The Encouragement Manifesto
When we ran a small business, there were values at its heart
It was owner-run; just the two of us. So the way we worked, who we were, was never written down as such. It was in our hearts. We are pretty sure it was clear to our customers who we were and what was important to us. We worked hard to be consistent, to celebrate others and to stay positive and optimistic. Our business was built on the successes and strengths of others; kindness and generosity were keystones. We only talked about value, not price; slowly, gently, we built a community. We gathered up and shared inspiring stories and we sought to be a pebble in the pond, creating ripples.
These values are now at the heart of The Encouragement Manifesto
We asked some folk we trust, who live and work in the way we do, to interpret the values in their own words
Kindness Lives in Water
A beautiful poem by Kate O’Loughnan which explores kindness and the lifelong currents of it; the flow of giving and the necessary ebb of receiving
En-courage-ment
The path to creativity is often paved with self-doubt. Leah Parkyn is on a journey to unlock her creative soul and to weave it into her life, a difficult journey she shares openly and movingly
Ready to Learn
As a foster dad to 3 incredible youngsters, Gareth Thomas has been hit hard by the global pandemic and the resultant lockdown. Finding ways to shape a healthy context within which they could survive, then thrive, has been a tough road to travel; a journey of realisation and learning
A Brighter Kinder Future
Damon Webb imagines a future world focused on community, more considered consumption, local food systems and, most of all, kindness
Open Your Heart
Matt Inwood explores the vital two-way relationship between someone willing to offer an act of kindness and a person able to receive one