In early November, just in time to meet the full force of Storm Ciarán, Cat headed down to the Eden Project in Cornwall to attend the 2nd Anthropy conference.
Anthropy is the brainchild of John O’Brien MBE. After 17 years leading the charitable interests of Prince (now King) Charles, in 2021 he set out to create a cross-sector collaborative network to support a positive future for Britain.
Cat had heard about Anthropy from several contacts who had raved about the strong sense of community and connection they’d experienced there. She was keen to see for herself what the event was about. She wasn’t disappointed.
Despite the rain and gale force winds, she spent 3 days immersed in a range of panel discussions that addressed topics ranging from food and water security, economic resilience, climate change and business sustainability and from education to equity of opportunity to the future of leadership. She was awed by the collaborative spirit and thrilled to meet like-valued others.
The 3-day conference was a catalyst for a stream of conversations between committed individuals determined to use their professional skills, experience and wisdom to make sure the UK remains an ambitious country of plentiful opportunity –something our current politicians seem to have overlooked.
Cat returned hopeful and invigorated. The challenges we face environmentally and societally are complex, interconnected and daunting. But collaboration, co-operation and mutual appreciation and support of our respective gifts, strengths and talents are the antidote to hopelessness and disempowerment. Connection, community and relationships will help us navigate the coming decades and are vital components of the future of work.