About this Event
Shaping the North’s Olympic Future
The workshop is grounded in the wider People’s Powerhouse belief that:
“When Northern people’s voices are actively listened to in a neutral way, better decisions are made.”
We also believe that food and drink brings people together, so every workshop starts with a FREE food and drinks buffet.
It reflects core themes across People’s Powerhouse’s work:
- Representation
- Fairness
- Local empowerment
- Place-based identity
- Learning together
- Neutrality
Ultimately, the event is about ensuring that any future vision for the North is shaped by the people who live there every day.
Insights gathered through the workshops will help:
- Shape future conversations about a potential Northern Olympic bid
- Inform regional thinking around legacy and inclusion
- Highlight community priorities and concerns
- Strengthen connections between local people and decision-makers
- Build a broader people-led vision for the future of the North
The findings may contribute to:
Underpinning ValuesReports and storytelling outputsCommunity-led recommendationsFuture engagement activityOngoing conversations with leaders, partners, and organisations across the North</ul>The event is designed to feel:
- Welcoming
- Informal
- Thought-provoking
- Creative
- Respectful
- Hopeful
Participants can expect:
- Good food and refreshments
- Open and honest conversation
- Interactive group activities
- Opportunities to share ideas
- Space to listen and be heard
- Real influence on the evolving vision
Everyone is welcome regardless of age, background, experience, or prior involvement.
Outcomes and Legacy
This is not a traditional consultation exercise.
The workshop is designed around:
- Listening before decision-making
- Community-led insight
- Place-based identity
- Inclusion and accessibility
- Open conversation
- Shared learning
- Long-term relationship building
The focus is not simply whether people support or oppose a future Olympic bid, but:
“What would it take for this to genuinely work for communities?”
What Participants Can Expect
The event combines interactive activities, mapping exercises, group discussions, and listening conversations.
1. Welcome and Introduction
Participants are welcomed into an informal and inclusive environment with refreshments and opportunities to connect with others.
Facilitators introduce:
- The purpose of the workshop
- The role of community voice in shaping the future
- The importance of active listening and respectful discussion
- The wider vision behind the event
2. “Give One / Get One” Community Exchange
Participants begin with a highly interactive exercise exploring:
“What are the best things about our place?”
People:
- Share ideas with others
- Collect perspectives from across the room
- Discover common themes and unexpected insights
- Build connections through conversation
This activity helps surface local pride, identity, culture, and community strengths while setting a positive and collaborative tone.
3. Mapping Strengths and Opportunities
Participants work together around visual maps of:
- Their local area
- The wider North
Groups explore:
- Existing strengths and assets
- Community infrastructure
- Cultural identity
- Natural landscapes
- Sporting and transport opportunities
- Skills, creativity, and local knowledge
- Potential future opportunities that investment could unlock
This exercise helps people think practically and imaginatively about what a Northern Olympic vision could include.
4. Community Listening Conversations
The workshop includes structured listening conversations inspired by the Coast-to-Coast active listening model developed by People’s Powerhouse.
These conversations focus on:
- Everyday experiences
- Local decision-making
- Hopes for the future
- Community priorities
- Feelings of inclusion, influence, and belonging
The emphasis is on:
- Listening without judgement
- Curiosity rather than debate
- Creating space for honest reflections
- Capturing lived experience and “soft intelligence”
Participants may also contribute anonymously through written responses or facilitated prompts.
5. Reflection and Plenary Discussion
The workshop closes with a shared reflection where participants discuss:
- What surprised them
- What opportunities feel most exciting
- What concerns need greater attention
- What decision-makers most need to hear
This final discussion helps identify recurring themes, tensions, aspirations, and priorities emerging from the day.
What Makes This Workshop Different
Throughout the session, participants are invited to reflect on questions such as:
- What makes this place special?
- What local assets or strengths could contribute to a future Olympic vision?
- What opportunities could hosting unlock for communities across the North?
- What should be protected from harmful development?
- How can investment genuinely benefit local people?
- What would meaningful legacy look like?
- How can transport, housing, culture, health, and community wellbeing be improved alongside any future bid?
- What do local leaders most need to hear from communities?
The workshop encourages people to think both locally and regionally — connecting their community to a wider Northern story.
Workshop Format
The workshop aims to:
- Explore the strengths, assets, and identity of Northern communities
- Gather community insight on opportunities and concerns linked to a potential Olympic bid
- Create open conversations about legacy, inclusion, investment, and local benefit
- Ensure communities help shape the vision from the beginning
- Build connections between people, place, and decision-making
The event is intentionally designed to feel collaborative, creative, and accessible rather than formal or consultation-heavy.
What Participants Will Explore
A Community Listening Workshop
Event Overview
“Shaping the North’s Olympic Future” is a participatory community listening workshop designed to bring local people into the conversation about what a future Northern Olympic bid could and should look like.
The workshop creates a welcoming space for residents, community groups, young people, local organisations, and decision-makers to come together and explore a simple but important question:
If the North were to host the Olympics, how could it genuinely benefit local communities?
Rather than focusing only on stadiums, sport, or infrastructure, the event centres the voices, experiences, ideas, and priorities of everyday people. It is rooted in the belief that large-scale regional opportunities should be shaped with communities, not for them.
The workshop forms part of People’s Powerhouse’s wider commitment to active listening, democratic participation, and ensuring Northern voices are reflected in decisions that affect their lives.
Purpose of the Workshop
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Briardale House, Briardale Road, Blyth, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
