Who is Curious Birds?
Curious Birds is an alias of Kate Garner. I have given myself the grand title of Chief Adventurer because I can, and because I love having adventures and want to be having them in all areas of my life - not just in the hills, on the water or up a mountain - but alongside the people I work with and in all my different communities.
I have been working in and with communities for the past 30 years in a diverse range of ways. An interesting journey landmarked by wildlife, rural housing, urban neighbourhood management, community development teams, locality commissioning and a range of adult social care responsibilities.
I left a full time permanent role with my local government family in July 2022 to focus on what have become increasing passions over the last decade -
- working in a way that allows the people who are looking for support to be able to say what they want to do in their their life and what's important to them, and to be able to get the right kind and right amount of help so they can do those things.
- developing and delivering activity that gives us health and wellbeing benefits from feeling connected to communities and doing good things.
That all sounds lovely and should make us feel warm and fuzzy inside, but what skills, knowledge and behaviours do I have to bring these concepts into reality?
I can -
- Develop commissioning programmes designed through co-production and based on good conversations, data and insights.
- Develop and lead cross-sector networks and partnerships.
- Develop and write strategies, plans and reports.
- Develop and lead programmes of internal and community-based activity and grant funding.
- Develop funding bids.
- Develop and lead activity that changes and transforms the status quo.
- Develop place-based working to make connections and find opportunities (being vocal for local).
- Engage and consult in a way that enables what people say and feel to inform decision making.
- Work with voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises.
- Understand and champion community-led support and strengths based approaches.
- Find the time and space for blue sky thinking and creativity and feel excited about new ideas and ways of doing things.
Life can't be only about happy times - we have to go through less than good periods to appreciate when things are going well, and we learn from these. I want the the way I am with myself and with other people to mean that that work feels meaningful and useful with rich relationships and yes - good times.
And years on from the start of my community development career I still know how to organise a good times community event!
Have a look at the Services page to see how all of this translates into how I can support the work of others.
My LinkedIn profile has more details about my past work www.linkedin.com/in/kategarnercuriousbirds
I try to walk the Adventures in Communities talk and never take for granted the positive impact on my life of the daily simple connections I have with the people around me when I'm walking Ruby the dog, at the allotment, or shopping in town.
Or the value I feel when I'm volunteering at parkrun or in my Adventure Queens community.
Or the incredible wellbeing I feel when I'm on a long walk, up a mountain, camping in my little tent or on my paddleboard. If only I could bottle that feeling and share it!
I now have a rich and varied life full of neighbours, friends and family, but like a lot of people I know what it feels like to feel lonely, isolated and disconnected from my communities.
Through Curious Birds I want to be a part of a movement that recognises the power of human connection and makes opportunities for people to be able to say what it is they want from their lives, before assumptions are made about the best way to 'help'.
It sounds so simple but it's not really how 'helping' systems are set up at the moment.
A different approach is needed.