Comms for Change is a practical, hands-on course designed to equip you with sought-after communications skills and experience.
The course is for anyone who wants to bring about positive change with the help of impactful communications. It is free to join thanks to National Lottery Funding.
Meeting in person and using Edventure’s learning by doing approach, you will work together to develop and deliver storytelling content for a local organisation. You will learn from experts in communications strategy, audience segmentation and channel planning, and gain insights into what it is like to work in the communications industry.
Edventure courses are fun, empowering and hands on. You will leave with evidence of the knowledge and skills you have acquired, with a supportive community around you, and feeling more confident. You will also leave with a deeper understanding of the link between our health and the health of the planet.
Comms for Change is sponsored by Green and Healthy Frome which is inspiring lasting change by showing how caring for our health can also heal the planet.
Comms for Change is for you if ANY of the following resonates with you:
- You’d like to meet new people and challenge yourself.
- You want to help bring about change in the world
- You want to find your voice on topics that matter to you
- You’d like to improve your skills to apply to your current work or project
- You’re looking for a purpose-driven career change or you’re just starting out
Comms for Change: register your interest in a future course
Our September course is now underway and fully enrolled.
Want to join us next time? Register your interest below and we’ll be in touch when the next course is confirmed and enrolment opens.
Meet your facilitator
The course is delivered by experienced communication professionals and is facilitated by Colin Atkinson. He has a background in adult learning and facilitation and lots of experience working with groups, running projects and making ideas real.
Case study
Our 2024-2025 team: working with Green and Healthy Frome
Our first Comms for Change team worked with Green & Healthy Frome to launch three communications projects. Their communications projects highlighted how caring for our planet also benefits our health – to encourage more people to get involved in making Frome greener and healthier.
They created:
– Engaging reels to promote volunteering and community projects
– An informative and colourful leaflet about Green & Healthy Frome and all the ways you can get involved
– A brilliant board game with friendly sprites to spark conversations and ideas for green and healthy actions people can take in Frome.
What you can get out of our courses
You can get lots of different things from the learning-by-doing approach we use in our courses, including:
- Skills and qualities to bring ideas to life or take into new jobs
- Confidence and a sense of possibility
- Connection to a supportive community
- Experience
- New direction and energy
Case study
Finlay – skills and qualities
“Each week brought something new. The course ranged from storytelling to filmmaking. It was great to engage with people from all walks of life. I cannot recommend this course enough! A really valuable takeaway was learning how to apply storytelling techniques”
Finlay joined Edventure’s Comms for Change course to develop communications skills and apply it to his job. He left with stronger storytelling skills – which Finlay now uses in his work presentations, confidence in engaging with different perspectives on climate change, and hands-on filmmaking skills.
Case study
Tony – connection to a supportive community
“I signed up for the Comms for Change course because I was looking for an interesting new challenge. It was that and far more. The course turned out to be educational, inspiring and great fun. It has given me solid comms skills I can use in my work, made me much more aware of local sustainability and environmental issues, and has strengthened my connection with the Frome community. I’d recommend it to anyone!”
Case study
Mandy – connection to a supportive community
“Learning at Edventure, I now feel connected to a wider and very supportive community. I feel encouraged to think big, and through coaching at Edventure, the Frome Wardrobe Collective is now inspired to apply for our first piece of funding, in order to become a recognised organisation that is resilient and long-lasting, and running a whole series of inclusive community clothes swaps.”
Mandy took part in an Edventure Enterprising course to relaunch the Frome Wardrobe Collective.
Case study
Ben S – confidence and a sense of possibility
“I would say my work with Loop Frome has informed why I’m standing as a town councillor. I think it’s informed my personal idea around agency and how you can have an idea and with a group of people you can come together and make something and make change and it’s perfectly possible to do that.”
Ben joined an Edventure Enterprising Course and co-created Loop Frome, a local Community Interest Company focused on soil regeneration and the circular economy. After Edventure, Ben continued to work with Loop which he helped to set up as part of his course and is also now a Frome Town Councilor.
Case study
Ben G – Experience
“I leveraged the experience of working on our challenge to get my first full-time job in London where I had the opportunity to work closely with 100’s of early-stage start-ups as they went through the challenging journey of founding a company and raising funds.”
Ben joined an Edventure Enterprising course to help relaunch Share Shop and used the experience to find his first full-time job.
Case study
Camilla – new direction and energy
“I joined Edventure because I wanted an education that really helps me find what I love to do and that teaches me about life. Edventure gave me a blank canvas to experiment on. The freedom and every growing opportunity that have come my way since being involved with Edventure has in turn challenged me to learn to recognise what is truly right for me.”
Camilla joined an Edventure Enterprising course. After Edventure, Camilla set up a traditional sign writing business, and went on to become a director at the Flameworks, a community arts center in Plymouth.
Who are the courses for?
Everyone! We are looking to make teams of people with diverse backgrounds and skills who are motivated and are up for a challenge. Sign up for a course because you want to learn from it, learn from each other, and make the world a better place to be.
Previous participants have been a wide range of ages, from 19 to 59. Some left school at 16 and others have been to university. Some have just started work and others have had long careers already. Some have been or are craftspeople or artists, and others have worked in the public or private sectors. Our courses are designed to be inclusive and welcoming environments, and meeting people you might not normally meet is part of the fun and the learning experience.
What if I don’t live in Frome or Somerset?
You’re very welcome to enrol, as long as you can make the commute to the Edventure Hub in Frome once a week.
Participating in one of our courses offers a chance to immerse yourself in the course and Frome. There are many exciting and innovative community initiatives to discover – as well as past Enterprising projects there is Green and Healthy Frome – an innovative partnership focused on community-led health and climate solutions – Sustainable Frome, The Independent Market, Independents for Frome who run our council, and many many more. Frome is renowned for the strength of its community action and will undoubtedly inspire you as to what’s possible in your life and future and where you live. Take a look at what’s on.
Are there any costs?
This course is free of charge thanks to being sponsored by Green and Healthy Frome who have National Lottery funding.
What is the project or idea I’ll be working on?
You’ll be working on a communications challenge with a local organisation, to get real, hands-on experience. See current courses above for further details. Leave us your email and expression of interest to be among the first to know.
Who facilitates the courses?
Our Frome facilitator is Colin Atkinson. He has a background in adult learning and facilitation and lots of experience running projects and making ideas real. Communication professionals from Edventure, Frome Town Hall and Frome Medical Practice among others will also deliver parts of the course.
Dates & times
Our longer format courses currently run for approximately 22 weeks, 9.15 – 2.45 pm on a Thursday or a Friday – please check the individual course. Individuals and groups decide how much they do outside of the course, though most groups plan some evening or weekend events. For dates, please check the upcoming courses listed above.
Do I need to attend every week?
You should aim to attend every week, but we understand that sometimes you may not be able to.
Where is the course run from?
The course runs from the Edventure Hub, Park Hill Drive, Frome BA11 2LE. The Edventure Hub was one of our first Enterprising projects, created by an adult student team. It’s a community co-working space full of activity, maker spaces, plants and much more. Feel free to drop in during a weekday and take a look – we’ll happily show you around. Unfortunately, access to the Hub is by a flight of stairs.
Can I try Edventure first?
Absolutely, you can drop in anytime for a tour of the Edventure Hub, which was one of our first projects. It’s a community co-working space full of activity, maker spaces, plants and much more. The address is Edventure Hub, Park Hill Drive, Frome BA11 2LE.
How do I enrol , express my interest, or ask questions
You can express your interest in a future Comms for Change course here – and you’ll be among the first to hear when the next course date is confirmed and enrollment opens. We’ll then invite you to arrange an informal call with Colin, the course facilitator, to find out more and check if the course is the right fit for you. We’ll then invite you to formally enrol.
You email hello@edventurefrome.org if you have any quick questions or want to learn more about Edventure in general.