News / Alternative Economics
Stirring things up to build an economy that works for everyone
Bristol is set to play an integral role in training a new generation of economists focused on “meeting the needs of everyone”.
The traditional, more cutthroat, world of business is being increasingly challenged by social enterprises and consumers, for whom ethics and inclusion are core considerations.
Social enterprise Stir to Action is now crowdfunding to raise the £12,500 needed to set up training programmes in Bristol, Oxford and London. Set to be the largest of their kind in the UK, the courses will be open to 1,000 applicants.
Organiser Jonny Gordon-Farleigh said: “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 per cent of the UK’s freelancers are living in poverty, black African women earn 19.6 per cent 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 (BME) 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.”
A previous Stir To Action workshop
Running from October 2018 to July 2019, the launch of the programme will coincide with Bristol hosting the Global Parliament of Mayors in the week commencing October 22.
It will feature practical workshops, three-day residential placements, mentoring and live crowdfunding all with the aim of building a new economy that works for everyone.
There will be subsidised places available for people on low incomes.
Campaign pledges will support subsidised workshop places, local workshop venues, programme design, a mentoring network and provide the resources to engage new communities with these ideas.
Stir To Action has run similar workshops in the past, but this is the first programme of this scale. The organisation is aiming to make it an annual programme.
Stir To Action published Stir magazine
For further information and to support the crowdfunding campaign, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stir-to-action.
Read more: Charity begins in business
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