Reconnect Project Summary 2024 – 2025
Reconnect! Project Summary 2023
Reconnect! Project Summary 2025 – 2026
“It was such a safe, nurturing, creative and educational environment which I was able to share with a diverse range of people including my own daughter.” – Participant Feedback
Executive Summary
The Reconnect! Workshop Programme 2025-2026 successfully delivered 40 community events engaging 330 participants across Brighton and Hove, with an average attendance of 11 people per session. Building on our established foundation, this year’s programme introduced innovative new workshop series while maintaining our commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and community cohesion.
Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and Sussex Community Foundation, the programme directly addresses key funding priorities: bringing people together, improving community well-being, enabling personal development, and supporting community-led activity. With 100% of surveyed participants expressing interest in future events and overwhelmingly positive feedback across all impact measures, Reconnect! demonstrates exceptional value for money and transformative community impact.
Overview
The Reconnect! Workshop Programme 2025-2026 continued to build on our successful community-focused initiative, offering an expanded range of creative, mindfulness, and skill-building sessions designed to foster connection, well-being, and personal growth. This year, we delivered 40 events across multiple categories, engaging 330 participants with an average attendance of 11 people per session.
Funded through the National Lottery Community Fund and Sussex Community Foundation, the programme evolved to include exciting new offerings while maintaining our core commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and community building.
Why Reconnect! Matters in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove faces unique community challenges that make programmes like Reconnect! especially valuable:
- High levels of social isolation: As a city with a significant transient population and many people living alone, Brighton and Hove has above-average rates of loneliness, particularly among older adults, new residents, and those experiencing mental health challenges.
- Economic inequality: Despite its affluent reputation, Brighton and Hove has significant pockets of deprivation. The cost of living crisis has made accessible, free creative and well-being activities increasingly important for residents facing financial constraints.
- Mental health pressures: The city has higher-than-average rates of mental health issues, with long waiting times for NHS services. Community-based well-being support fills a critical gap.
- Diverse and transient population: With a large student population, many young professionals, and a significant LGBTQ+ community, Brighton attracts people who may be far from family support networks and seeking connection.
- Creative city with barriers to access: While Brighton has a thriving arts scene, many creative workshops and classes are financially inaccessible to those on low incomes. Reconnect! removes these barriers, ensuring everyone can benefit from creative expression and skill development.
Addressing Community Need
The Reconnect! programme directly responds to identified needs within the Brighton and Hove community:
Social Isolation and Loneliness
Brighton and Hove, like many urban areas, faces significant challenges with social isolation. Our workshops provide vital spaces for connection, with 100% of participants reporting they felt connected to other people through our events. The intergenerational nature of workshops like our Witch series and Swamp sessions specifically address cross-generational isolation, bringing together people of all ages in shared creative experiences.
Mental Health and Well-being
With rising mental health concerns post-pandemic, our programme offers accessible, community-based well-being support. Participants consistently report:
- “The feeling of well-being derived from the activity lasted for days”
- “The opportunity to calm my intrusive thoughts through the activity”
- “It was beneficial for my mental wellbeing”
Our Swamp workshops specifically address the growing concern of eco-anxiety, providing a safe space to process climate concerns through creative, nature-based activities.
Economic Challenges and Accessibility
In a time of economic pressure, Reconnect! provides free, high-quality creative experiences that would otherwise be financially inaccessible. Participants note: “It’s so special to have these community events, especially as a lot of these kinds of skills are very expensive and therefore not accessible to many.” Our venues are fully accessible, and we actively encourage participation from those facing financial barriers.
Additionally, we address digital exclusion by delivering workshops directly through community partners like Justlife for participants who cannot access online booking platforms, and by working with organisations like Together Co whose workers support individuals to book and attend sessions.
Skill Development and Employability
Our programme supports personal and professional development through:
- Creative skill building (lino cutting, book binding, natural paint making)
- Confidence development: “This event has made me more confident about applying for jobs or volunteering opportunities”
- Facilitator training: Community members co-facilitate, building their own skills and confidence
- Note: 36 events were advertised through Eventbrite, with 4 additional free workshops delivered directly through Justlife centre for participants facing barriers to online booking.
Partnerships and Collaboration
Reconnect! 2025-2026 strengthened our community partnerships, enhancing programme reach and impact:
Venue Partners
- Cornerstone Community Centre, Hove: Primary venue providing accessible space for the majority of workshops
- Rocket Artists (rocketartists.co.uk): New partner space for 2025-2026, providing professional artist studio environment for workshops
- Weald Allotments: Partnered for our gardening series, providing authentic community growing spaces
- The Gathering Glade: Hosted our innovative Swamp workshops in their well-being gardens
Community Connections
- Local Allotment Networks: Engaged with Weald Allotments and other growing spaces
- Brighton & Hove Well-being Networks: Connected with mental health and well-being organisations
- Intergenerational Groups: Worked with families and communities across age groups
- Justlife: Delivered 4 free workshops directly through their centre, providing access for participants who face barriers to online booking through Eventbrite
- Together Co: Partnered with community workers who supported individuals to book onto and attend our sessions, ensuring accessibility for those needing additional assistance
- Arts for Life: Collaborated on workshop delivery, bringing professional arts expertise
- Community Facilitators: Increasingly drawing facilitators from within our participant community, building local capacity
- Local artists Layla Hignell-Tully, Saj Fareed, Kirsty Lumm
This collaborative approach ensures our programme is community-led, responsive to local needs, and sustainable through shared resources and expertise. Our work with Justlife and Together Co specifically addresses digital exclusion and supports those who might otherwise struggle to access our services.
Event Categories & Performance
1. Express Yourself Arts Series
- Included: Painting, Marbling, Lino Carving, Clay, Clay Tiles
- Highlights: Lino carving sessions consistently attracted strong attendance (18-19 participants)
- New: Expanded clay work with specialised tiles workshop
2. Mindfulness Workshops
- Included: Origami Wreathmaking, Mandala Dot Painting, Book Folding, Slow Stitching, Paper Festive Decorations, Japanese Book Binding, Doodle Drawing, Macrame Hearts, Paper Embroidery, Hand Drawn Repeat Patterns, Circle Weaving, Floral Embossed Foil Art
- Innovation: Introduced seasonal themes (festive decorations) and specialised techniques (paper embroidery)
3. Witch Workshops – NEW!
- Series: “Creative Spellmaking” covering Earth & Wards, Air & Incense, Fire & Saining, Water & Tea, Dreams & Charms
- Impact: Immediately sold out; created amazing intergenerational spaces
- Feedback: “The facilitators were lovely and very knowledgeable. I loved connecting with others and creating something in a space with like-minded people.”
4. Gardening Series – “How Does Your Garden Grow?”
- Included: Pruning Masterclass, World of Weald Allotments, Making the Right Purchases, Walk & Talk around St Anne’s Wells
- Community Focus: Partnered with local allotments and green spaces
- Feedback: “Even though I don’t have a garden I now know how I can find space to learn and grow things in the local area, I had no idea what was available to me!”
5. Swamp/Nature Workshops – NEW!
- “Welcome to the Swamp” – Immersive Natural Paints Workshop for Eco-anxiety
- Unique Approach: Combined foraging, nature connection, and art-making to address eco-anxiety
- Feedback: “Being outside in well-being gardens, connecting to signs of spring, each other and foraging for leaves etc to use to mark make with. Moving around while mark making.”
Participant Feedback Analysis
Overall Satisfaction
- 100% of respondents indicated they would attend future events
- Consistent themes of enjoyment, skill development, and community connection
What Participants Enjoyed Most
- Learning New Skills: “The chance to learn and practice different art techniques”
- Creative Environment: “Relaxed welcoming creative atmosphere”
- Social Connection: “Jolly atmosphere, everyone very friendly. Lovely tutor.”
- Mindfulness Benefits: “The opportunity to calm my intrusive thoughts through the activity”
- Nature Connection: “Foraging, creating together, being in nature”
- Intergenerational Appeal: “I loved how age inclusive it was, enabling me and my daughter to share the space together”
Impact Areas
Based on participant selections:
- Learnt new skills: Consistently selected across all event types
- Felt connected to other people: Universal benefit
- Improved wellbeing: Nearly universal feedback
- Engage more with creativity and arts: Strong motivation
- Family friendly: Particularly noted for Witch and Swamp workshops
- Sustainability focus: Notable in Swamp workshops and some mindfulness sessions
- Confidence building: Reported in multiple feedback entries
- Job/volunteering confidence: Emerging theme
Suggestions for Improvement
- More Time: “More time!!” and “Maybe make the sessions a little longer. I could sit and do these workshops for hours.”
- Additional Resources: “handouts of symbols/meaning. books were available but having to wait around to look at”
- Space Considerations: “Perhaps a bit more space”
- Extended Coverage: “Perhaps it could have been a little longer (maybe half an hour?), as we didn’t cover the whole of the park.”
Participant Stories: Transformative Impact
Our participants’ journeys demonstrate the profound impact of Reconnect! on individual lives and the broader community:
From Isolation to Community
One participant attended her first workshop after moving to Brighton and feeling isolated. Through our Mindfulness Book Folding session, she discovered not only a new creative skill but also a welcoming community. She has since attended multiple workshops, formed lasting friendships, and gained the confidence to co-facilitate a session. Her story exemplifies how Reconnect! transforms isolation into connection and empowerment.
Intergenerational Connection
Our Creative Spellmaking Witch Workshops created unique spaces where mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren could connect as equals. One mother shared: “I loved how age inclusive it was, enabling me and my daughter to share the space together and reflect and contribute as equals.” These workshops strengthened family bonds while building creativity and confidence across generations.
From Participant to Practitioner
After attending our lino-cutting workshop, one participant was so inspired that he purchased his own equipment and began creating at home. More significantly, the confidence gained led him to volunteer at a local community arts project. His journey from participant to active community contributor demonstrates our programme’s impact on employability and civic engagement.
Addressing Eco-Anxiety
Participants in our Swamp workshops reported a profound shift in their relationship with climate concerns. One attendee described: “A space to process anxiety but without needing to put word to it. Being outside in well-being gardens, connecting to signs of spring, each other and foraging for leaves… to use to mark make with.” Many left not only with new artistic skills but also with renewed motivation to engage in environmental action, transforming anxiety into agency.
Programme Highlights
Witch Workshops: A Standout Success
New for 2025-2026, the Creative Spellmaking series proved to be one of our most popular offerings:
- All sessions sold out quickly
- Created powerful intergenerational spaces
- Participants described them as “safe, nurturing, creative and educational”
- Facilitated meaningful connections between women of all ages
- “We really need more of these in Brighton. There just aren’t enough events that connect people in this way.”
Swamp Workshops: Addressing Eco-Anxiety
Our innovative “Welcome to the Swamp” workshops combined:
- Natural paint making from foraged materials
- Mindful movement and mark-making
- A safe space to process climate anxiety without needing to verbalise it
- Connection to nature and seasonal cycles
- Feedback: “A space to process anxiety but without needing to put word to it”
Mindfulness Expansion
The mindfulness series grew to 16 distinct workshops, offering:
- Diverse techniques from traditional (origami, book folding) to contemporary (doodle drawing, macrame)
- Seasonal themes that resonated with participants
- Accessible, welcoming environments
- Feedback: “Friendly, welcoming event organiser, interesting, accessible crafting and hot drinks available.”
Gardening Series
Our gardening workshops provided:
- Practical skills (pruning, plant selection)
- Community space exploration (Weald Allotments)
- Social walking tours (St Anne’s Wells)
- Feedback: “Great to see a new area and hear from people who work there”
Key Achievements
1. Community Building
- Expanded our participant network beyond 300 individuals
- Created spaces for intergenerational connection
- Facilitated new friendships and social bonds
- “I loved learning a new craft and meeting new people. plus there is one lady who I have met at other workshops and am beginning to form a friendship with.”
2. Well-being Impact
- Overwhelmingly positive reports on mental health benefits
- Calming, meditative experiences
- “The feeling of well-being derived from the activity lasted for days”
- Stress relief and relaxation
3. Skill Development
- Participants learned diverse new skills across all categories
- Many continued practices at home (purchasing lino print starter kits, etc.)
- “I went out and bought a lino print starter kit and have already started to make cards at home.”
4. Environmental Engagement
- Swamp workshops specifically addressed eco-anxiety
- Gardening workshops promoted sustainable practices
- “This event has made me want to do more to live sustainably”
- “This event has made me want to take action on climate crisis”
5. Confidence Building
- Participants reported increased confidence in creative abilities
- Extended to life skills: “This event has made me more confident about applying for jobs or volunteering opportunities”
- Facilitator development: Community members co-facilitated, building their own confidence and skills
Value for Money and Sustainability
Cost-Effective Community Impact
- 40 high-quality events delivered across multiple venues
- In addition to direct beneficiaries ripple effects through family and community connections
- Free at point of access ensuring no financial barriers to participation
Building Community Capacity
Our programme creates sustainable impact through:
- Skill Sharing: Participants learn skills they continue at home and share with others
- Facilitator Development: Community members trained as co-facilitators, building local capacity
- Partnership Strengthening: Collaborations with venues (Cornerstone, Rockets Studio, Rocket Artists, Weald Allotments, Gathering Glade) and community organisations (Justlife, Together Co, Arts for Life, Moonbeam) that continue beyond the funded period
- Volunteer Engagement: Participants inspired to volunteer in community projects
- Accessibility Innovation: Developing alternative booking pathways through community partners to reach those facing digital exclusion
Long-Term Benefits
The impact of Reconnect! extends far beyond individual workshop sessions:
- Ongoing Creative Practice: Participants continue creative activities independently
- Social Networks: Friendships and connections formed continue to provide support
- Confidence and Employability: Skills and confidence gained support job seeking and volunteering
- Community Resilience: Stronger social connections contribute to community well-being
Alignment with National Lottery Community Fund Priorities
1. Bringing People Together
✓ 40 community events creating spaces for connection
✓ 100% of participants felt connected to other people
✓ Intergenerational workshops bringing together people of all ages
✓ New friendships formed across workshop series
2. Improving Places and Spaces
✓ Multiple accessible venues across Brighton and Hove
✓ Partnership with community spaces (Cornerstone, Rockets Studio, Weald Allotments, Gathering Glade)
✓ Enhanced community use of existing spaces through creative programme planning
✓ Nature connection through Swamp workshops and gardening series
3. Enabling People to Fulfil Potential
✓ Skill development across 6 workshop categories
✓ Confidence building reported by participants
✓ Employability support through facilitator training and volunteer opportunities
✓ Creative empowerment enabling self-expression and personal growth
4. Supporting Community-Led Activity
✓ Responsive to community need through feedback and adaptation
✓ Community co-facilitation building local leadership
✓ Participant-led evolution with new workshop ideas coming from attendees
✓ Local partnerships ensuring community ownership
Visual Documentation
Our creative outputs have been documented on Instagram: @magneticideals
Additional programme information:
Areas for Future Development
Based on participant feedback and programme evaluation:
- Extended Session Length: Multiple requests for longer workshops to allow deeper engagement
- More Frequent Offerings: High demand for popular series (especially Witch Workshops)
- Resource Materials: Provide take-home handouts or digital resources
- Outdoor Expansion: More nature-based and outdoor sessions
- Follow-up Sessions: Build on skills learned in initial workshops
- Space Optimisation: Ensure adequate space for all activities
- Accessibility: Continue and expand our commitment to inclusive, accessible venues
Conclusion
The Reconnect! Programme 2025-2026 has successfully built upon our previous years’ achievements, introducing innovative new workshop series while maintaining the core values that make our programme special. With 40 events delivered across multiple venues and through community partnerships, the addition of Witch Workshops and Swamp/Nature sessions has significantly expanded our appeal and impact, addressing both creative expression and contemporary concerns like eco-anxiety. Our collaboration with Justlife and Together Co ensured we reached participants who might otherwise face barriers to accessing our services.
Our participants consistently report life-enhancing benefits: new skills, improved well-being, social connections, and increased confidence. The programme’s strengths lie in our:
- Welcoming, inclusive atmosphere
- Knowledgeable and supportive facilitators
- Diverse range of accessible creative experiences
- Responsiveness to community needs and interests
With 100% of surveyed participants expressing interest in future events, and overwhelmingly positive feedback across all metrics, Reconnect! continues to demonstrate the profound value of creative community initiatives in fostering personal growth, social cohesion, and well-being.
The programme has not only met but exceeded its objectives, making a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of hundreds of participants across Brighton and Hove. Our proven track record, strong community partnerships means this programme has been a successful part of the local ecosystem for the third year running.
Looking Forward and Funding Appeal
Magnetic Ideals is committed to continuing and expanding the Reconnect! programme. We aim to:
- Scale up delivery: Increase from 40 to 50+ events annually based on demonstrated demand
- Expand reach: Engage 500+ participants across Brighton and Hove
- Deepen impact: Develop follow-up sessions and advanced workshops for returning participants
- Strengthen partnerships: Formalise collaborations with health services, schools, and community centres
- Enhance accessibility: Provide transport support and childcare for participants facing barriers
- Sustain community capacity: Train and support more community facilitators
Investing in Reconnect! means investing in:
- Stronger, more connected communities
- Improved mental health and well-being
- Enhanced creative skills and confidence
- Greater social cohesion and resilience
- Sustainable community-led activity
Special Thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund and Sussex Community Foundation for making this valuable project possible. We look forward to continuing our partnership to create even greater impact in the years ahead.
For more information or to join our mailing list, please email programme lead heather@magneticideals.org
