Let’s talk Elephants

The Elephants Trail is a social innovation approach that creates solutions to significant challenges that both local communities and agencies face.

What local people and communities can decide and do themselves is distinct from the strategic or political decisions that organisations can make, which local people and agencies can seek to influence.

Key principles of co-production

• everyone has strengths that are needed to produce solutions
• all types of power must be shared, and unequal power addressed
• good relationships are crucial. They need time, respect and trust
• diversity of people is important for high quality thinking
• there are different types of knowledge. Lived experience is valuable
• it is important to test new ideas. There is no failure, just learning

If successful, we will see:

• more Elephants spaces
• the spread of co-production with local people and communities
• more communities being proactive
• the Elephants Trail process becoming sustainable
• policy and services for the public that devolve power to local people and communities