HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY: Online workshop
Photo credit @bike.folk
We want to do what we can to support the growth and development of women, trans, femme and non binary led groups around the world.
This online workshop is designed to
1) Share how we are dismantling the patriarchy, one group ride at a time, here in the New Forest.
2) Guide you through how to start your own, mission-led vibe.
Until there are women, trans, femme and non binary led communities in every region around the world, there is work to be done. That’s where you come in.
The agenda
👉 How to build the mission, values and principles for your community.
Building a mission, values and principles has given The New Forest Off Road Club a compass that ensures we stay true to what we stand for.
We didn’t have this stuff worked out before we started. We examined the behaviours and morals of the people showing up to rides and decided to ground our values in their traits. This session will help you do the same.
This was our first post on instagram way back in November 2020.
Having a clear mission has allowed us to communicate clearly with brands and negotiate agreeable partnerships. This session will help you establish what you stand for as a community and how to run towards your vision.
👉 Group ride top tips
We’ve learnt stuff along the way. Minimum 3 ride leaders, keep a database, document heavily (We’re out here). We’ll be chatting through what we’ve learnt over the last 24 months and sharing our top tips to make sure everyone is having a good time on your rides.
👉 How to foster a culture of 'accidental activism'
Some people just wanna ride their bikes, and that’s cool. But we feel a sense of urgency to do something different, to design something that offers an alternative to the norm. Accidental activism is where we use the strength of community to create a safe space for people to learn and think critically. Meeting everyone with patience and tolerance, we are able to offer an alternative to ‘cancel culture’ and ensure people get to experience a space that might not be their day to day norm.
👉 How to build a network of facilitators, (it takes a village).
For this part of the session, we will share how we established a group of ride leaders that have hosted over 50 rides with 200 individuals since October 2020. We favour a holistic, permaculture approach to organising ourselves over traditional structures like committees and boards. We will share how we make this work, still get shit done and keep it fun.
👉 Q &A
A space where all questions can be asked. We will lean on the expertise of the group to help answer questions. No silly questions, let’s all learn from each other.
Who’s this workshop for?
If you’re scrolling on instagram and wish you had a community to ride with but there isn’t one near you, this workshop is for you.
If you’re part of an existing community but want to diversify your rides and connect with a broader group of people, this workshop is for you.
If you have zero intention to ride bikes with other people but are curious about the inner workings of The New Forest Off Road Club, this workshop is for you.
If you work in the cycling industry in a role where your job is to get more people out riding bikes, this workshop is for you.
If you have no interest in bikes but you want to foster community and connection, this workshop is for you.
Wanna hear what previous attendees thought? Great, we asked ‘em.
“The Notion template that you provided and explained in the workshop has been an absolute hit with us, and really helped keep things clear and coordinated. It's an amazing platform to share ideas and keep track of all the nitty gritty elements of running our crew.” @westlondonbikecrew
“We loved connecting with NFORC in their online workshop! Nic was a warm and natural facilitator and shared their knowledge freely. So great to connect with women from around the world who are all passionate about the cycling community and making it a safe and welcoming space for all!
We especially appreciated the workshop on building concrete mission and values. NFORC is obviously intentional in letting their mission and values drive what they do and we were inspired to build our own to do the same!” @galpackas
“We’re just starting to kick off the new year, but we’re mapping out our events and trying to think about how to rebuild our womxns community which fell quiet over covid. We’d ended up a bit in siloed groups, so we’re trying to revamp with a more inclusive atmosphere. A lot of the content from the talk has been useful in framing those discussions.” @londonfieldstri
“I literally happy cried through this workshop. Something magic happens when women who ride lift each other up but I had never experienced it to this extent before. It's so wonderful when the simplest and most obvious things turn out to be the most powerful tools and New Forest Off Road Club have brought a bundle of them here together to create the most beautifully inclusive sense of solid community.” Danielle Ryan - Gledhill
“Joining NFORC’s workshops really helped us strengthen our goals and messaging. Nic encouraged us to really document that we’re here. To show that we’re creating these inclusive spaces that encourage women to feel comfortable and build confidence - on and off their bikes. Being a part of the workshops made us feel a part of something, reminded us of the community at large. We would recommend NFORC workshops to anyone looking to add value to their communities.” @casualcyclingbxl
“The seminar was fantastic - it was really interesting, and great to see that the existence of this sort of club is actually possible! I was inspired and fed back some things, leading to a rethink (currently in progress) of the club values.” Martin Crawford
“What better plan for a Tuesday night than learn from great folks who want to smash the patriarchy? NFORC's workshops are inspiring, informative, and make you feel seen and heard in this alienated world. I've learned a ton and put it to use in my work life, not just my bike life. I'm a repeat visitor: Mission, values and principles are a process, and it helps to return, revisit, and reflect. Viva la revolución!" Katie Meehan
Thanks to Nic & NFORC for providing such a great workshop. We attended two workshops and both were super useful. It’s pretty safe to say the club wouldn’t be what it is now without the tools to work out what we actually wanted to do with it and the skills to promote what we do and represent who we want to do it with. Oh and it was super fun! Tom from @neighbourhoodgravel
" ‘How to Dismantle the Patriarchy’ is an exceptional workshop that shares the spirit and joy of New Forest Off Road Club. Much more than a step-by-step guide or ‘how to’, Nic and NFORC demonstrate by example how to create a space for connection, sharing, learning and fun. I came away completely inspired!" Cat Magill
“Thank you for the workshop! It gave me so much more confidence in my ideas with the team and just believing I could have a go. The value in hearing what other women are doing too, and being able to actually put in to practice the stuff I learnt. It was great!” Sarah King: @ldn-academy
“I absolutely love what you guys do, and one of your workshops from a couple of years ago contributed to me solidifying my idea for my project :)": Sylwia from Dyanmo Glasgow.
“Thanks for yesterday, I loved being in group with people all doing really great stuff, learning as they go and trying to do things differently and better. I got a lot out of it and currently thinking about how different parts work into the different things I do and also , need to read some of the book recommendations for work and myself” Ollie from Pedal Progression.
“Thanks again for a great training session - It was really inspiring” Jamie Edwards from Wide Open Agency
To date, we’ve had 65 people attend this workshop from the Uk, Germany, Istanbul, Belgium, North America, Australia and Canada.
All ticket holders will get access to a digital workbook to use during the session, a notion template to help organise your community, the presentation slides, a google drive with photos to help promote your rides and a top tip document with all the ideas and expertise shared by the collective group during the session.
Club director Nicola Carass will be facilitating. Anyone who wants to uplift themselves outside of the patriarchy is welcome.
We can't wait to hang out online✌️
