Facilitation Access Questions

Would you like to work with us on facilitating an event? We facilitate participatory sessions all over the country, online and in many different venues. We look after how the session will run and support everyone in the room to feel comfortable.  However, it really helps us if organisers can think through the following before their event to make sure that the event is as accessible and welcoming as possible. 

Venue location and type 

Is the venue in or within your target community?
Is the venue accessible by public transport?
Have you considered potential obstacles, challenges or issues that may make it difficult for anyone to participate in the session?
Have you considered the perspectives and needs of people with protected characteristics?
Is the venue in an area that could make some potential participants feel uncomfortable or unsafe?
Have you considered if the venue could potentially put some people off participating due to its associations with a particular culture or faith? 
If the venue is within the Council buildings or closely associated with the Council, have you considered how this would feel to participants from community organisations and different groups?  

Facilities and furniture 

Is the room large enough to make everyone feel comfortable?
Is there good ventilation and/or heating?
Is there room to sit in a circle?
Are there break-out rooms or spaces available?
Can we stick anything to the walls?
Is there a flip-chart stand and paper available?
Are there any reasons why it might be hard to hear each other in the room e.g. outside noise, challenging acoustics?
Is there disabled access?
Are the toilets welcoming to all genders?
Is there enough suitable seating for all participants?
Are there suitable tables for participants to work on?

Getting people there 

Have you considered what would motivate your key audience to attend?
Are you valuing your participants time and thoughts by paying them for their time, providing a voucher or providing food?
Are you covering the cost of travelling to the venue or providing transport?
Are you providing childcare?
Have you thought about the timing of the event and your client group to work out what would make most sense for them?
Do you need to consider translation services?
Have you considered digital exclusion?
Are your adverts for the event designed with representation of your key audience, the needs of the participants and their accessibility in mind?
Is the way of signing up for the event designed with the needs of the participants in mind?
Have you sent everyone clear instructions about what to expect on the day: e.g. the duration of the session, what the agenda will be, the participatory approach that will be used, how to get there, and whether there will be food?
Do the participants have a clear contact person and details about how to get hold of them on the day?
Have you asked all the participants if they have any other support needs?
Do you need to provide food and refreshments (biscuits at least!), some people might be hungry before attending, so also important to think through when the food should arrive
Have you considered the health and cultural implications of the food and drink you are providing? For example, some people would not be able to attend an event where alcohol is served

On the day 

Are there clear signs to get to the room?
Is someone welcoming participants into the building?
Are there enough seats in convenient positions to ensure that someone with limited mobility feels comfortable?
Have you checked in with everyone who has identified support needs to make sure that those are being met?
If required, is there a comfortable space available, away from the session, if someone is feeling they need to take a break for any reason?

Image is a photograph of a lady serving customers at a community food hub. She is leaning on the counter and laughing while in conversation with one of the customers. There are bags of flour and other items of food on the counter and shelves of dried goods behind the lady.
Image is of a boy in a wheelchair cooking in the the Brighton and Hove community kitchen - he is attending a cookery class. He is adding a tin of tomatoes into a pan on the the hob. The tutor is supporting him by stirring the ingredients in the pan.
Image is of a man sitting down and having a discussion with a group. He is in the middle of talking and has his hands in front of him while he is expressing something. The person he is taking to has his back to the camera. There is a table between them and a reusable cup on the table..
Food Matters facilitation in Adur and Worthing. The image shows a group of people around a table discussing the advantages to having a food partnership set up in the local area.
Image shows a group of people looking at post-it notes on the wall. The post-it notes contain ideas and thoughts written down by the participants of the Food Matters facilitated session.

Get In Touch

Reach out to the Food Matters team to find out more about what we do, get involved or to collaborate with us on a future project.

Get In Touch

Get in touch with the Food Matters team to find out more about what we do or get involved. We also want to hear from you if you would like to collaborate with us on a future project.