By Kat Darling, SEA

Last week, the culmination of eight months of collaborative effort came to fruition as the Solidarity Economy Association (https://www.solidarityeconomy.coop/) joined co-organisers in Wigan, in the North of England, for CTRLShift: An Emergency Summit For Change. The event brought together 150 people representing almost as many organisations to work on action plans and projects that will deliver radical, positive social change, in light of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

Kat Darling, SEA’s communications manager, said: “Brexit – whether you agree with it or not – heralds a time of unprecedented rapid change and opportunity. Its timing, amongst unfolding and concurrent crises of the environment, social justice and the economy, mean that we are facing stark realities and starker choices if we are to ride the various storms and emerge as a more resilient, more sustainable society, culture and land base.

“SEA has been part of the CTRLShift organising group since its inception, and whilst co-organising an event of this scale, alongside 35 partner organisations, certainly had its challenges, the fact that such a diverse range of organisations, from across varying sectors all over the UK, were working together for meaningful change was incredibly exciting, and we’re excited about the tangible work that has, and will continue to, come out of the event.”

The organising team are still collating the outcomes of the event, which will be shared very soon, but in the meantime there are some great post-event reports like this one from Transition Network’s co-founder, Rob Hopkins,  this from Indra Adnan, co-initiator of The Alternative UK, and this report from Dr Bertie Russell, Research Associate in the Urban Institute.”

SEA joined national apex bodies like Permaculture Association, Co-operatives UK, and Transition Network, alongside organisations spanning the social justice, open democracy, food sovereignty and environmental movements, including the RSA, Schumacher College, Shared Assets, The People’s Food Policy, UnLtd, Real Farming Trust, and Stir to Action. Find out more about CTRLSHift, and follow plan’s for future collaborative work, here – http://www.ctrlshiftsummit.org.uk/partners/