Writer: Tamara Hoggarth
Published: 3 June 2026
2min read
From left to right, Cathy, Therese, Penny, Tamara, Alex, Barney, Tom, Jess, little Artie, Sarah-Jane and Kirstin
At the end of March, our team got together to spend some real time together, away from only seeing one another on screens, a time we could only wish we had more often. While we’ve done this before, there was something about spending four days together this time that built a collective identity to me that felt rooted and strong that I hadn’t experienced with this group. It feels like glue.
Masks come off in shared spaces like this. It bears both the tensions and joys of who others (and ourselves) really are. While being able to see that the strong intention for care is there, intimacy is messy and life is real and we don’t always have the impact on others that we hope. We learnt from each other, grumbled together, worked, laughed and shared food through the weekend. It was rich, vital and alive, the only way we can hope to live.
I witnessed a level of presence that may not be new to me, but is so strong it stuck with me. This may be the glue I felt. Tensions that had been bubbling under the surface had space to be voiced and witnessed and those bubbles have had the chance to begin to die down. We know they’ll be back in different ways but they’re welcome. We have our glue.
We cannot share what we do not practice and moments like this help us embody a way of being that puts relationship and connection first.
“I found attending for the day to be such a welcoming space. Meeting everyone in person for the first time allowed rich connections and increased understandings of the individuals (that were able to attend) that give energy to NVC Matters UK. It was such a beautiful space to hear each other, and share experiences. I look forward to next year!” – Jess
“Every year we meet I am reminded of how rich a currency in-person connection is! It nourishes our team meetings for months to come. This year we held two witnessed and facilitated dialogues where conversations had become strained. In both cases we celebrated walking our talk and feeling so much more connected afterwards” – Penny