Engaged and empowered citizens
"The process offers real hope for change, Our Life are very competent in what they do and the way the communities are supported offers resilient solutions to complex problems. What was striking was the passion and imagination and determination of this community to change things for the better." Chris Walsh, Director, The Kindling Trust
Why Our Life does it
We believe passionately that people should be involved in making decisions about issues that directly affect their lives.
True and sustainable public involvement and empowerment comes when citizens are first given the space to understand and debate issues through deliberative engagement processes. Public deliberation leads to more effective and meaningful involvement, outputs and outcomes for local communities.
Our Life's ability
What sets us apart from other providers of engagement services is that we combine highly deliberative engagement exercises with policy, campaigns and advocacy expertise to support and empower our participants to take action.
We have wide skills and experience in planning and delivering community engagement projects and initiatives that empower the participants. We can also provide training in the different engagement methods to build local capacity, and can review or put together community engagement strategies for clients.
Our Life's track record
Our Life were commissioned by NHS Western Cheshire in the summer of 2011 to run an Alcohol Inquiry Talking Drink: Taking Action with residents from the Westminster and Rossmore area of Ellesmere Port. Participants explored the question "what are the things that make it difficult to have a healthier relationship with alcohol?" Solutions for tackling alcohol issues were investigated using a citizen's jury model of community engagement.
In 2011, Our Life was commissioned by Chester Healthy Living Centre to develop a participatory appraisal study to investigate what makes it easy and difficult for people to live a healthier lifestyle in Blacon. This important research will guide the future work of the Centre.
Our 2010 region-wide deliberative Talking Food: Taking Action inquiries have empowered citizens to lead campaigns and initiatives to improve their local food provision. The project's achievements were recognised when we received the 2011 Centre for Public Scrutiny's community influence award.
In 2009, Our Life delivered Smoke & Mirrors on behalf of Smokefree North West, a project that empowered young people to tackle the power of the tobacco industry. The project won a Roses Award.
In 2008, Our Life's Head of Public Engagement, Peter Bryant, led on the Higher Croft Citizens' Jury which looked into how best to encourage and support people to live healthy lifestyles and how Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living could best use its resources in the area to tackle obesity. The process led to the participants establishing a food co-op and community gym.
We are presently working on a number of other engagement projects, including: a wellbeing discussion kit, an alcohol discussion kit, a training programme in deliberative engagement and a citizens jury on alcohol.
