Situation:
As part of their first Staff Away Day, Southside wanted to include a useful but fun session for all 150 delegates to take part in. They wanted to create a sense of community in an organisation that is split across different offices and projects, many of whom have no contact with each other.

Solution:
TheWholeStory ran "Southside Stories", with extra facilitation from Southside staff trained by us. The 75-minute workshop created oral stories based on the experiences and achievements of individuals who work in Southside, and therefore define what it is. Over the course of the workshop delegates shared stories about their work while practicing skills to enhance how they speak and listen to each other and their service users.

Results:
"Southside Stories" created a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere in the room and for the work and people of Southside. Participants were pleased by how the workshop allowed them to meet colleagues for the first time and to get to know each other by hearing about their achievements. Participants left the workshop looking forward to how they could use storytelling techniques as a way to better understand their service users and their needs. We have since been asked to propose how storytelling can be an intrinsic part of Southside's future Leaning and Development practice.