A Movement for Sustainable Community Prosperity

 

Background & Updates

The Bristol Commons is a growing movement centred on Community Power, Land Justice & Systemic Change to support communities and community hubs across Bristol. Many vital spaces and places – as well as organisations and services – are under threat. Recently All Hallows Hall and Unit 15 have been evicted, Kuumba is struggling to find a way forward, Bridge Farm is under threat and many other spaces and organisations are in a perilous position. This network of people, infrastructure, knowledge and expertise is essential for individuals and communities to thrive.

A little over a year ago Coexist launched the Bristol Common by inviting organisations, groups and individuals to come together to explore how we can collectively create a movement for sustainable community prosperity, work more collaboratively, create a culture of reciprocity (not competition) and collectively shift from a city losing vital resources to a city that is rebuilding our commons.

We have also held two other Community Gatherings, one at Circomedia and one at Sparks. We have held panel discussions, workshops, training sessions, a book club, we now have three working groups developing strategy and membership and we have been co-creating a manifesto for change.

Community Gathering Information

~ Purpose ~

We are co-creating a strategy to:

>> Share resources and nurture a culture of collaboration, not competition – a network of reciprocity based on commoning;

>>Bring vital infrastructure into community ownership to build community wealth and enhance community health – to Rebuild the Commons!;

>> Generate a surplus to reinvest in vital projects that support marginalised groups and safeguard future generations;

>> Steer the council and national government towards increased community power;

>> Create systemic change so that developers and private landlords are no longer the key beneficiaries – extracting value and equity from our communities – by facilitating communities to protect and nurture our shared assets to maximise public benefit.

~Aims~

The focus of this gathering will be on building our movement, sharing our manifesto and highlighting the  role of green spaces as we seek to reimagine our city.

~ Programme ~

A full programme will be released 2 weeks before the event. Highlights and updates will be released via social media between now and then.

~ Values ~

We value everybody. That includes ourselves, each other, our city, our natural world, our relationships, our communities, our planet. This may sound obvious, but we want to be explicit.

This event and this movement is rooted in social and ecological justice. We want to co-create fairer, more engaging, more creative, more effective ways to look after the spaces, places and shared resources that we all need to thrive.

We are a mixed-race, multi-faith, LGBQTI+-friendly movement, and we work in solidarity with people who are marginalised by our society. We practise tolerance but stand opposed to discrimination of any kind. We strive to create safe and brave spaces where we can express our authentic opinions and concerns respectfully – so that we are careful not to harm or negatively impact others.

We take collective responsibility for this, and Coexist and the volunteer team will be on hand to help hold the space in a caring and proactive way.

~ Accessibility ~

We want to make sure that this event and movement is accessible and inclusive as possible. It is being hosted at St Annes which is an accessible venue. For more details please visit: https://stanneshouse.org/visit-us/accessibility/

There are bursaries for those who need childcare support (such as after-school pickup) and pet-care for vehicle dwellers.

We want to emphasise that children and babies are absolutely welcome and we hope to have a specific space curated for children. Please contact us if this is something that would make a difference for you, or if you can contribute to making this a reality! contact us: info@coexistuk.org

~ Cost ~

As well as physical accessibility, we wanted to make certain that no-one would be financially excluded from the event. We have therefore decided to host on a donation basis – with a suggested donation rate for individuals (£5) and those coming on behalf of organisations (£10). No-one will be excluded due to lack of finance. The lunchtime meal will also be by donation – ensuring everyone has something warm and tasty for their bellies!

~ Further Background ~

This project has been initiated and supported by Coexist. Since the eviction from our flagship project Hamilton House in 2018, Coexist has been reimagining its purpose. In this transitory phase we opted to take a supportive role in nurturing community spaces as opposed to offering front-line services involved in running a community hub. This included assisting the set-up and running of the mutual-aid network that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as re-launching the Coexist Community Kitchen in Easton. In addition, over the last few years Coexist has supported various community organisations including: Bricks (St. Anne’s House), PRSC, Docklands, St. Pauls Learning Centre and All Hallows Hall with resources, mentoring and advice.

This work has informed a new strategy – to protect, champion and nurture Bristol’s cultural and community assets. This involves safeguarding vital spaces and places – as well as organisations and community projects – from the multiple crises we currently face. Austerity, rising energy costs, the cost-of-living crisis, climate change, community trauma, poor mental health, staff burn-out, the education crisis, lack of youth services, the housing crisis – the list of pressures is a seemingly endless and painful reality to many people and organisations in our community.

Neither Bristol City Council or the government has been able to mitigate these issues. They are systemic, endemic and intersectional: Many converge and affect the most marginalised people in our city. We need a new, strategic, dynamic and collaborative movement to solve these problems. We need people and organisations working together – not competing with each other – to create a culture and build a movement for change. Most of all, we need the space and resources to be able to create a bright future – and to do this we must Rebuild The Commons!