Campaign launched to build a ‘new economy’ through a practical programme of workshops, mentoring, and live crowdfunding

We talk about making ‘communities stronger’ and creating a ‘fairer economy.’ But these approaches are still struggling to significantly impact our society and economy — 80% of the UK’s freelancers are living in poverty, Black African women earn 19.6% less than White British Men, 27 pubs are closing every week as part of a wider decline in community assets, and local authority cuts are disproportionately affecting women and Black and Minority Ethnic communities across the UK.

To help transform our economy over the last few years, Stir to Action has organised national workshop programmes to support communities to build a new economy that works for everyone. Now, we are planning to launch a year-long programme of practical workshops, 3-day residentials, mentoring, and live crowdfunding to build a new economy that works for everyone.

For this to be successful, we have launched a crowdfunding campaign today on crowdfunder.co.uk, to raise the £12,500 we need to cover programme costs. Pledges on our campaign over the next five weeks will support subsidised workshop places, local workshop venues, programme design, our mentoring network, and provide the resources to engage new communities with these ideas.

We also have some great rewards to thank our supporters. You can book yourself an advance place on a workshop, be an ‘Enabler’ and pledge to create subsidised places, have dinner with Carne Ross, a former British diplomat who resigned over the Iraq War, and whose film The Accidental Anarchist aired on BBC Storyville. Or join The Financial Heretic, Brett Scott, for pizza and to talk about activist hedge funds, blockchain technology, mutual credit, and the world of alternative finance.

If we hit our target, our programme will train 1,000 people in three cities — Bristol, Oxford, and London — and build a community of changemakers!

What to expect?

With 30 workshops and 3 residentials on offer, participants will discover new economic tools and models, receive training from facilitators with decades of experience, access project support from our mentoring network, and have the opportunity to participate in our live crowdfunding event.

The workshops will get you started with worker co-operatives, explore how community wealth building approaches could benefit your local economy, deepen your understanding of racial justice and economic history, see the economy from a gender perspective, and enable you to develop your communication strategy for a new project, campaign, or organisation.

What people say about our workshops

“Stir to Action’s Community Wealth Building workshop gave me brilliant insight into this emerging field of practice. I have taken forward the thinking in my own work, and have since seen it being uptaken by others also. Once again Stir To Action is at the forefront, bringing new ideas to action.” —Hannah Gardiner, Shared Assets.

“I attended a Stir to Action workshop about reframing campaigns and social impact stories. It was a useful day of talks, brainstorming, skills sharing and networking, and I met a variety of people of difference experience levels from the third sector and civil society organisations. I went away with many new ideas for campaigns I’m working on, and would definitely attend a Stir to Action workshop again.” — Sophie Yates, Positive Money and What Women Want 2.0

To support our crowdfunding campaign, click here. To find out more about Stir To Action, visit www.stirtoaction.com.

About Stir To Action

Stir to Action is a not-for-profit organisation that publishes STIR, a quarterly magazine of new economic ideas, runs national workshop programmes, technology accelerators, and supports Community Economic Development.