New Economy Programme launches free webinar series

Return to Blog |

written by

Jonny Gordon-Farleigh

May 1, 2020

Stir to Action have partnered with Power to Change to relaunch 20 webinars for free to support communities in their response to the COVID-19 emergency.

We've launched 20 free webinars in partnership with Power to Change to provide training and peer support for those playing a vital role in their local economy during and after the crisis.

Now in its second year, our New Economy Programme (NEP) is a national series of workshops and three-day residentials that offer capacity-building training for local communities, democratic businesses, third sector organisations, and activists. As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds and the distancing measures are put in place, we’ve redeveloped our programme and will deliver the rest of the workshops online.

NEP workshops are usually offered on a sliding scale of £50 to £150, but now with our £15,000 partnership with Power to Change, we can offer these webinars for free during the next three months as part of our ongoing commitment to deliver training and support for communities.

The NEP webinar series is facilitated by activists and community leaders from 13 additional organisations from the sector with topics ranging from everyday participation and making community leadership work, to community housing raising finance and reinventing the high street: Practical Governance, Far Nearer, Loomio, Cornwall Council, Co-op Culture, New Citizenship Project, Wessex Community Assets, New Economics Foundation, The Social Change Agency, Shared Assets, Commonly, Transition Network, and Principle Six.

Jonny Gordon-Farleigh, Founding Director of Stir to Action, said:

“The COVID-19 crisis is an unprecedented economic disruption for communities and the democratic business sector, often working in places that bring the community together to create livelihoods, reduce isolation, and meet local needs.

"We believe that democratic ownership creates a culture of agency, self-determination, and dignity. Our work is designed to create the enabling conditions for people and communities to meaningfully participate – in many different capacities – within their own places of work and residence.”

Fergus Arkley, Development Manager at Power to Change, said:

“We need to explore alternative means to help strengthen the skills and capacity of communities during the coronavirus crisis. Shifting the New Economy Programme to a digital format and including relevant topics in light of current challenges is a great opportunity to do this. We’re really pleased to be supporting Stir to Action, as we have for the past two years, engaging with over 50 activists and practitioners to harness the community business approach to make positive change in their community.”

Space is limited to 20 places on each webinar, and to 2 webinars per person, so early booking is advised. See the full webinar programme and register at stirtoaction.com/webinars

Further details: Abby Gordon-Farleigh workshops@stirtoaction.com

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.