Families Outside head to Stirling for our Staff Away Day!
On Wednesday last week, the whole Families Outside team headed to Stirling for our annual Staff Away Day at The Barracks Conference Centre. It isn’t often that all of the team is in one place, so it was a great opportunity to see each other and catch up.
In the morning, each team was able to share what we have been up to. It was great to see the work that is being done across the organisation, and coming together like this helped us to see how we can continue to work together even more closely in future.
At lunchtime we were fortunate enough to be joined by some family members. After some food, we were able to talk more about some exciting plans for Families Outside, including the future of family participation and what that will look like. It was great to hear from family members directly on the ways they wish to be part of this change for other families affected by imprisonment.
After a short break for tea and cake followed by some team building activities where we got to learn some fun facts about one another, the team split into two groups to continue the conversation of future plans for Families Outside. The ‘Walk and Talk’ group took a (slightly rainy) walk along the River Forth whilst discussing ideas and continuing to reinforce our connections with each other. The ‘Sat and Chat’ group did the same – whilst remaining safe from the rain inside!
Then, all of a sudden, the day was over! It went by so quickly, with lots of information shared and meaningful connections formed. We all came away feeling very inspired and ready to make our discussions a reality. One of the family members who attended said,
“It was a powerful afternoon, everyone so positive and inspiring. It was a real privilege and I enjoyed being part of it all. I’m both curious and looking forward to ‘what next’.”
The day was a great opportunity to share ideas, and hearing from our family members emphasised that real, impactful change cannot be made without the involvement of families affected by imprisonment themselves. They are the experts in their own lives – and that expertise is vital for making change happen.