• Welcome to kingfisher commons

    Do you want to have a wider reach and deeper impact? 

    We ignite community spirit and connectedness through courses, masterminds, consultancy and our dedicated network. We collaborate with organisations, community leaders and change-makers who want to have a wider reach and deeper impact.
    Book a call

How we can work together

For individuals who want to build community through Community Research and Community Coaching. 
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For large organisations who want to transform how they work with community organsiations, reach the seldom heard and become more people-led in their activities. 
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For individuals and organisations of all sizes who would like mentorship through their research activities. We also work with academic institutions on research projects.
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Growing reach
and impact

What would it mean to your organisation if you grew its reach and impact?

To those we have worked with, it means more volunteers, supporters and funding. It means having a greater transformational effect on the people served and a greater role in changing the world.

As experts in research and community engagement, we work with community organisations, public institutions, universities and many others to help make the world a better place.

Together, we are unique…

Our knowledge and experience of carrying out academic research on engagement informs the team of what points in the systems of engagement need work.

Working with community organisations on the ground mean that we understand how the voluntary and community sector operate and what their challenges are.

Through co-designing engagement strategies with organisations and institutions, we understand statutory obligations, tight time frames and the drive for greater engagement.

A unique offering of training, coaching, consultancy and done for you research services.

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You are in good hands

Happy Clients

  • “Dr Tessa Lynn at Kingfisher Commons applies a collaborative and positive approach and a helpful understanding of corporate bodies’ challenges externally and internally as they engage with local communities. Her positivity was always really welcome, and her ability to give an external point of view and sense check on the project."
    Jane Doe
    Kirsty Scarlett, Head of Engagement at Wessex Water
  • “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Tessa on several projects to-date. Tessa is an extremely diligent, meticulous and personable researcher and community-focused practitioner. She is also able to work extremely quickly and efficiently and delivers on-time. I wish I knew all her secrets to deliver such solid and quality work so effortlessly!”
    Jane Doe
    Amy Burnett, Development In Transition
  • “Tessa provided an excellent service, meeting a challenging deadline and undertaking the work in a very professional manner. She added value at all stages and we are extremely pleased with the final product.”
    Jane Doe
    Chris Bowden,  Director of Navigus Planning
  • “Tessa provided some detailed and thorough market research on our behalf, which has played a vital role in enabling us to have a competitive advantage, and remain relevant to our customers needs. We shall be using Kingfisher Commons as our research partner for all future projects.”
    Jane Doe
    Lizzie Benton, Founder of Liberty Mind Ltd

Meet
Dr Tessa Lynn

Dedicated to uncovering what her Grandmother meant by ‘community isn’t what it used to be,’ Tessa researches and continues to discover for herself what community means through being actively involved in community development.

Unearthing the literature of the commons, she was fascinated to discover the work of John Clare (see his poetry on the enclosures) and that having spent the first two years of her life in Helpston, sharing a place of origin, Tessa felt it confirmed as her destiny to rediscover our commons and uncover modern day enclosures…. Read more

Case Studies

Our knowledge and experience of carrying out academic research on engagement informs the team of what points in the systems of engagement need work.
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Latest news

You will waste your time if you skip the foundations

Building a successful community organisation or charity is about more than just good intentions. If you skip the foundational work of crafting a vision, mission, and values, mapping your stakeholders, and outlining your theory of change, you might find your organisation struggling to achieve its goals. These elements aren’t just buzzwords—they are the strategic compass that can make the difference between an initiative that thrives and one that fizzles out.

From Criticism to Cooperation: ripples of change in the water industry

At Kingfisher Commons, through our consultancy offering, we are proud to have partnered with Wessex Water on their ambitious Community Connectors project. Our role was facilitating interactive workshops that fostered genuine community engagement and identifying how co-created solutions could be achieved for shared environmental and social goals in Chippenham and Bridport.

Laying the Groundwork for Community Impact

The key to success starts with building a strong foundation. While it’s tempting to dive straight into action, skipping the crucial steps of visioning, theory of change, and stakeholder analysis can undermine your project from the start. These elements aren’t just planning exercises—they’re the bedrock of effective engagement and long-term impact.

The Art of Research: A Checklist for Community Organisations

In the realm of community organisations and charities, research is a crucial tool that can guide decisions, enhance community engagement programmes, and demonstrate impact. However, effective research is not just about collecting data—it's about doing so ethically and effectively. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help your organisation master the art of research, along with insights into what each point means for community organisations.
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In the Spotlight: Elevating the Volume of Seldom-Heard Voices

There are around 200,000 charitable organisations in the UK and millions of volunteers associated with them. Irrespective of what they are called or what cause they are working for, they are willing parties, established by the free will of the citizens who are associated with common interests and/or other interests aiming to achieve shared civil, […]

Investigating Research Skills in the Community Sector

The success of community-based organisations to respond and deliver to societal needs is becoming increasingly important through times of greater need for more humanistic responses to our challenges. Community-based organisations, public sector organisations, local authorities, non-profit organisations, and many other individuals and organisations have been heroic during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. We here at Kingfisher […]

What is Community Research?

Research has been the basis of decision-making based on facts and data for a long time. It is a way of finding and gathering information in a systematic way that can help you to review how you are doing and to plan for the future. Research done with the aim of facilitating decision-making to increase […]

Briefing note: Community Right to Bid and public houses

This briefing paper (written October 2017) acts as a contribution to the debate about reform to the Community Right to Bid (CRtBid) and specifically the protection of public houses.

Who wants to be consulted with anyway?

Quite often there is a concern about lack of community and stakeholder consultation in various aspects of society. Those who represent communities of people and shape the places they live, are often criticised for not reaching those whose decision-making impacts. This post explores reasons why people don't engage in consultation and the challenges during COVID-19.

4 Policies to Use to Protect a Community Asset

This post describes four different approaches that can be utilised in different circumstances in an attempt to ‘protect’ the future of a community asset. Each has its criteria and limitations. The following acts as an overview of four policies to explore, these are the Community Right to Bid (CRtBid) and Asset of Community Value (ACV) Regulations; Community Asset Transfer (CAT); Community Right to Buy (CRtBuy); and Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO).

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