Key insights and next steps: Fellowship Townhall September 2024
At the RSA, we hold regular gatherings for our global Fellows with key senior staff for visibility, collaboration and a chance to share insights. The September Townhall event provided an update on the RSA’s evolving initiatives in line with and as a result of the annual Fellowship survey results. With over 2,000 responses this year, we're excited to share how we're putting your feedback into action. For those who missed the session or are curious about our future plans, read on for a summary of the key takeaways.
Future RSA initiatives
To begin, CEO Andy Haldane announced an exciting update on the RSA’s new, upcoming initiatives: RSA Spark and Prosperous Places.
- RSA Spark - Integrating our existing programmes of the Student Design Awards, the Pupil Design Awards and the Catalyst Awards for greater impact and introducing a digital badging system.
- Prosperous Places – As part of our Design for Life mission, the Prosperous Places initiative will focus on local community regeneration. Practical interventions from the RSA aim to drive economic, social and environmental prosperity.
Fellowship engagement
The RSA plans to expand mentoring opportunities for Fellows, which will be launched at the end of this month (30 September). The mentorship scheme reflects the growing interest in networking and mentorship over more traditional thought leadership. To improve engagement between staff work and Fellows, we’re working on introducing personalised newsletters and two new Community Manager roles (Global and Interventions). Integrating Fellows effectively into RSA activities and fostering better connections within the Fellowship will be prioritised in the upcoming months.
Annual survey results
Our Director of Fellowship, Line Kristensen, and Head of Fellowship Development and Services, Alex Newton, discussed the results of the RSA’s annual survey and identified areas for improvement. Overall, there were notable improvements in the Net Promoter Score (NPS) compared to the previous year. The positive trends were particularly evident amongst younger Fellows, first-year Fellows and respondents who fully understand the RSA’s mission.
But, there is always more work to be done. Last year, we identified that Fellows wanted to feel more valued and appreciated for their individual contributions. While we have made good improvements in the last year, we are not yet where we need to be. In lieu of this, we’re working on improved communication about involvement opportunities. The survey results highlighted the RSA’s Journal as the most highly valued aspect of our Fellowship.
Circle: progress and personalisation plans
Our social platform, Circle, has now reached almost 5,000 users. Since last year, the percentage of Fellows who value Circle has more than doubled. In the future, we plan to personalise our messaging based on Fellow’s interests, skills and geographical locations. The aim of this is to increase active users, improving engagement with tailored, relevant content.
Government engagement
Our CEO Andy Haldane responded by highlighting our long history of convening a wide range of stakeholders - including central and local governments - to tackle key societal issues. This is currently demonstrated with our Prosperous Places work. The RSA has a proactive approach, aiming to implement impactful solutions in the field that inspire further action from others, including government.
What is the most surprising aspect of the RSA?
Faced with this question from our Fellow Peter Mills, Andy expressed his amazement at the never-ending depth of expertise within our RSA Fellowship. Regular coffee catch-ups between Andy and the Fellows consistently spark spontaneous collaborations and innovative ideas. And, as Andy highlighted, the RSA has a responsibility to commandeer this expertise to be applied to new initiatives and improved networking opportunities.
Looking ahead
As always, we strongly encourage our Fellows to reach out to us with any further questions and ideas. The RSA is firmly committed to evolving and enhancing our Fellowship experience. Using the feedback from the annual survey and the September Townhall event, we will be focusing on increasing Fellow engagement and expanding community connections.
Stay tuned for any updates by taking a look at our autumn events programme and any upcoming initiatives. Our RSA Fellowship thrives on the expertise and collaboration of its members. Every single Fellow’s involvement is crucial as we move forward together.
For more details, join us for the next Townhall or reach out to the RSA team with your thoughts and feedback.
Related Fellowship news stories
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A cloak for courage
Rachel Grice
In a world facing ecological and societal crises, the RSA’s 2024 theme of Courage takes on new significance. This is the driving force behind "A Cloak for Courage," a work by eco-poet duo kin’d & kin’d (Kay Syrad FRSA and Clare Whistler FRSA), currently on display at RSA House.
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Community peacebuilding and restorative practice
Callum Bate Richard Hale
Find out how RSA Fellows are using peace practice to improve school engagement and make young people feel better able to thrive, both at school and in the community.
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Become an RSA Fellowship Councillor
Ben Fleming
RSA Fellowship Councillors play a key role in ensuring the Fellowship’s voice is heard. Read more about the Fellowship Councillor vacancies open in Scotland, Ireland, North England and Oceania.
Other upcoming events you can attend as an RSA Fellow
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Y Caban
Online
Y Caban is our quarterly online meeting for Fellows across Wales to connect with one another and share expertise.
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Design for Life: Digital Badging Commission - Transforming skills recognition
The Steps, RSA House and Online via Zoom
At this event, the Design for Life team will share learnings and provocations from our Digital Badging Commission intervention.
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Inverness meetup
Eden Court Cafe, Bishops Road, Inverness IV3 5SA
Meet and connect with other RSA Fellows, exchange ideas and discuss potential projects over coffee or a drink in Inverness.