For those of you who are new to the blog and A Sense of Place, I’m Ronnie Hughes, the writer of this blog about life, Liverpool and the things the matter to me.
Much of what you’ll read here is about the work I’ve done, much of it for my income and some because it needed doing anyway over many years. At the moment I’m not doing this work as I’ve paused those things to do an MA and PhD at the University of Liverpool. But so you’ll understand the context of much that’s written about on the blog here’s how I’ve described what I’ve been doing.
‘I’ve been working with community groups, individuals and organisations, helping you imagine what you want to achieve and how you’ll get there. A critical friend, mentor and facilitator, helping you make up your future by giving you the time and space to think, plan, organise and reflect.
I’ve run events, facilitated conversations and ideas and asked questions. What matters to you? What do you like? What do you want ‘work’ to feel like? How do you want your place to be: what would you be doing if you only had a year left to live? And how do you get there?
I’m – in no particular order – a story teller, writer and listener; a mentor, speaker and debater. Working alongside a real variety of people, giving them practical encouragement in helping to shape ideas, clarify thoughts, plan, dream and do.
There are lots of different ways to describe what I’ve been doing; or perhaps, different angles to the way I’ve worked, depending who I’ve worked with. As a mentor I’ve offered a bit of perspective. Or a different perspective. Even walking together.
I walk a lot and have done for years, as you might notice if you read through the blog. Walking is the best way to understand how a place works and can also be a really good way of getting to understand how your own life is working. What matters to you and what you want to do about it.
Over the years I’ve worked with communities – of both place and interest – teams, social entrepreneurs and start-ups; bus drivers, bakers and makers; housing people and artists; young, old, newcomers, experienced and those in search of inspiration. They’ve been radical changers, rebels and activists; the curious, the unsettled and even the angry, I’m proud to say.’
So do read through the blog if you’re interested in the work I’ve been doing, my stories of people and places and what I’m up to in my life now.
Plenty about people and places I’ve worked with over the years in ‘Stories’.
Including now my work on my MA/PhD at the University of Liverpool. A whole new story.
