Tag Archives: London

A 10th annual review of my freelance facilitation practice, 2024-25

For what turns out to be my tenth annual review of my freelance facilitation practice, after missing a few in my early years, I shall once again share in this longer post some data and some reflections on my last year.

In this past year to June 2025 I delivered 16 contracts for 12 clients. That compares with 16 contracts for 11 clients the year before and 14 for 12 the year before that. This past year’s contracts involved 3 individual online sessions plus 17 in-person and 1 hybrid event. Events were in Belfast, Birmingham, Brussels, Lisbon, London and Lomazzo. That compares with 2 online sessions, 13 in-person and 2 hybrid events the previous year and 7, 10 and 3 the year before that.

So, it appears that my contracts, clients, sessions and events have settled into a fairly consistent pattern these past three post-Covid years, notwithstanding a further slight fall in online and hybrid delivery. Happily, and as intended, that pattern involves considerably less of everything than my bumper lock-down year to June 2021 (32 contracts for 22 clients involving over 100 online sessions), and the also busy, largely pre-Covid years to June 2019 and to June 2020 which saw 25 contracts each.

Also happily, as I resolved in January 2020, I have again been able to restrict my travel mostly to places accessible to London without flying. For the first time in five years I did find it necessary to fly, from each of Lisbon and Lomazzo to London. To get to each, however, I enjoyed rail travel from Sitges, Barcelona, with stops along the way in Spain and France.

I was sub-contracted by colleagues for two contracts this year, and for one contract I sub-contracted to a colleague myself. That compares to 2 & 2 last year and none & 3 the year before. So it appears that my new post-Covid pattern of working in-person, often with travel, continues to be associated with working largely solo and less as part of a team.

Partners that I have contracted with this past year included again ICA:UK and IAF colleagues Orla Cronin and Marie Dubost.

Clients I have worked with this past year have again included UK and European charities and NGOs, professional and trade associations, multi-sector partnerships and UK local and devolved government.

Of this past year’s contracts, 8 involved facilitation while 7 involved training and one involved coaching and consulting. That compares to 9 facilitation, 7 training and none coaching & consulting the year before, and 10, 3 and one the year before that. So the proportion of facilitation to training remains close to 50/50, while coaching and consulting remains close to zero.

Crafting a joint commitment on living wages in banana supply chains - workshop

Facilitation contracts this past year have ranged in scale from a single evening workshop to several two day events, for groups ranging from less than 10 to around 55:

  • with the Royal Academy of Engineering, design and facilitation of one-day workshop “the Future of Neighbourhood Health for coastal communities” involving around 55 of the Academy community, experts and policy thinkers in London
  • with the European Union Drugs Agency, design and facilitation of a two-day strategic planning retreat involving 9 staff of the EUDA Communications Unit in Lisbon
  • with IDH Trade, design and facilitation of a one day hybrid workshop for around 15 in London and 20 online, representatives of European partner organisations working to develop joint commitments on living wages in Banana supply chains – case study
  • with the Society of Audiovisual Authors, design and facilitation of a one-day Board & Secretariat strategy workshop for around 12 in Brussels
  • with the Royal Society on behalf of Orla Cronin Research, co-facilitation of a Workshop: The Role of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage in a Sustainable Future involving around 35 experts in London
  • with To Zero, design and facilitation of a pair of online sessions with the virtual Implementation Team of nine to draw conclusions and agree next steps following a major global consultation on working together to end childhood sexual violence worldwide
  • with the Oak Foundation, design and facilitation of a two day meeting for a group of 11 in London to build a model by which it and partner foundations might best collaborate as donors in support of working together to end childhood sexual violence worldwide
  • with Islington Borough Council and Clerkenwell Design Week, design and facilitation of a public meeting in Clerkenwell to engage with local residents and other stakeholders on the use of local parks for the annual design festival

Shelley Heckman wrote, May 2025 – case study:

“The iStandUK Executive Board met in London to talk ambitiously about our collective commitment to data standards for public services. I’ve never been as inspired and energised about the topic of data standards as I have been today with this fantastic group of people!”

Annica Ryng wrote, November 2024:

“I first had the pleasure of working with Martin in 2014. A decade later, when I was looking for a facilitator to help our team develop a new multi-annual strategic plan, Martin was my first choice. On both occasions, in two very different organisational settings, Martin facilitated excellently. He brought a clear, structured process and adaptability to the needs and dynamics of the group. His calm, respectful, and cheerful demeanour created an environment where participants felt comfortable and engaged. With his extensive facilitation experience and knowledge of the pan-European not-for-profit sector and member-led organisations, Martin would be an asset to any team looking to create impactful strategic plans.”

In-house training contracts this past year comprised just one course with a repeat client:

Public training courses grew, in contrast, with the expansion of my regular schedule of public ToP facilitation training for 2025 and my renewed partnership offer ToP facilitation training at your place – and free places for you!

Regularly scheduled courses included Brussels again, as well as London, after a Covid-induced break since 2020, and partnership courses were in Birmingham and Lomazzo:

Annekatrin Madlung wrote, June 2025:

“Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the ICA:UK ToP Action Planning workshop in London, led by the brilliant and deeply experienced Martin Gilbraith. Martin’s facilitation style was generous, thoughtful, clear, and quietly powerful. He really brings the ICA’s ToP methods to life — a set of structured, participatory processes that help groups move from shared vision to concrete action in a way that is collaborative, focused, and energising. It felt like a masterclass in effective group process!”

Maria Elena Luccerini wrote, May 2025:

“An incredibly useful and applicable framework — not just for facilitators, but for anyone leading change, innovation, or transformation… the ToP Participatory Strategic Planning process. Thanks to Martin for being so clear and generous with lots of tips, and to the other participants… your perspectives made this learning journey truly meaningful and inspiring!”

Rosemary Forest wrote, December 2024:

“Several years ago I attended both the ToP Group Facilitation Methods and Strategic Planning courses with Martin. These were by far the best courses I’ve ever done and were highly helpful in my work at the time. Little did I know they’d spark such a love of facilitation that I’d eventually work as a facilitator!”

free facilitation coaching

My coaching and mentoring this past year has again been mostly pro bono. As well as one paid client contract, it has included four younger facilitators taking up my offer of free facilitation coaching in support of their work for climate justice, gender equity or anti-racism (four last year), eight ToP facilitation trainees taking up my offer of an hour’s free post-course coaching (six last year) and my support of another three on their journey to become ICA:UK ToP trainers (three last year).

I continued to serve as well as a volunteer mentor in the IAF mentoring programme, working again with two mentees of each six-month cohort.

For the Power of Facilitation, I continued to support IAF colleagues around the world to work to translate the book into more than a dozen languages. During the year, additional translated editions were launched in Persian and Polish.

Also this past year I was pleased to support also a new initiative of the IAF Global Book Club, to convene a one-year programme of online book club sessions to discuss each of the chapters in turn, in English and in Mandarin.

My free facilitation webinars this year were limited again to one session, this time with Jo Nelson of ICA Associates, Canada, General Editor of the new, second edition of The Art of Focused Conversation: More Than 100 Ways to Access Group Wisdom in Your Organization. The session attracted around 40 participants – see session recording and slides.

I was pleased this year to make a guest appearance on the new Candid Convos video podcast of Ramesh Srinivasan of IAF India – see A candid conversation with LeadFac Solutions.

In my own professional development I have continued to value the professional community and facilitation meetups of IAF England & Wales, and particularly again the in-person conference in Birmingham in April, this year titled Facilitate 2025: What; How; Who; Why. I have also enjoyed continuing to share in the hosting of regular IAF coffee meetups in London, and helping to launch a new regular meetup in Stroud.

For one of the regular Brussels meetups of IAF Belgium, I led Facilitating a culture of participation in international organisations – demonstrating the ToP Historical Scan method, with a group of 15 or so, to reflect and learn together from diverse experience and perspectives on facilitating a culture of participation in international organisations.

My volunteering with the Gay Outdoor Club has grown again to enjoyably absorb more of my time in the past year, as it continues to provide more opportunities to apply some of my professional experience as well.

I continued to host regular online socials again this past year, and I continued my Board role as Website & IT manager. In addition, in October, I hosted 36 members on a first GOC Midweek walking “weekend” in Sitges. In April I stepped up to the role as interim Vice-Chair, to support the outgoing Chair in the recruitment and induction of his successor, and to help to fill other current and upcoming vacancies – see GOC committee vacancies – your club needs you!

Thank you for following!

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.

I’ve never been as inspired and energised – ToP facilitation case study

“I’ve never been as inspired and energised about the topic of data standards as I have been today with this fantastic group of people!” – Shelley Heckman on LinkedIn

Context

In late 2023 I was approached by Shelley Heckman of iStandUK to facilitate an away day of it’s Executive Board in London in March 2024.

The mission of iStandUK is to promote Data Standards that support efficiency, transformation, and transparency of local public services in the UK. The Executive Board includes representatives from local authorities, government departments and other representative groups such as the LGA, SOCITM and TechUK. The Board serves as both a programme board and a leadership forum for collaboration across the local public sector.

The March away day was to build on another just held in December, which had been an opportunity for the Board to start exploring a strategic approach to digital standards for local public services.

At that first meeting the group had looked at the question ‘what are the specific needs and ambitions of public services that could be addressed by standards?’ A visioning exercise followed, which allowed the group to explore what would be the impact of data standards being implemented across all public sector organisations in a way that creates the most impact. The group then explored what would be necessary from our group to achieve the collective vision. The day culminated with a number of action commitments, including to create a specification for a data standards business case for the UK local public sector.

Aims

In conversation with Shelley, Board Chair Phil Swan and Programme Director Paul Davidson, the aims of the March away day were agreed to be as follows:

To build on the conversation started at the December away day, to articulate what we are ready to commit to in relation to:

    • building a vehicle that supports interoperable standards across local government at a national level, what it might look like and the way forward to get there,
    • commissioning a scoping exercise for a vehicle for data standards, and the draft Specification paper,
    • iStandUK and its future, as that vehicle and/or otherwise.

To build upon the collective sense of the importance and urgency of interoperable data standards for the sector that was recognised in December, and to build commitment to influence budget holders to invest funds in a standards body.

Methodology and approach

For this assignment, I proposed to draw on the following of ICA’s Technology of Participation (ToP) methods in particular:

The Focused Conversation method provides a structured, four-level process for effective communication which ensures that everyone in a group has the opportunity to participate.

The Consensus Workshop method is a five-stage process that incorporates Focused Conversation for effective communication and that enables a facilitator to draw out and weave together everybody’s wisdom into a clear consensus.

Agenda & process

10:00 Arrivals & welcome refreshments
10:30 Opening, welcome & introductions; approach, aims & agenda

Our hopes & aspirations for today
11.00 The story so far – what do we know?

  • December workshop & outputs
  • December commitments & actions
  • Draft specification paper – Paul Davidson
  • iStandUK position – Phil Swan

Reflection
12.00 Lunch
12.30 Our commitment – ‘Consensus Workshop’

What do we hope that we are all ready to commit to – in relation building a vehicle, commissioning a scoping exercise, and iStandUK & its future?

What do we find that we are in fact ready to commit to? Are we ready to commit to work with such a vehicle? To help to fund it?
2.00 Break
2.15 Implications & next steps

What does this mean – for building a vehicle, commissioning a scoping exercise, iStandUK & its future, otherwise?
3.15 Reflection & close

What went well? What could have gone better?
3:30 End

Feedback and impact

Participants’ on-site feedback included:

  • Open and collaborative atmosphere
  • Energy and commitment from everyone
  • Great collaboration, great networking, great outcomes
  • Made more progress than I would have expected in time available
  • We got a better output than I expected
  • Excellent facilitation

Shelley wrote soon afterwards on LinkedIn:

I’ve never been as inspired and energised about the topic of data standards as I have been today with this fantastic group of people!

The iStandUK Executive Board met in London to talk ambitiously about our collective commitment to data standards for public services.

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: 2025 ICA:UK ToP facilitation training in London, Manchester, Birmingham & Brussels

Kickstart the New Year with a commitment to your personal and professional development – enjoy a 10% discount on any course by registering with the promo code EarlyBird before Monday 13 January.

I am excited to announce the ICA:UK 2025 schedule of public ToP facilitation training courses in London, Manchester, Birmingham & Brussels, including:

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 EarlyBird before Monday 13 January.

“If you have ever wondered what questions to ask, or in what order to ask them, to lead a conversation that is focused, intentional, inclusive, and productive, let this book be your guide.” – Martin Gilbraith

Are you interested to learn more about ICA’s Technology of Participation (ToP) in a free, one-hour, interactive online session that offers an experience of virtual facilitation as well? Join us to connect, share & learn on Monday, 16 December 2024, 15:00-16:00 UK time, for this Free facilitation webinar: the Art of Focused Conversation with Jo Nelson.

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.

Reflecting on another year in freelance facilitation, 2023-24

As last summer, when I reviewed the year to June 2023, I shall share in this longer read some data and reflections on the last year of my professional practice.

In this past year to June 2024 I delivered 16 contracts for 11 clients. That compares with 14 contracts for 12 clients the year before and 19 for 15 the year before that. This past year’s contracts involved just 2 individual online sessions plus 13 wholly in-person and 2 hybrid events. Events were in Birmingham, Brussels, Leeds, London, Madrid, Sevenoaks and Windsor. That compares with 7 online sessions, 10 in-person & 3 hybrid events last year and 76 online and just 2 in-person the year before that to June 2022, still in the midst of the COVID pandemic.

So contracts have risen a little this year while clients have fallen slightly, however both remain considerably fewer than the largely pre-Covid years to June 2019 and to June 2020 which saw 25 contracts each. The continuing decline in online and hybrid events may partly reflect a continuing post-pandemic return to more in-person collaboration where possible. The lower numbers of clients, contracts and events at least in part reflects my own choices – pre-pandemic to work more locally and online, and post-pandemic to work more selectively and less. 

I resolved in January 2020 to restrict my travel mostly to places accessible to London without flying, and to try to travel less and work more online, and happily that is exactly what I have been able to do since then – albeit without working much online this year. Having also begun to spend more time more often in Sitges, near Barcelona, as I had also resolved then, it was fortunate that the invitation to work in Madrid came at a time when I was scheduled to be there. So I have not flown for work since February 2020, and I have not been tempted to do so.

I was sub-contracted by colleagues for two contracts this year, and for two contracts I sub-contracted to colleagues myself. That compares to none & 3 last year and 1 & 9 the year before. So my return to more working in-person and with travel continues to be associated with more working solo and less as part of a team. 

Partners that I have contracted with this past year included ICA:UK colleagues Alan Heckman and IAF colleagues Marie Dubost and Camilla Gordon. 

Clients I have worked with this past year have again included UK and European charities, NGOs, and professional & trade associations and multi-sector partnerships. This year also I have worked again with UK local government, with the health service and with Universities.

Of this past year’s contracts, 9 involved facilitation while 7 involved training and none involved coaching and consulting. That compares to 10 facilitation, 3 training and one coaching & consulting the year before, and 7, 7 and 6 the year before that.  So the proportion of facilitation to training has returned to close to 50/50, while that of coaching and consulting this year has returned to zero. Perhaps that reflects a return to pre-pandemic business as usual.

Crafting a joint commitment on living wages in banana supply chains - workshopFacilitation contracts this past year have ranged in scale from a single half-day workshop to a 3 day retreat, for groups ranging from less than 10 to around 100:

  • with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and NHS England, design and facilitation of a workshop in London for around 25 stakeholders to build collaboration to improve eye care in England
  • with the Architects Council of Europe design and facilitation of a strategy retreat involving around 15 staff & Board members in Brussels 
  • with Amnesty International, design and facilitation of a 2-day global strategy and team-building retreat for around 55 member Fundraising Directors and Secretariat fundraising staff in London and online
  • with iStandUK, design and facilitation of a strategy away day in London for partners working on data standards in UK public services
  • with Amnesty International, design and facilitation of a pair of tri-lingual, cross-regional online consultation sessions on global governance, involving 2-3 delegates of each of around 70 member entities worldwide
  • with Shelter, design and facilitation of a 2-day ‘Changemakers Summit’ for around 100 staff of the Communications, Policy & Campaigns Directorate and others in London
  • with Amnesty International, design and facilitation of a one day retreat of the Regional Human Rights Impact Directorate of the International Secretariat in Windsor
  • with Amnesty International, design and facilitation of a 3-day team retreat in Sevenoaks for around 30 members of the East Europe & Central Asia Regional Office of the International Secretariat
  • with IDH Trade, design and facilitation of a one day hybrid workshop for around 30 in Madrid and a dozen online, representatives of European partner organisations working to develop joint commitments on living wages in Banana supply chains – case study 

Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE-CAE), wrote on LinkedIn:

“Reflecting on last week’s inspiring #strategy workshop!  The ACE Executive Board came together in #Brussels to #brainstorm and pave the path for the future of the organisation. Strategic workshops are not just about planning for the future; they are about transforming vision into actionable steps, highlighted Ruth Schagemann, ACE President. Over the course of this collaborative and creative day, we engaged in strategic discussions about how to leverage impactful advocacy and the organisation’s agenda for action. Excited for what’s ahead and proud of what we’ve accomplished together!” 

Shelley Heckman, Deputy Director at iNetwork wrote on LinkedIn:

“I’ve never been as inspired and energised about the topic of data standards as I have been today with this fantastic group of people! The iStandUK Executive Board met in London to talk ambitiously about our collective commitment to data standards for public services.” 

Training contracts this past year have involved more or less tailored delivery of three standard ICA:UK ToP facilitation training courses:

During this past year I relaunched my own regular schedule of public ToP facilitation training under license with ICA:UK, in collaboration with the ICA:UK team of ToP Associates and in support of a wider ICA:UK organisational restructure.  As part of that restructure I have taken on a volunteer role supporting ICA:UK with it’s website, mailing list and social media.  

In my new schedule for 2024 I re-established my pre-COVID pattern of offering three pairs of courses per year in London plus occasional courses elsewhere, in partnership or on demand – so far in Birmingham and Bristol. I also re-established my 2013 partnership offer ToP facilitation training at your place – and free places for you!. I am particularly interested to partner to offer public courses in Brussels again, as I did from 2014-2020, and/or in Barcelona. 

Abi Green, Company Director at The Conscious Project, wrote this year:

“I attended [Group Facilitation Methods] a few years ago, and I have been using what I learned ever since! In my experience you are a patient teacher who accurately judges the individual’s need for stretch or reassurance. As a facilitator, you create a space where people can listen to each other and be heard. I’d wholeheartedly recommend both your courses and your practice.” 

Trey Darley, cat herder; bit-flipper; human, wrote this year:

“Martin Gilbraith’s group facilitation training was a terrific investment of three days, the best training of my career hands-down…” 

free facilitation coachingMy coaching and mentoring this past year has all been pro bono. It has included four younger facilitators taking up my offer of free facilitation coaching in support of their work for climate justice, gender equity or anti-racism, six ToP trainees taking up my offer of an hour’s free post-course coaching and my support of another three on their journey to become ICA:UK ToP trainers. 

For IAF I continue to serve as a volunteer mentor in the IAF mentoring programme, working with two mentees of each six-month cohort. I have been in conversation this past year with members of the IAF Board to support a new programme along similar lines, by which incoming new Board members could be supported in their roles by former Board members such as me.

For the Power of Facilitation, I continued to support more than 80 IAF colleagues around the world to work to translate the book into more than a dozen languages. Additional translated editions were launched during the year in Japanese, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian & Spanish

My free facilitation webinars this year were limited to one further session on Feminist Facilitation, for Facilitation Week 2023, following two on the same topic the previous year. This year’s attracted 95 participants.

In my own professional development I have continued to value the professional community and facilitation meetups of IAF England & Wales, and particularly again the in-person conference in Birmingham in April, this year titled Facilitate2024: GrowingTogether.

I have also enjoyed returning to share in the hosting of IAF coffee meetups in London, after taking a break since I hosted such meetups for 5 years until 2020.   

My volunteering with the Gay Outdoor Club has grown to enjoyably absorb more of my time in the past year, as it increasingly provides opportunities to apply my professional experience as well.  

In addition to hosting regular online socials this past year, in my Board role as Website & IT manager I have led a redesign of the GOC website and marketing materials for our 50th anniversary year in 2024, a member engagement process to develop a new strategy for the club and a social media advertising campaign that generated over 400 new members.

Having discovered the great hiking opportunities to be had around Sitges, near Barcelona, now that I am spending more of my time there, I have also applied my professional skills to offer a Midweek Walking “Weekend” in Sitges in October for 35 members at least – like a team retreat or a conference, but sunnier and more fun! 

Thank you for following. If you don’t find me online, or in facilitation, training and consulting, you might find me outdoors or in Sitges!

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.