This Friday, The Listening Campaign is heading to Oswestry, aiming to hear out the thoughts and ideas of everyday individuals.
Part of The Humanity Project’s initiative, the visit forms a crucial aspect of a wider strategy aiming to host public assemblies later in the year.
One of the organisers and listeners, Mike Bastow, explains that the "assemblies will offer people the opportunity to listen to all different perspectives and ideas, to understand, together, what's possible and to jointly act in making Oswestry the place we want."
The visit set for July 12, between 12 pm and 3 pm, aims to develop relationships between the residents and organisations in Oswestry and the surrounding areas.
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Mr Bastow explained: "At a time when many feel polarised, silenced or siloed in echo-chambers The Listening Campaign offers a new way of relating.
"We approach community building by listening to each other at the grassroots, from the bottom up, across all divides.
"We believe we can build bridges and plug gaps in each other’s understanding of what we deem important and then find ways to approach these community challenges in a more collaborative way."
The initiative doesn’t stop at listening alone, as Mr Bastow and his co-organiser Sahrah emphasise the importance of inclusivity and empowerment among the campaign's goals.
"It’s important that everyone feels heard and empowered to speak on what matters to them, our listeners will be empathic, open minded and from all walks of life," says Sahrah.
The Listening Campaign is also actively recruiting new listeners for future visits.
They aim to identify potential leaders who can help with more Listening Sessions throughout the summer, offering free training to all interested individuals.
Anyone wishing to get more information or join the team can get in touch with the organisers via e-mail on oswestrycec@gmail.com under the subject "listening campaign".
You can also find out more information about the campaign you can visit www.humanityproject.uk, and find them on social media www.facebook.com/Oswestrycah.
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