What makes Cumberland Lodge so special? It is more than the warm welcome and excellent hospitality we provide, and the time and space we offer for deep thinking and reflection.
We actively embrace 'difficult conversations' and we bring an intergenerational, multi-sector and ethical dimension to all aspects of our work. In all of our work, we aim to model the idea of 'disagreeing well'.
We convene leaders and influencers, students, practitioners and young people, to facilitate candid conversations, involving the open exchange of views and perspectives, and mutual learning.
This helps us to:
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Inspire and connect leaders and people of influence to build networks across sectors and academic disciplines, and to explore practical opportunities for promoting positive social change
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Support and equip students and young people with the skills and motivation to promote more peaceful, open and inclusive societies, as future leaders and change-makers in their communities
You can find out more about some of the practical methods we use to inspire creative thinking and the exchange of views at our roundtable conferences here.
Inclusive environment
We are renowned for facilitating an inclusive and reflective environment for candid conversations. This encourages people to 'disagree well', by openly exchanging their views, respecting difference, and actively listening to others.
To help facilitate this, we often ask participants to follow the Chatham House Rule. But, where possible, we ask guest speakers to waive this rule for their presentations, to allow us to share content and outputs from the conversations we convene with the wider public.
Attendance at some of our events is by invitation only, because physical space is limited and we need to ensure a balanced and diverse representation of backgrounds and perspectives. This diversity is important for enhancing the quality of dialogue and debate.
However, we warmly welcome enquiries from anyone who would like to participate, and all enquiries are considered carefully.
Informing public opinion and policy action
Ahead of each Cumberland Lodge conference, we commission a freelance Research Associate to present an accessible summary of cross-sector, interdisciplinary research. This briefing document helps to maximise the rigour of our conference discussions.
Key learning points and recommendations from the conferences are critiqued and refined at follow-up consultations, held at Cumberland Lodge, involving conference representatives and additional specialists who have significant experience in the field.
This process culminates in the publication of a Cumberland Lodge Report, which presents fresh, cross-sector and interdisciplinary insights into best practice and options for implementing positive change.
Our reports are launched in central London, and shared widely, including with the general public, the media, parliamentarians and policymakers, frontline community leaders and practitioners, students and academics.
We publish our research, reports and other digital resources online, through the media and via our Read, Watch, Listen webpages, newsletters and social media channels.
Our Cumberland Lodge Reports are also available on our Academia.edu profile and as e-books on Issuu.com.