Access to Networks: From Connection to Opportunity
Why access to networks doesn’t always lead to opportunity, and what shapes who benefits from them
Building off of Season 1 of Plus X Innovation X YouthTheGap's Impact Series, we welcome you to the second event in in Season 2 - "Access To Networks: From Connection To Opportunity"
📅 Date: October 21st
🕕 Time: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
📍 Location: Plus X Innovation, Brighton
🎟️ Tickets: £5 | 20 Max Capacity | All funds are donated to our selected CIC, The Village Food Bank:
"The Village Food Bank is Brighton & Hove's LGBTQ+ affirming food bank, providing low-income LGBTQ+ people with access to essential items and wrap-around support in a safe, welcoming space."
Bridging the Gap (Season 2)
This series explores how we bridge the gap between access and opportunity, focusing on what enables people to move from being simply included in the room to being able to build, grow and sustain something in practice.
Across four events, we will explore access through four key areas
Space
Networks
Knowledge
Resources
Each session will examine the gap that exists within each of these, and what is needed to close it.
What To Expect on October 21st:
Key takeaway: Access to networks creates opportunity when people are actively supported to participate, be visible, and build trust within them
Topics
* The difference between being invited into a space and feeling able to participate
* How opportunity is shared within networks and why it doesn’t reach everyone
* The role of trust, visibility and representation in shaping opportunity
* How community can create more inclusive pathways to opportunity
Event format: Interactive discussion followed by a panel sharing how networks and relationships lead to real opportunities.
🤝 Connection Circles Kick off the afternoon with rotating themed discussions designed to spark honest, informal conversations around access, opportunity and what it really means to build connections that last. Each station will have an open-ended question to help you reflect on your own experience, whether that's a workspace that changed everything, or one that held you back. Real connection isn't built on having the same story, but on being willing to share it.
🎤 Panel: Connection To Opportunity is a live discussion with founders, creatives and community leaders who have navigated, challenged and reimagined what access truly means in praxis.
🧠 Reflection + Audience Q&A Share a thought, write down a takeaway, or put a question to the panel. All perspectives welcome.
🌱 Open Networking Round off the afternoon with relaxed networking. Connect with others, post your reflections, or browse resources to carry the conversation further.
12pm - 12:20pm (gentle setting in, refreshments)
12:20pm - 1:20pm (connection circles)
1:20pm - 1:30pm BREAK
1:30pm - 2:15pm Panel with Miri, Reuben, Karen and Calliope
2:15pm - 2:30pm Networking & Close
This event is designed to be inclusive, thought-provoking and energising, a space to be honest about what access and connections actually mean for the people trying to build opportunities for people with it.
🔗 Secure your spot today and join a growing community creating the conditions for real opportunity and meaningful connections, one conversation at a time.