READING GROUP WORKSHOP
The workshop will consist of an introduction to Bedrock Books reading groups. Bedrock Books Reading Groups are a unique type of reading group, led by a facilitator, which supports participants in exploring the basis of their own humanity. Participants are invited to read, reflect and re-discover their fundamental feelings and understandings. Examples of the themes/discussion points the group will explore are: self-acceptance, reconciliation, peace, choice, clarity, respect, self-understanding, and hope.
There will be a 10-minute talk by the project coordinator on the nature, purpose and outcomes of the reading groups, followed by a one hour hands on experience of what it is like to participate in a Bedrock Books Reading group. Participants will be asked to read out loud passages from the chosen text, then reflect and express their thoughts and feelings engendered by the readings. The text chosen is Splitting The Arrow by Prem Rawat, an intriguing collection of stories and insights, designed to trigger reflection and personal growth.
FACILITATOR
Dr Lesley Cooper
After spending time bringing up her four children, Lesley went back to complete her academic career, and received a doctorate in Medical Sociology on the topic of the politics of illness/disease. She then went on to become Secretary on the first Working Party on ME /CFS. She spent much of her later career as a research consultant and project manager focusing on service user needs and voices, particularly in the areas of young people with substance misuse issues and youth crime. She especially enjoyed working with young people with learning disabilities, working on tools to give them a voice in feeding back and improving services they used. As well as continuing with her research work on a part time basis, she now runs the family business - refurbishing and selling pianos, and likes to go for long walks in the Suffolk countryside in her spare time. Lesley is the project manager for Bedrock Books.
Bedrock Books
Bedrock Books is not-for-profit organisation entirely run by volunteers, which provides donated books, which can benefit young people and adults in need by helping to create a culture of empathy and compassion.
Bedrock Books is an independent project working alongside an international social responsibility project known as Kifubon. So far thousands of books have been donated to this global project with the books being used in a wide variety of settings including every orphanage, disabled child care facility and prison throughout Japan; every prison in youth education groups in townships in South Africa; in educational facilities in Brazil, Uruguay, Cambodia and Malaysia.
Examples of the kinds of projects we have sent books to in the UK are: family refuges, children's hospitals and prison libraries.
As part of the Bedrock Books project, we also offer reading groups around the books, where participants are encouraged to reflect on the positive aspects of their own lives and learn to listen to others, building empathy, simply through reading the text aloud and then reflecting on it together in an atmosphere of positive understanding. These have already been undertaken very successfully in two prisons in the UK.
We have found that readers express a range of benefits: ‘The book enabled myself and others to open up emotionally and share feelings and emotions.’ (reading group participant)
For more information go to www.bedrockbooks.org
After spending time bringing up her four children, Lesley went back to complete her academic career, and received a doctorate in Medical Sociology on the topic of the politics of illness/disease. She then went on to become Secretary on the first Working Party on ME /CFS. She spent much of her later career as a research consultant and project manager focusing on service user needs and voices, particularly in the areas of young people with substance misuse issues and youth crime. She especially enjoyed working with young people with learning disabilities, working on tools to give them a voice in feeding back and improving services they used. As well as continuing with her research work on a part time basis, she now runs the family business - refurbishing and selling pianos, and likes to go for long walks in the Suffolk countryside in her spare time. Lesley is the project manager for Bedrock Books.
Bedrock Books
Bedrock Books is not-for-profit organisation entirely run by volunteers, which provides donated books, which can benefit young people and adults in need by helping to create a culture of empathy and compassion.
Bedrock Books is an independent project working alongside an international social responsibility project known as Kifubon. So far thousands of books have been donated to this global project with the books being used in a wide variety of settings including every orphanage, disabled child care facility and prison throughout Japan; every prison in youth education groups in townships in South Africa; in educational facilities in Brazil, Uruguay, Cambodia and Malaysia.
Examples of the kinds of projects we have sent books to in the UK are: family refuges, children's hospitals and prison libraries.
As part of the Bedrock Books project, we also offer reading groups around the books, where participants are encouraged to reflect on the positive aspects of their own lives and learn to listen to others, building empathy, simply through reading the text aloud and then reflecting on it together in an atmosphere of positive understanding. These have already been undertaken very successfully in two prisons in the UK.
We have found that readers express a range of benefits: ‘The book enabled myself and others to open up emotionally and share feelings and emotions.’ (reading group participant)
For more information go to www.bedrockbooks.org