop Price Awuah

One week left to vote for your favorite #SXSW #PanelPicker sessions! Brand marketers and advertisers are always on the hunt for for cultural relevancy and the "cool factor." This session has the IT factor. Please vote it up! #thoughtleadership #brandmarketing #sxsw2025 https://lnkd.in/eayeQng4

Looking for meaningful ways to engage your employees while driving equitable health impact in your community? The American Heart Association has you covered. We offer simple, turnkey volunteer activities that align with corporate social responsibility goals. Whether virtual, in-person or hybrid, these experiences showcase our mission while empowering your team. Let’s work together to build healthier communities—one volunteer at a time! Learn more about how to get your company involved!