Why you need to tune in for TEDxNHS Unlocked
Nawel Badsi,
Head of Marketing
You may have heard of TED – the global community bringing together the world’s leading thinkers and doers from every discipline and culture, who seek a deeper understanding of the world. The non-profit organisation, on a mission to spark conversation by making great ideas accessible, has built a huge collection of free knowledge in the form of short, powerful talks on TED.com.
Following its international success, and in the spirit of ‘ideas worth spreading’, TEDx was created as the official licence for the grassroots initiatives organised by passionate individuals who seek to uncover new ideas and share the latest research in their local areas that spark conversations in their communities. Amongst the local volunteer-led events, TEDxNHS grew as a unique movement to allow the voices of everyday NHS staff and patients to be heard on a national stage and spread their learning across the system. By following the format of TED Talks, the NHS’s independently organised event aims to break down the walls that can exist between professions, organisations and cultures to share ideas in a new and exciting way.
Founded in 2016 and led by two junior doctors, TEDxNHS now holds the world’s largest organisational TEDx license - representing the 1.5 million people who work across health and social care. TEDxNHS truly aims to bring together people from all arrays of life, who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves. Organised by the NHS to bring change for the NHS, TEDxNHS operates on a fully not-for-profit basis, with a multidisciplinary team of volunteers made up of NHS staff from across the UK.
After taking the difficult decision in March 2020 to postpone the TEDxNHS live event to allow their team to focus on the global pandemic response, TEDxNHS just launched TEDxNHS Unlocked - the new online series designed to provide space to pause and reflect on some of the most pressing and poignant issues affecting our NHS community. The TEDxNHS team, who has been working on an alternative way of sharing stories and inspiration, completely pivoted to virtual sessions for the first time ever!
Jon Holley, Co-founder of TEDxNHS said,
“The live event is such an important part of our year and of the TEDxNHS ethos to share stories and amplify voices. We knew that we'd have to take a new approach and so after months of planning we're really happy to be able to bring the experience to people's living rooms."
But really, TEDxNHS Unlocked is much more than an online event, it’s a unique immersive experience aiming to capture the magic of the live TED events in a virtual space. The curated sessions showcasing some of the often less-heard voices from the NHS, are aimed to bring people together, share ideas, and leave refreshed, energised, with a sense of purpose and set of actions to create positive change.
It is only naturally that we at Locum’s Nest decided to partner with the inspiring TEDxNHS team this year and support this genuine grassroots movement aiming to spread inspirational stories and aspirational ideas within our NHS. Today more than ever our NHS community needs a chance to breathe and hear stories from its people that inspire hope and propel positive change.
This year with TEDxNHS Unlocked you can expect:
An alternative way of bringing the TEDxNHS community together
To explore issues that matter most to people
To cultivate meaningful connections
To spark conversation and spread ideas through the power of storytelling
With three episodes already announced for this new series, make sure to save the date for these important talks on health inequalities.
23rd March 2021, 7:00pm – Why teaching a man how to fish won’t solve food poverty
The pandemic has surfaced critical levels of food insecurity in the UK. In her TEDxNHS Unlocked talk, Nadeen Haidar shares experiences of working as a dietitian with refugees and the homeless to address the state of hunger, recognise the complexities of poverty and introduce a people-powered approach to social innovation. Starting with Nadeen's brand new TEDxNHS talk, the session will include a facilitated discussion with passionate advocates for change - subject experts with lived experience and professional insight. Announced on the panel are Jack Monroe, Jemma Gilbert, Emma Revie and Andy Knox.
6th April 2021, 7:30pm – Somebody must go first
When it comes to mental health the conversations are usually not so simple. Rachel Williams courageously shares her experience of mental health in the context of being a black woman and the pressures of upholding #BlackGirlMagic.
20th April 2021, 7:30pm – Pink gin and lemonade
The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on a conversation we are not having. It’s not very British to talk about death and dying. In her TEDxNHS Unlocked talk, Rachel Clarke demystifies palliative medicine. Sharing the joy, beauty and cheekiness which can be found in a specialty which can’t ‘fix the problem’.
There are amazing people in our NHS with the potential to inspire us to think differently, dream bigger, and design better, for the population we serve. TEDxNHS brings these people together to share their stories and there’s never been a better time (nor setting) to sit back and listen!
We have been truly humbled and honoured to work with the amazing TEDxNHS team and we hope you’ll join us for this important event.
Book your place here and get ready to be inspired like never before from the comfort of your own living room.