Category Archives: news

New 2027 schedule of public ToP facilitation training in London, Brussels & Sitges Barcelona

Welcome to autumn, with a 10% discount on any of my 2026 & 2027 courses by registering before Monday 12 October with the promo code AutumnSale!

I am pleased to announce my new 2027 schedule of public ICA:UK ToP facilitation training courses in London and Brussels, and again also in the beautiful and historic resort town of Sitges, just down the coast from Barcelona, in March and October. Why not plan to stay for the weekend, and book yourself some early spring sunshine now?

Thirteen new courses now scheduled for 2027 include, again:

A few places are still available also on my remaining 2026 courses:

ICA’s ToP training was ranked as the second most popular facilitation training globally in the SessionLab 2025 State of Facilitation report.

Register now for public courses in Eventbrite

Register now in Eventbrite for any of my upcoming 2026 & 2027 public courses in London, Brussels & Sitges.

Enjoy a 10% discount on any course by registering with the promo code OctoberSale by Monday 12 October.

For additional courses offered by fellow ICA:UK Associates, see the full ICA:UK public course schedule.

See also about me, how I work, who I work with and recommendations & case studies, and please contact me about how we might work together.

Celebrating 30 years of ToP facilitation facilitation training, 1996-2026

Our first ICA:UK public ‘ToP’ facilitation training course was held in London in March 1996. One participant wrote soon after:

This is just a brief note to say how much I valued the opportunity to share in the ICA Group Facilitation Methods course last weekend, and benefit from the ideas which ICA have developed over the years. Clearly the confidence and professionalism with which the course were presented was based on proven experience and testing. There was an impressive simplicity and cohesion in both the ideas and the methods that were presented, and I warmed to that.

Certainly ‘team building’ is being taken seriously by organisations of all kinds these days. My impression is that ICA is leading the way in providing detailed methods of how this can be done at a very practical level. I am confident that there will be opportunities for me to use these methods of group facilitation here.

ICA’s specialist facilitation methodology, known since the 1980s as the ‘Technology of Participation’ or ‘ToP’, is the product of over 60 years of research, development and practice with organisations and communities worldwide.

Register now for public courses in EventbriteRegister now in Eventbrite for my own upcoming public courses in London, Brussels & Sitges, Barcelona. For additional courses offered by fellow ICA:UK Associates, see the full ICA:UK course schedule.

Kickstart the New Year with a 10% discount on all 2026 courses!

Kickstart the New Year with a commitment to your personal and professional development, and enjoy a 10% discount on all of my 2026 courses by registering with the promo code JanuarySale before Saturday 31 January.

My 2026 schedule of public ICA:UK ToP facilitation training includes courses in London, Brussels and Birmingham again, and this year also in the beautiful and historic resort town of Sitges, just down the coast from Barcelona, in March and October. Why not plan to stay for the weekend, and book yourself some early spring sunshine now?

Register now for public courses in Eventbrite

Register now in Eventbrite for my own upcoming public courses in London, Brussels & elsewhere – scroll down for dates & locations.

For additional courses offered by fellow ICA:UK Associates, see the full ICA:UK public course schedule.

Enjoy a 10% discount on any course by registering with the promo code JanuarySale before Saturday 31 January.

See also about me, how I work, who I work with and recommendations & case studies, and please contact me about how we might work together.

New: ICA:UK ToP facilitation training in London, Brussels and Sitges, Barcelona in 2026

Welcome to September, with a 10% discount on any of my 2025 & 2026 courses by registering before Tuesday 30 with the promo code SeptemberSale!

I am pleased to announce my new 2026 schedule of public ICA:UK ToP facilitation training courses in London and Brussels, and this year also in the beautiful and historic resort town of Sitges, just down the coast from Barcelona, in March and October. Why not plan to stay for the weekend, and book yourself some early spring sunshine now?

Twelve new courses now scheduled for 2026 include, again:

  • Group Facilitation Methods – introducing the foundations of the ToP approach, two powerful techniques for structuring effective conversations and building group consensus – 2 days, in London, Brussels & Sitges
  • Action Planning – participatory planning for short-term projects and events – 1 day, in London & Brussels
  • Participatory Strategic Planning – bringing people together to create strategies for action – 2 days, in London & Brussels

A few places are still available also on my remaining 2025 courses:

ICA’s ToP training was ranked as the second most popular facilitation training globally in the SessionLab 2025 State of Facilitation report.

Register now for public courses in Eventbrite

Register now in Eventbrite for any of my upcoming 2025 & 2026 public courses in London, Brussels & Sitges.

Enjoy a 10% discount on any course by registering with the promo code SeptemberSale by Monday 30 September.

For additional courses offered by fellow ICA:UK Associates, see the full ICA:UK public course schedule.

See also about me, how I work, who I work with and recommendations & case studies, and please contact me about how we might work together.

An appeal and an opportunity from GOC’s new interim Chair

Could YOU be our next Chair?

The Gay Outdoor Club is the oldest and largest outdoors club in the UK for everyone in the LGBTQI+ community, founded in 1974.

We have over 2,000 members in 40+ local and specialist groups that offer over over 500 events around the country each year. Our annual turnover is around £100k pa, and we are entirely member-led and run.

It is an exciting time to join us. Our committee is preparing to meet on October 4 & 5, with other club volunteers. We will meet at the venue of our 2026 Annual Outdoor Gathering at Warwick University to form as a new team, with several new committee members and new leadership, to plan how we can all deliver the club’s strategy together over the coming year:

“to make GOC a diverse and inclusive club that is friendly and welcoming, vibrant and dynamic – where everyone in the LGBTQI+ community can be themselves and feel at home while making friends and enjoying outdoors and social activities together”.

Please take a look at our Governance and Committee page for further details, including our constitution and role descriptions. For further context, see also my recent news post to members From your new interim Chair – an appeal and an opportunity!

Please respond by Monday 1 September by completing the expression of interest form, or please email me at <chair@goc.org.uk> with any questions.

Thank you!

Martin Gilbraith,

GOC interim Chair