Keith Hebden is a Community Organiser with Thames Valley Citizens and lives in Didcot Oxfordshire with Sophie, who works in Climate Research, and their two children. Keith is an author of three books on politics and public life including ‘Re-Enchanting the Activist: Spirituality and Social Change. Martha is active in XR Youth. One of the … Continue reading Community Organising: An Exciting, Participative Space for Children
Author: alistairrooms
Self-interest, sacrifice and the postponement of dreams.
Abigail is an associate organiser in Lambeth who came into organising through her university, King’s College London. Whilst a student, she co-founded a community organising society, King’s 4 Change, which started off her organising journey in Lambeth. She co-edits the Iron Rule Blog. When I started at Citizens UK in October my line manager Paulina … Continue reading Self-interest, sacrifice and the postponement of dreams.
Neighbourhood Organising in a Global Pandemic: Lessons from Shadwell
Miriam Brittenden is a neighbourhood community organiser for the Centre for Theology and Community (CTC) working in Shadwell, East London and co-ordinator of CTC's Buxton Leadership Programme. ‘Celebration’ by Kool & the Gang is perhaps not the theme tune you might have expected for a gathering online four months into a global pandemic. And yet, as 100 … Continue reading Neighbourhood Organising in a Global Pandemic: Lessons from Shadwell
Building Democracy Into Institutional Life: Sarah Bonnell Girls School
Alistair Rooms, Community Organiser with Newham Citizens, Citizens UK, Reflecting on my own journey as an organiser, it started, studying a Politics Degree at a highly political environment at SOAS, University of London. I learned lots about politics in the classroom, but being involved in organising and public life at the university taught me how … Continue reading Building Democracy Into Institutional Life: Sarah Bonnell Girls School
Newham: This is home – Organising in a ‘deprived area’.
Bina Patel is the Partnerships Manager at Community Links, in Canning Town Newham, East London. Raised in the borough she has worked in the charity sector for over 9 years, joining Community Links in 2019 to work in the area that’s been her home since childhood.A fond reflection on a borough that is home to … Continue reading Newham: This is home – Organising in a ‘deprived area’.
Sorting the Buses: A Victory for St Bonaventure’s Community Organising Team
By Andy Lewis - Assistant Headteacher at St Bonaventure's School, East London. Andy has worked with Citizens UK for 4 years, with the Newham alliance. Find him on Twitter at @andylewis_re For around 6 years, St Bonaventure’s school, a Catholic School in Forest Gate East London had tried to engage our local bus companies to … Continue reading Sorting the Buses: A Victory for St Bonaventure’s Community Organising Team
Estates Organising -‘the wild west of community organising’
By Froilan Legaspi - Community Organiser in Hackney IntroductionCitizens UK is best known for developing UK-based Broad-Based Organising, recruiting local religious and secular institutions such as schools, faith groups, non-profit organisations, etc. In 2012, Citizens UK experimented with alternative forms of community organising in council estates in London, an effort which I got volunteered in … Continue reading Estates Organising -‘the wild west of community organising’
Becoming People of Power: How we can find our bravery within…
By Joy Faulkner*, ‘I’m not built for this.’ I thought as I stood outside the BT Sports studios on the Here East Olympic site. I was with around 70 people, and we were posing for a photograph. Everyone was smiling – we’d had a better response to our action then we’d expected, but I just … Continue reading Becoming People of Power: How we can find our bravery within…
The Iron Rule 