Overview of the Facilitation Skills Training Pathway
This training programme is designed to strengthen your skills and impact as a group facilitator.
Whether you’re just beginning to lead sessions or exploring how to enhance your practice, it will support you in building the confidence and capability to guide meaningful, inclusive, and safe group experiences.
The online training is delivered in three modules that build on one another, while each module can also stand alone as a complete and self-contained learning experience.
Facilitator Skills Training Module 1: Foundations – Developing Confidence and Competence to Facilitate
This practical 2 hour workshop introduces eight core skills for facilitating groups:
1. Inclusion and Boundaries
2. Preparation: knowing participants & self/qualities of an effective facilitator
3. Session Planning
4. Communication
5. Active Facilitation
6. Managing Group Dynamics: Handling disruptions
7. Logistics and Practicalities
8. Continuous Growth
Through reflection, demonstration, and peer learning, you will:
- Build core skills for ethical, reflective facilitation
- Explore how to create safe, inclusive, and supportive group spaces
- Use practical tools for community building and collaborative enquiry
- Reflect on navigating group dynamics with awareness and flexibility
- Explore how to communicate effectively and listen actively
- Reflect on your facilitation style and identify areas for growth
Schedule
The training will be offered on 2 different time zones to accommodate all those who are interested:
- PM session: 23 March 2026 at 5pm to 7pm GMT, check your time here
- AM session: 24 March 2026 at 8:00 am to 10.00 am GMT, check your time zone here
Who is this training for:
This training is for Facilitators, educators, meditation leaders and anyone leading group discussions or activities.
Registration:
To register, please fill in this form
Once you register you will receive the Zoom link and all the information you will need in order attend.
If you have any questions, please contact info@compassionandwisdom.org
What Happens after the training?
Participants are invited to attend Module 2 of the Facilitation Skills Training that will be offered on the 18th and 19th May. Please click here for more information.
Generosity
In a spirit of generosity this training is offered on a donate what you can basis, with a suggested donation of £25. To make a donation of any amount, please visit our support page.
**As always all of our trainings and courses are offered free to ordained sangha, this one included.
Who are the trainers?
Wendy Ridley- Wendy is a Senior Faculty member teaching all levels of 16 Guidelines, 16G for children and teens, Unlocking Your Potential and Building Balanced Empathy and training our next generation of facilitators. She is an Education Consultant and is on the FDCW board.
Wendy has over 30 years experience working in education – as a teacher, university lecturer, local education authority adviser and consultant specialising in religious education and diversity issues. This provided her with skills and passion to develop, deliver and oversee training programmes so she thrives on the sharing involved in facilitating 16G workshops and developing UE materials.
Lizzy Lewis- Lizzy is a 16 Guidelines Level 1 facilitator based in West Sussex (UK.). She has worked in education for the past 27 years as a teacher, teacher educator, senior charity manager, consultant and writer.
She specializes in Philosophy for Children (P4C), Mindfulness, Oracy, Global Education and Values-based Education.
You can watch Lizzy leading a short meditation on ‘Enhancing Friend Connections‘, Lizzy shared this meditation during the Growing Compassionate Hearts Conference. It invites us to reflect on our friends ‘What is it that makes a good friend?’ and ‘How can we be one?’
