Story Telling |

Are We Being Heard? »

Millions are wasted each year by local authorities and other public bodies on unimginative consultations that yield little in terms of organisational intelligence or improved public services. Are We Being Heard is the report on Chamberlain Forum’s collaborative enquiry into the practice and future of consultation. Five key insights from the 9 month research based [...]

December 22, 2011 | Posted in Gallery,News,Pictures,Publications,Resources | Read More »

Theories of Community Strength »

What’s stopping stronger communities? Places where public services are done with citizens – and not to them? What are the missing rungs on the ladder of local coproduction? Theories of Community Strength is the result of a year long research project into the nuts and bolts of civil society undertaken by Chamberlain Forum and residents [...]

August 16, 2011 | Posted in Featured | Read More »

Not Like Everybody Else! »

Chamberlain Forum is a community forum that grew into a think-and-do tank. We help public services and communities work together for better places to live. The Forum is served by Chamberlain Forum Limited which is a non-profit company which: Provides practical support to community and voluntary groups – for example we help groups develop strategic [...]

August 6, 2011 | Posted in About Us,Forum News | Read More »

SDM Facilitators – Supporting Information »

Below are a series of supplemtary briefings used as part of the SDM Facilitator Training. They have been written to supplemnet the SDM Manual, and aid facilitators run effective story circles. If you have any questions or queries about any of the briefings, please contact us 1 Chunking 2 Dialogue 3 useful Questions [...]

December 10, 2010 | Posted in Publications,Resources | Read More »

‘Faith and Hope Works’ in Balsall Heath »

Theories of influence and empowerment, derived from the structured dialogue story circle about influence. Part of the Be Birmingham funded research project into what works in priority neighbourhoods

August 18, 2010 | Posted in News | Read More »

Learning from Stories – SDM workshops »

Two Workshops to find out more on Friday 16th July at the Bond, Fazeley Street, Birmingham. 10.30-12.30pm and repeated at 1.30-4.30pm It has been said that the shortest path between a human being and the truth…Is a story. Why is it that with all the money spent on collecting and displaying data relating to the [...]

June 24, 2010 | Posted in Events,Featured | Read More »

What We Do

Chamberlain Forum helps civil society and local authorities to coproduce better places to live. We are non-profit, politically independent and proudly based in Birmingham.

We organise Chamberlain Lectures featuring speakers including Prime Minister David Cameron. We also organise Resident University - a peer and shared learning programme for people who live and work in neighbourhoods.

We promote and develop community networks as social capital builders, including by supporting Community Network 4 Birmingham

We support action to strengthen local civil society including through: community asset transfers; neighbourhood websites; mediation and facilitation; training and business planning.

We organise action research into aspects of coproduction and are delivering an 18 month programme, Communities Managing Change, funded by Barrow Cadbury Trust.

Chamberlain Forum Limited acts as a consultancy delivering a wide range of 'thinking and doing' services for clients including local authorities, housing associations, development trusts, health and social care bodies, local strategic partnerships and voluntary and community groups.