A unique day of interactive and participatory learning to build your skills and confidence as a facilitator, meeting organiser or workshop leader.
We will look closely at what facilitation is, the role facilitators may play and how facilitating can encourage long term community development. The day will build the confidence of anyone keen to be a good facilitator and give them a solid basis on which to develop their own skills. There’ll be guidance and discussion on the different challenges and opportunities for on-line and face-to-face meetings. You’ll take part in engaging exercises and discuss where you might or might not use them. You’ll look at ways to work with people in large and small groups and how and when to leave a group to their own devices. The day covers the practical ‘tools and techniques’ that make meetings work.
Facilitation Training
- When? Next date: 19 Mar 2026
- Where? Online
- Places available from just £199 per person
- Book online now or, book bespoke
Our Facilitation Training course gives you the practical tools and techniques to make your meetings engaging and productive, both online and face-to-face.
"Very interesting event. Learnt a lot of great techniques."
Helena Merriott (Westminster Council)
Learn how to:
- Plan enjoyable & productive meetings
- Discuss pro’s & cons of online vs face-to-face
- Use appropriate tools and techniques (including online tools)
- Build a working relationship with an existing organisation or new group
- Work in ways appropriate to different communities
- Deal with problematic situations
- Evaluate facilitated processes
‘Fantastic!’ Matt Tudge (Brent Homeless Project)
Who is this course for?
The event will benefit anyone working with groups of people in formal or informal settings. Whether a novice starting out, or an experienced facilitator wishing to expand on their techniques, the course will provide a valuable insight into good facilitation. This course gives you tools to use during your sessions. Our Advanced Facilitation course looks more at power dynamics, privilege and rank when working with groups.
Subsidised places are available if you are unwaged. Please contact us for more information.
"Extremely helpful with my facilitation’ "
Ruth Campbell (Waste Aware Scotland)
Meet the trainer
Joel Lazarus
Dr Joel Lazarus lives with his wife and three children in Bristol, UK. Joel combines his work as a facilitator with his work as a university researcher and lecturer at the University of Bath.
As a member of the workers’ co-operative Rhizome, Joel provides facilitation, training, organisational development, consensus-building and conflict resolution services to a wide range of co-operatives, third sector organisations, and activist groups. His practice is informed by a rich variety of participatory and liberatory approaches which he has integrated to develop what he calls a ‘relational needs-based’ approach to facilitation and community organising. This approach emphasises supporting a team or group to establish safety and trust and to identify their individual and collective needs as a platform for then pursuing effective collective action. Joel is the lead author of the Terre des hommes Handbook for Relational Needs-Based Organising (forthcoming) that sets out this approach.
Between 2020 and 2024, Joel served as Project Manager and Qualitative Research Lead for WorkFREE, a major Universal Basic Income pilot and research project in Hyderabad, India. Joel holds Master’s in Development Studies degrees from the School of Oriental and African Studies and the University of Oxford and a DPhil in Politics and International Relations from the University of Oxford. He is also a qualified secondary school teacher.
Book your place today
Places are available on these public courses. You can book your place immediately with a secure payment by credit or debit card. Alternatively, we can send you an invoice.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch before booking.
19 March 2026 - 10:00am to 3:00pm • Zoom webinar, Online
This course is now fully booked
Please look out for future dates soon or get in touch with us for more details.
30 April 2026 - 10:00am to 3:00pm • Zoom webinar, Online
Any questions? Want to know more?
We’re always happy to answer any questions about our course. Drop us a line on training@talkaction.org or call us on 0203 488 7010.