
ICA:UK
National Member
About Us
Established in 2000, ICA:UK works nationally and internationally with individuals, communities and organisations to engender a culture of participation. A registered charity, we have a small core staff and work through a network of Associates for training and facilitation and with a range of partners both in the UK and Africa.
Our Mission
Our vision is of a just and sustainable world for all, and our focus the developing and sustaining of a culture of participation.
For us, a culture of participation is characterised by:
– People’s voices being heard, differences in people and ideas being both respected and valued, meaningful conversations being held, and plans being informed by different perspectives and owned more widely. Rights are upheld, teamwork is valued.
– Informed choice of the appropriate level of participation in any given situation
– The concept being applied at different levels- whether it is the team leader looking to build their team, the chief executive seeking to improve workplace wellbeing, the local authority wanting more meaningful involvement of the community or service users, the membership director wanting to engage with their members more effectively
Our Values
Shared responsibility- by fostering individual and collective responsibility, trust and honesty to create a sense of belonging
Constant learning- by asking questions of ourselves and of others
Wholeness- by respecting the diversity and uniqueness of individuals and communities, encompassing mind, body and spirit
Making a difference- by making a contribution as part of our individual life journeys and enabling others to do the same
A global perspective-by maintaining a global and historical perspective to provide a context for our actions at the local, national and international levels
Our People

Maria Franchi
Director

Clare Vermes
Administrator

Alice Blackwell
ToP Training Coordinator
Our Activities
Facilitation Training Programme
We specialise in the ICA’s Technology of Participation, and have a schedule of public courses on Group Facilitation Methods open to all, successfully training over 200 people per year. We also provide in-house training and facilitation services, primarily to the international development sector, UK community and voluntary sector and the UK public sector.
The intent is to contribute towards a culture of participation by developing the skills and knowledge to enable widespread understanding and effective use of facilitation methods and skills and to inform and encourage the behaviours and attitudes which recognise and value participation amongst the people who use, experience, commission and promote facilitation methods.
Partnerships With Aligned Organisations
We have an ongoing relationship with ICAs and other local, likeminded organisations in Europe and Africa, offering support and advice to enable them to develop and grow as key players in local development. In Europe this includes developing ToP programmes in Switzerland, supporting an emerging ICA in Poland, and working with individuals in other countries keen to develop as ToP trainers. In Africa our support can include small grants from our Village Volunteer sponsorship scheme, linking individuals in the UK with ICAUK partners in Africa and providing funds for the partners’ organisational development.
Supporting Citizen Activists
We offer training and support to organisations and individuals active in bringing about change in society. Our focus is on helping them engage better with others, make broadly owned decisions and organise themselves more effectively.
Understanding The Impact of Facilitation
How do we know that our intervention is making a difference? How does facilitation help individuals, groups and organisations achieve what they want? What is the connection between facilitation and efficiency? We seek to gather data and generate and share case studies to explore these questions.
Location & Contact
Unit 14
41 Old Birley Street
City: Manchester
Zip Code / Post Code: M15 5RF
Country: UK
Phone Number: 00441612328444
Email Address: ica@ica-uk.org.uk
Website: http://www.ica-uk.org.uk
TrustPilot: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/ica-uk.org.uk