Communications, Outreach and Engagement

The Communications, Outreach and Engagement project is quite broad and wide-reaching.

It has several aims;

To enhance communication within the CoLab and associated networks. To connect individuals and organizations. To try to create a sense of belonging.
To do engagement research into network weaving practices and processes, from the local level to the international level.
Focusing on network weaving, in particular offering cross-network training and knowledge sharing events.
To do outreach work from the CoLab to the wider permaculture audience. This will bring attention to the work we are doing in the CoLab and the resources we offer.
To prototype bringing in national and regional networks in order to support the CoLab and the wider permaculture movement. Aiming to bridge projects across bioregions through resources and cross-community engagement.

Funded with 21, 000 GBP through next steps

2025 communications officer role was added to the team, increasing the budget by £3400

STATUS : ongoing



Team

Kate Swatridge – research, outreach
Charlie Wilson – comms, copywriting, reporting officer
Hans Ryding – research, outreach
Aimee Fenech – training & supporting, outreach
Siobhan Vida Ashmole – June 2025 and onward, communication strategist



Area

Network weaving, Diversity, participation and engagement, Next Steps project

objectives 2023

Objective 1: Identify our audiences and prioritize audiences for the first part of the work as a prototype. Until August.

Objective 2: Put together a persona/s for the identified prioritized audiences. Until end of October.

Objective 3: Collate information from around the colab about services, circles and projects in order to update the website – to be used as a basis for the outreach package – ongoing work until end of year.

Objective 4: Collate information about current outreach. Until end of year.

Objective 5: Collate feedback and consent from relevant teams on updates to the website pages, including circle pages, services, resources and onboarding. Until the end of the project.

Objective 6: Writing monthly newsletters. Releasing new and edited webpages (projects, services, resources, etc.), on a half yearly basis.

OUTCOMEs 2023

Objective 1: This was completed. A taxonomy was created.

Objective 2: We identified several personas and which were the most important to target. Persona pages have been created on the website speaking to each persona with a different “voice” and offering them different links. These need to be reviewed and finalised.

Objective 3: A major overhaul of the website has been completed. This took a major part of our time and budget for the year. It was realized that the website was going to be a major tool for outreach work and that it needed a lot of work done on it. This work will continue in the second year of the project but to a lesser degree. Services pages have been added. A resources page has been added. The circle pages are up to date. The projects pages have all been updated, with new projects added.

Objective 4: I am not sure that this objective was met. It will be added to Year 2 objectives.

Objective 5: Consent was obtained and updates were given from teams. This was sometimes a difficult task with a lot of chasing up needed.

Objective 6: The monthly newsletters were all completed and sent out on time. Many new web pages have been released. Some of them will be added to the resources tab below.

objectives 2024

Objective 1: Enhance communication within the (CoLab) network and externally to connect individuals and organisations.

1a. Writing monthly newsletters.

1b. Releasing new and edited webpages (projects, services, resources, etc.), on a half yearly basis.

1c. Add adhoc events and job openings as request in #colab-communications-engagement.

1d. Quarterly roundup of NS project updates.

1e. Representation in the General Circle monthly meetings (good for weaving).

1f. Video to introduce CoLab.

Objective 2: Engagement research into network weaving practices and processes across from local to international – focusing on pinpointing needs.

2a. Picture forming – What is the objective of this exercise? – Who is engaging (with CoLab) and how are they engaging (from inside / outside). How and what are we measuring? How do non-engagers (with CoLab) engage with one another and with resources (more generally) (so that we can work out how to help them engage with CoLab resources). What are the needs of different users? Output useful to this team and others.

2b. Plan work according to outcomes of picture forming and needs and according to budget allocation.

Objective 3: Outreach work from CoLab to the wider permaculture audience.

3a. Review persona work from year 1.

3b. Collate information from around the colab about services, circles and projects in order to update the website – to be used as a basis for the outreach package – ongoing work.

3c. Collate information about current outreach.

3d. Collate feedback and consent from relevant teams on updates to the website pages, including circle pages, services, resources and onboarding.

3e. Finish work on the website started last year (review and implement).

3f. Write outreach pieces to be published in permaculture magazines / social media and network websites & mailing lists. (what’s our aim? Increase membership, join mailing list, or increase engagement with resources).

3g.Mail out to target organisations by persona type. (collate email list, draft copy of email, possibly translate to eg. Spanish).

3h. Publish and curate resources from NS and other working groups artefacts.

3i. Set up Outreach Database (and use for prioritising, categorising, tracking etc).

Objective 4: Prototyping to bring in national and regional/other networks to support the wider permaculture movements & the CoLab

4a. Outreach prototype with Nordic permaculture (capped budget as per slack convo about this at 22 hours).

4b. Outreach meetings with external community network eg. EUPN.

Objective 5: Network weaving and building on the work started with capacity plus in particular cross network training and knowledge sharing events.

5a. Training to CoLab members who wish to represent CoLab / promote services.

5b. Representation in the General Circle monthly meetings (good for weaving).

Outcomes 2024

Objective 1: Enhance communication within the (CoLab) network and externally to connect individuals and organisations.

1a. The monthly newsletters have been published every month, on time. It has new sections promoting diversity, and both an engagement and events section.

1b. There are new “About permaculture pages” that have been added to the website. There are web pages now for Learn services, Funding services, and Digital services. The project pages were updated in September and will be updated again in December. A page of downloadable resources has been added to the website. A CoLab blog page has been added. Other web pages receive reviews and updates when needed.

1c. These are included on the website, and now also on the newsletter.

1d. These have been completed and published in a timely manner. The Q4 roundup will be produced in December.

1e. Charlie attended General Circle meetings each month.

1f. This has been completed. There were contributions from several CoLab members. Charlie did a lot of recording and Hans did the editing.

Objective 2. Research ‘engagement with network weaving practices and processes’ from local to international, focusing on pinpointing needs. –

2a. A quick picture-forming exercise revealed that for this objective, we want to find good ways to reach permaculture people and projects on the ground so that we share the wealth of resources, events and services offered by the International Permaculture CoLab. We designed and published a survey to find out how permaculturists communicate. Analysis of responses is in progress, with a report coming soon.

Objective 3: Outreach work from CoLab to the wider permaculture audience.

3a. This has been completed. The persona pages are active on the CoLab website and will be used for outreach work when sending emails etc.

3b. This work is done on an ongoing basis.

3c. A document reporting the current situation was collated and subsequently a marketing strategy document was produced and published.

3d. This work has been done and is ongoing.

3e. This has been completed.

3f. This has been started. We are in communication with Permaculture magazine and plan to produce articles next year. We are also surveying CoLab members about which platforms they use.

3g. This has been done. We sent an email to permaculture associations in Europe and Australia. So far there was no response.

3h. This work is being done and is ongoing.

3i. Initial version has been created, further updates are planned.

Objective 4: Prototyping to bring in national and regional/other networks to support the wider permaculture movements & the CoLab

4a: Contact was made and the results were collected as a case study, however the outreach was not successful in getting any new customers or members. Primarily because we overestimated how developed the organisations were. Outreach with EUPN was very successful and now we have a relationship going between Digital Circle and EUPN.

4b: Participated in skillshare sessions on behalf of Pemaculture CoLab in a session about digital permaculture organised by EUPN – we are getting better at cross collaboration since then.

Objective 5: Network weaving and building on the work started with capacity plus in particular cross network training and knowledge sharing events.

5a: We have been designing training for CoLab members who wish to represent CoLab in their other networks. To be delivered in Year 3 (CoLab Champions).

5b: This has been ongoing with positive feedback from other circles to the work done within this project.

objectives 2025

Objective 1: Communication strategy development and implementation (including recruit a communications strategist)

1a. Recruitment of a communication strategist.

1b. Development of a communication strategy for the CoLab – includes onboarding.

1c. An implementation plan and actions within the strategy.

Objective 2: Enhance communication within the (CoLab) network and externally to connect individuals and organisations (including a website review – for maintenance of website content post-2025)

2a. E-mails and slack posts to keep Next Steps members updated – including quarterly updates.

2b. Review of website content for post-2025 by October 2025
Checking in that people have access and are offered training by the Digital Circle to update their own project pages.

2c. Keep the project pages updated – so that they can be used to promote the project to a potential funder in the future.

2d. The events page. We need more events to increase engagement. As a prep work – update the aligned network page. Email out to allied networks to invite / prompt them to submit events.

Write a monthly “submit your public events here” message on Slack (hand over to an active team member when unavailable).

Objective 3: Bring attention to the work and wealth of resources available for the wider permaculture movement from the CoLab

3a. Focus on promoting the existing assets on the Downloadable Resources page and on getting more people to download them. We need to improve the names & descriptions of the resources and to add a monthly featured resource on the CoLab newsletter and LinkedIn.

3b. Social media campaigns – make them more relevant to CoLab work and permaculture when possible. Currently existing social media campaigns are: promoting the CoLab web pages, a climate action campaign, a diversity campaign, significant dates, and sharing newsletter items.

3c. Monthly newsletters. Newsletter archive page updated.

3d. Outreach to external parties. Review our outreach efforts from last year, such as reaching out to Permaculture magazine and decide which to finish and continue.

Objective 4: Cross network training and knowledge sharing events (CoLab Champions)

4a. Review the design document prepared in 2024 and update and improve it as necessary.

4b. Schedule and do the training for the new CoLab champions.

Outcomes 2025

Objective 1: Communication strategy development and implementation (including recruit a communications strategist)

1a. Finished. The role was advertised on various outreach channels. There were two applicants. One of which was interviewed. After a discussion within the team: Vida Ashmole was hired as the communications strategist. The deciding factor was her extensive previous experience both with marketing strategy and within the CoLab.

1b. Ongoing. A first version of the communication has been published containing: LinkedIn Strategy, YouTube Strategy, Newsletter, Co-Marketing Partnerships, PR Campaign, Microenterprises Services, Membership, AI Strategy, Internal Partnerships, Branding, Best Practices and Maintenance.

1c. Ongoing.

Objective 2: Enhance communication within the (CoLab) network and externally to connect individuals and organisations

2a. Ongoing. All quarterly updates have been sent out in a timely manner.

2b. Ongoing. We have reviewed the funding circle pages, and created new drafts. Further work is pending more information and feedback from the funding circle. All teams have been given access to update their project pages on the perma.earth website.

2c. Ongoing. Project pages are currently being updated.

2d. The Allied Network page has been updated. An email and Slack message has been sent out to Allied Partners to encourage them to post their events. Events from external sources have been added to the Events page to fill it up and make it look more appealing. A monthly message needs to be sent out on Slack to remind people to use the Events page, so far this has not been done.

Objective 3: Bring attention to the work and wealth of resources available for the wider permaculture movement from the CoLab

3a. The Downloadable Resources page has been thoroughly updated. A “Resource of the month” has been added to the newsletter and to the LinkedIn.

3b. All of the content for the current social media campaigns has been created. They are being scheduled on LinkedIn. The comms strategist may add some new campaigns.

3c. The monthly CoLab newsletter has been released each month in a timely manner. It includes content from the CoLab and our allied network. It includes a diversity and decolonization piece and a resource of the month. It also includes events and engagement opportunities.

3d. Ongoing. We intend to write an article for the autumn issue of Permaculture Magazine, due on Aug 15^th.

Objectve 4: Cross network training and knowledge sharing events (CoLab Champions)

4a. Finished. Document has been reviewed and updated. Possibly will be updated further following the finished training to reflect learnings etc. from there.

4b. Finished. A CoLab Champions training was completed on 6^th of May with a number of participants, who are now officially CoLab champions (Yay!)