The Link Up Lounge is a monthly gathering designed to create a relaxed, safe, and welcoming environment where people from health, sport and education can come together to connect, share ideas, and spend time working alongside each other.
Held on the first Wednesday of each month, these sessions bring people together to reconnect with existing contacts, build new relationships, and engage in open, meaningful conversations that foster collaboration, shared learning, and collective action – because we know that real impact happens when we work together.
Each session explores a different theme helping to guide discussion and reflection. The most recent Link Up Lounge focused on the theme “From access to belonging,” encouraging participants to reflect on what it truly means to move beyond simply being included, to genuinely feeling valued and connected.
The session was facilitated by Alex Jones, Regional Partnership Senior Officer for Disability Sport Wales, who has been working closely with Activate West Wales. During the session a systems mapping activity was introduced to demonstrate how cross-sector partners can work together to better understand each other’s challenges and identify opportunities to connect and provide more effective support. This brought together organisations from sport, health, and the charitable sector, enabling them to explore how they currently operate within the wider system and where stronger collaboration could add real value.
One attendee noted that the session was “informative and thought provoking”.
The session was extremely well received with many people highlighting the quality of the open environment and the value of the discussions. Those who took part valued the clarity of purpose and the impact of the discussions, describing the session as being a “curated session that connected people well.” They also mentioned how effectively it supported connection and shared understanding across the partners.
Alex said of his first Link Up Lounge” It was great as it created a supportive, in-person networking space that strengthened relationships, encouraged meaningful collaboration, and helped shift thinking from access to true belonging across the inclusion system.
“By bringing all of these partners together from different sectors, the session not only helped create valuable conversations but also highlighted the importance of collective action in creating more inclusive environments – reinforcing the value of providing spaces where people feel genuinely connected, heard, and empowered to contribute to lasting change.”
Want to join us and see what it’s all about? Then come along to our next session on July 1st in Pembrokeshire. Book on here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/link-up-lounge-activate-west-wales-priorities-places-investment-tickets-1991758202400?aff=erelexpmlt
