Noticing what was going on around me. Understanding what was missing. Experiencing first-hand the things that seemed unnecessarily difficult, excluding or simply not quite good enough.
Sometimes the answer is to create something new.
Sometimes it is to make something that already exists easier to understand, easier to reach or easier to take part in.
And sometimes the most useful thing we can do is help people find something that is already working.
We’re Good exists to notice the difference.
People should have spaces where they can simply take part because they live nearby, share an interest or enjoy an activity.
Notice people. Pay attention.
If something matters, care enough to do more than say the right thing;
Do something about it.
Don’t assume we already understand the problem.
Listen properly. Look at what is already known. Ask what might be missing.
Keep asking until the solution becomes clearer.
Something being familiar does not make it acceptable.
If something is unfair, unnecessarily difficult or leaving people out, question it.
The point is not to defend an idea. Adapt when the first answer does not work.
Try another route.
Use what already exists and connect the right people.
The point is to find something useful.
Invite people into the conversation and into the experience.
Make room.
Work with the communities around us, not at them, and create more opportunities to meet, contribute and belong.
The thinking behind Be Good first developed in 2018 when Sonia began writing about community spirit through Soowambar Ltd.
That thinking became Be Good, bringing together a chair yoga event with Yogarise Streatham.
Over time, the need for Sonia to be involved in community work developed, and it became clear that it needed a home of its own.
Lived experience can tell us where to look.
It cannot tell us everything.
Before deciding that something needs fixing, we want to understand what is already known, what is already being provided and what people have already said.
We look at research, existing services and lived experience together.
Then, if we do something, we want to know whether it actually helped.
And if the evidence tells us we were wrong, we need to be willing to change course.
We’re Good looks at the things that can stop people from understanding, accessing or taking part in what is already around them.
Sometimes those are practical gaps.
Sometimes they are social gaps.
Sometimes the answer is ours to build.
Sometimes it isn’t.
EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMMES
See how we turn what we learn into practical programmes that make information, services and opportunities easier to understand and use.
EXPLORE
OUR EVENTS
See how we respond to social gaps by creating opportunities for people to come together, enjoy themselves and feel part of their community.
