The Surrey County FA continued to demonstrate their commitment to equality by presenting at the recent Living Library National Conference on Tuesday 8th December 2009.
Over 100 people assembled from 10 am at the Barking Learning Centre to take part in the historic event. The opening session featured a short video from Norfolk on the Living Library. The clip gave a great introduction to the concept and was followed by a short opening speech from the author of this article along with a welcome from our co-host, the department for Communities and Local Government, Living Libraries project manager Mr. Martin Etheridge.
Next up was Chief Executive of Barking & Dagenham Council Mr. Rob Whiteman, who spoke passionately about his own experience in a Living Library at the Barking Learning Centre and on the value of the Living Library for Councils in their work to reach the national indicators.
The buzz was very nice in the room after Rob, who left the ambience in a sort of informal appreciative mode. A perfect handover to the next element in the program, a series of presentations from local Living Library organizers. The assembly heard from the Surrey FA who held a very successful living library at their County offices on Wednesday 14th October 2009 as part of the Kick It Out national ‘Week of Action’. Other presentations included Preston College, Unison North-West and Gloucestershire County Council.
Oliver Selfe Senior Football Development Officer at the Surrey County FA commented: “Today has been a great day and the Surrey County FA are proud to be involved in such a worth while project. Having recently been awarded the National Standard for Equality the Living Library is an excellent way for the County FA to demonstrate their commitment to equality”.
The midday presentations were followed by after lunch group sessions, where participants went through four different thematic groups facilitated by local organizers and the day was rounded up with a presentation from UK Living Library champions, Oz Osborne from Rethink and Nick Little from Norfolk Library and Information Service. Without their pioneer spirit and great efforts to inspire new local organizers, the attendance at the conference on this historic day, might have been very different.
In follow-up to the conference an informal network of local Living Library organizers have come into place and also steps are underway to establish a UK based non-governmental organization that can help sustain the growing network and work for the further integration of the Living Library in local communities across the United Kingdom.
For information on the Surrey County FA Living Library Event visit: http://www.surreyfa.com/AboutUs/Equality/Living+Library/