This May, CTP hosted a workshop at the 2025 Festival of Debate in Sheffield, in partnership with SY (South Yorkshire) Ecofit. The event was about opening up new ways of making decisions by putting people and place at the heart of the conversation. 

The workshop, titled Collaborative Policy Making for Thriving Places, invited attendees to take part in exercises and group discussions, consciously stepping outside of set policy areas to help us imagine better ways of doing policy and practice. 

We wanted to use the invitation from the Sheffield Festival of Debate to bring a CTP approach to ‘finding completely new ways of meeting human needs and tackling the many urgent problems that we face, rather than small improvements or reforms to existing systems’. We resolved to do so in a way that was fun and accessible to all. 

We had already started work with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to explore how to differently and collaboratively approach work around retrofit (improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings) in the region. So we chose this as the example we would explore together in the workshop. We opened up the conversation to people beyond the specific world of retrofit to bring in fresh thinking and ideas, and we used the outcomes areas from our Thriving Places model as the basis for conversations.

Sarah Galligan, Communications Lead at SY Ecofit reflected that the event was all about removing roadblocks to participation and opening up different ways of communicating and collaborating. 

‘The process of developing this workshop demonstrated how much our organisations had in common in terms of bringing often-intangible policy terms like systems thinking and community wealth building to life,’ she said. 

‘At SY Ecofit, we deliver decarbonisation projects across community energy and retrofit. But our workshop at FoD 2025 wasn’t about retrofit. We used it as a tool to stimulate discussions on stakeholder collaboration, so attendees didn’t need any retrofit experience to take part. This meant the workshop attracted people from outside the retrofit world which was refreshing.

‘Even better was the focus on using the energy of attendees rather than giving them panel presentations. When Liz (Zeidler, CEO of CTP and facilitator for the event) invited those who felt comfortable to stand up and take part in a practical exercise – and everyone did – it was clear people were in the right room for action.               

‘Because systems thinking is part of our ethos, it shapes all we do, including the multi-stakeholder Retrofit Skills Task Force that we’re developing in South Yorkshire. And no doubt a key reason why the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, (DESNZ) have recommended a task force approach as the most impactful way to achieve local results. That’s what we want – action.

‘We started SY Ecofit because there were a lot of conversations about barriers in our region, with a lack of informed action. SYMCA recognised this, connecting us with peer organisations and broadening our circles. As a new organisation with an experienced team, we value this support. 

Sarah’s conclusion? ‘Let’s do more of this in 2025. More of opening up our circles. More showcasing practical successes that take policy terms like ‘systems thinking’ into different communities, more practical and playful activities that bring thinking to life.’

Lots of diverse local people attended the event including the SYMCA’s Retrofit Lead, Ceri Batchelder, who added: ‘What I liked most about the workshop was that it brought newcomers into the retrofit debate, allowing them to contribute and influence the discussion. It demonstrated how individual perspectives can be amplified through participatory processes, ensuring that everyone has a voice.

‘What I liked most about the workshop was that it brought newcomers into the retrofit debate, allowing them to contribute and influence the discussion’

‘CTP is bringing fresh thinking and innovative approaches to how we assess the impact and co-benefits of housing retrofit, which will influence our regional strategy. Over the next few months, the team is running a series of co-development workshops to help us explore the different retrofit pillars, including employment and skills, health and resilience and community engagement.

‘We’re expecting the collaboration to enrich our retrofit agenda in South Yorkshire, fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable practices and community engagement, leading to more impactful and inclusive outcomes.’

So, the final word in this collaborative blog about an event about collaboration goes to lead facilitator and CTP Chief Executive, Liz Zeidler. 

‘Collaboration is central to how CTP works. Not because it’s trendy or fun, but because it is essential to delivering the urgently needed solutions to today’s challenges. If we are to truly transform our communities, cities and regions we need the wisdom, skills, energy and drive of people of all backgrounds and from all sectors. 

‘This workshop was a tiny window into the way change really happens. Getting the right people into the room, to explore a shared purpose, build practical pathways to overcome barriers and form movements of people working together for a better future.

‘CTP is doing this every day all over the country. We might start by unlocking solutions to retrofit, or to climate mitigation or local jobs or high street renewal – but when we work together with local people that change goes deeper and broader to shifting how the local economy works to deliver a profound growth, not in profit for the wealthy, but in all of our capacity to thrive.’

If you’d like to know more get in touch at hello@centreforthrivingplaces.org