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Online Adult Exchange Programme

Connecting adults who have very different lived experiences is one element of our work, supporting our vision of a more curious, compassionate and connected society. We want to strengthen the appetite for change and social awareness and inspire participants to consider their differences, the places at which they intersect, their biases and assumptions, opportunities for micro-changes around their existing relationships and to imagine a world where their differences are valued.

What we do

  • We unite individuals from marginalised communities and socially homogeneous groups as partner-participants.
  • Our approach emphasises warmth, sincerity, and humility, with light-touch guidance materials.
  • The Roots Cultural Exchange Programme runs over six consecutive weeks, supporting up to 24 participants.
  • The first three weeks involve reflective offline activities shared through Roots as an intermediary.
  • The final three weeks incorporate video or audio calls for direct interaction.
  • The entire cohort joins online for informal socials before and after the exchange.

Aims of the Programme

By connecting adults across many lines of difference, Roots work expands existing levels of compassionate social connection across the UK, encouraging individuals to imagine a relationship-focused future where debate gives way to dialogue and assumptions give way to understanding.

We envision a society in which we can be braver when discussing difference, allowing us to learn about one another without fear of saying the wrong thing and to grasp the importance of including diverse voices in the groups and spaces they inhabit.

Testimonials

‘I really wondered what on earth we’d talk about, we are so different, but we just laughed a lot and got on like a house on fire…’

‘…we did get into some quite deep things and connection, but loss as well as connection.
And, um, you know, we have led very different lives, but found some real parallels in that as well, which we didn’t expect.’

‘We sort of shared about mental health journeys and different complications we’ve had in our lives…’

‘…she shared with me a bar prelude that she was playing on the piano as part of the message she left me.

And it inspired me to rekindle my piano playing, which I haven’t done for years. And I got the music for that and I taught myself to play it and then played it to my mum who was delighted.’

‘…it made me actually think and break down what I do, how my day passes, not just in the blur of autonomous stuff, but seeing the significance of it and possibly highlighting actually how or why loneliness does creep upon you and how isolation and all that can, can have a strain.’

We found that our work had so much in common in trying to take people to happiness when perhaps that wasn’t where they originally were.

I have been looking at other ways to learn and develop my skills online rather than going to a college or doing something formally. I can learn from people and talking which is what I knew before but this just gave me the ‘ok’ to do that.

…it was interesting to talk to her. It was interesting to see that, ethnically, we could be quite diverse, but we weren’t actually as people.

Even though we are all from the same place here, that is what brings us together, in reality we are living in almost totally different worlds.

Interested in taking part? Fill out our form!

Who to contact?

If you or your organisation want to discuss the programme in further detail, please contact our Programme Lead for Relationships, Clare Richardson on clare@rootsprogramme.org

If you have any safeguarding concerns about, or would like to report an incident involving The Roots Programme, please fill out this form. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

ROOTS RELATIONSHIPS PROGRAMME