Facilitating conversations, learning and change
ABOUT
Hello, I’m Hayley. For 20 years, I’ve been working with people to explore, learn and create change. I specialise in facilitation and participatory research, underpinned by social justice objectives.
My career started as a Volunteer at a media training centre for adults with learning disabilities in my hometown of Wigan. Here I saw first-hand the power of creativity, storytelling and self-advocacy and since then, I have worked across the UK and Europe on applied research and community development projects. My work uses digital tools and creative methods to empower communities, dismantle hierarchies, and create more equitable ways of working in academia, policy, and services. I’m particularly interested in co-production, lived experience storytelling and participatory futures as tools for equitable practice. I bring with me a diverse toolbox of techniques for remote and in-person facilitation of workshops, learning processes, strategic development and research. Outside of my consultancy work, I am currently a Research Fellow at SPARK in Cardiff University and a Trustee at People’s Voice Media.
Read more…
SERVICES
Research
Specialising in:
- Future-thinking
- Evaluation & learning
- Participatory methods
Workshops
Delivering sessions on:
- Storytelling
- Co-production
- Creativity & curiosity
Strategy
Working with people to:
- Develop ideas
- Catalyse change
- Address complex problems
FREELANCE PORTFOLIO
Street Games – Participatory Impact Mapping
Role: Evaluator
Working with Street Games and stakeholders to map the impact of holiday programmes in addressing inequalities via:
- Ripple Effect Mapping workshops
- Delivering learning sessions
- Producing an impact report
Age Friendly Calderdale – Capacity Development
Role: Consultant
This work involved the design and delivery of a capacity development programme for Age Friendly Calderdale, through:
- Adopting an action research approach
- Providing citizen participation training
- Delivering support sessions for pilots
Age Friendly Calderdale
Role: Consultant
This work involved the delivery of an initial insight study into how Calderdale can become more age friendly, through:
- Engagement strategy design
- Face-to-face engagement activities
- Data analysis and report writing
Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Network
Role: Workshop Facilitator
This piece of work create a space for Directors of Public Health to ‘decompress’ and involved:
- Designing a bespoke workshop
- Storytelling for wellbeing
- Online facilitation
Making Music
Role: Facilitator
This role involved designed an online workshop on facilitation skills for Arts professionals and included:
- Approaches to online/offline delivery
- Practical individual & group activities
- Reflection and peer-learning sessions
Halton Heritage Partnership
Role: Consultant
Over a period of a year, I worked with the partnership to enhance their approach to communication and engagement by:
- Co-production of a comms strategy
- Facilitating media skills sessions
- Creating digital media content
Sacred Spaces, Sanctuary
Role: Digital Artist
In this international, mixed-medium research & development arts project, I produced the following:
- Crowd-sourced film
- Story soundscape
- Visual arts material for a performance
Dudley Council – Community Forum Futures
Role: Workshop Facilitator
Working with NCRM to develop the evaluation skills of people working the third and public sectors via:
- Online programme design
- Delivering online workshops
- Facilitating peer learning spaces
Co-Designing Lle Da Hub
Role: Consultant
This commission involved working for Co-Production Lab Wales to support GISDA to co-design a Hub with young people by:
- Delivering online support sessions
- Facilitating a ‘Lab’ to develop ideas
- Co-writing a proposal for the Hub
Dudley Council – Make It Happen!
Role: Facilitation Support
This commission involved providing online facilitation support for an interactive Community ‘funding pitching’ event, by:
- Designing an event plan
- Preparing digital tools for event
- Technical facilitation of the event
St Helens Library Service
Role: Action Researcher
This project used action research to explore what a digital arts offer for St Helens might look like and involved:
- Online seminars & workshops
- Piloting of digital arts activities
- Data analysis and report writing
Loud In Libraries
Role: Producer, Facilitator
For over 6 years, I have supported Loud In Libraries youth engagement and communication activities by:
- Designing & delivering media training
- Mentoring young people
- Creating photo, video & web content
Arts Marketing Association
Role: Mentor
This role involved working with early to mid-career professionals to support them to develop their careers by:
- Online, 1-2-1 mentoring sessions
- Supporting career action-planning
- Providing space for reflection
Tea and Tech
Role: Project Manager, Facilitator
In this project, I worked across Wigan to deliver digital inclusion tea parties that involved:
- Technology & reminiscence sessions
- Basic creative media workshops
- Information & digital literacy training
Dudley Council – Community Forum Futures
Role: Consultant
Working with Councillors, Council Officers and local Police to explore the future of Community Forums via:
- Delivering participatory workshops
- Storytelling and horizon-mapping
- Producing a speculative futures report
Youth Participatory Budgeting Pilot
Role: Facilitator
Working with SDCP to deliver participatory budgeting workshops for young people in Llangollen and Corwen via:
- Planning workshops
- Facilitating workshops
- Producing results and report
Dudley Council – Community Forums
Role: Facilitation Consultancy
Working with Dudley Council, I supported the transition of ‘Community Forums’ from offline to online events, which involved:
- Designing a plan for the Forums
- Delivering online facilitation training
- Evaluating the results of the activities
Make Music Day UK
Role: Producer, Evaluator, Consultant
In this varied brief, I provided digital media, qualitative and quantitative research and strategic support by:
- Producing livestreams & resources
- Facilitating online workshops & events
- Evaluation writing & strategic planning
Bradford Cathedral
Role: Consultant
This small-scale brief provided consultancy support as part of a heritage project and included:
- Creating templates/guidelines
- Report writing
- Providing feedback/critical review
Curious Minds
Role: Facilitator, Project Manager
Over two interconnected briefs, I delivered a digital literacy focused CPD programme for library workers. This work involved:
- Consultation about libraries’ needs
- Design & deliver of training sessions
- Producing a report and toolkit
Digital Shake
Role: Project Manager, Facilitator
In this piece of work, I worked with Disabled people to co-produce an online magazine by:
- Delivering digital media workshops
- Building partnerships with local actors
- Management activities & reporting
TESTIMONIES
“I have worked with Hayley for over 6 years. In that time we have developed a partnership based on mutual trust and professional respect… She works with an exceptional eye for detail and brings enthusiasm and professionalism.”
Stewart Parsons, Loud In Libraries
“Hayley immediately built trust between her and the Cathedral. She provided guidance on the format and content of the end of project report,
Sarah Field-Blesic, Bradford Cathedral
as well as providing constructive feedback on it… Working with her was a pleasure.”
“Thanks very much for a really informative and interesting session. Thought it was a helpful mixture of presentation and interactive parts… it felt pitched at a really good level for engaging with new material. Thought the Flinga board was good. It was accessible for online working.”
PARTICIPANT, NCRM EVALUATION METHODS TRAINING
Evolving Works 