COSPA Network again and belonging.

Last week I was back meeting with CoSPA colleagues again at our 6 monthly network meeting, this time in Manchester.

Good presentations from colleagues and local professionals which stimulated great discussions and new ideas.

But by far the most important thing that this network brings is a sense of belonging. 

CoSPA (Coalition of Senior Professionals in Autism) has been meeting every 6 months for over 30 years and provides a unique network. A truly safe space for sharing ideas and reflecting on shared challenges and successes with peers.

Members of the network participate as equals, irrespective of our positions or organisational affiliations and I think that is crucial in it’s effectiveness and longevity.  

I often talk about the importance of ‘belonging ‘ and I will be blogging about that in the next few weeks.

The need to belong is a basic human instinct that drives much of what motivates us as humans particularly when we make an active choice about what groups/sectors we belong to.

What do you think? What groups do you belong to? Let me know here.