Most importantly though our journey so far shows our Community Organising framework in action. At every stage, from reaching out to taking action, our story reflects our principles and is shaped by the voices, struggles and aspirations of the people we work with across our network.
In the beginning, we reached out—not to impose what we thought was needed, but to invite a conversation. We hosted a conversation at Selby Trust in Tottenham bringing together those who had been on the frontlines of grassroots organising. We didn’t assume; we listened. We listened to what people needed and wanted. And we built an organisation from the ground up building on what had gone before.
Importantly we began where people were—not where we hoped they would be.
By working in this way, and committing to this approach, over the last 10 years we have heard thousands of stories. Stories of hardship, hope, resistance, and resilience. Whilst listening patiently, we learnt that if we wanted this work to be genuinely built from the ground up it was not going to be fast.
From these stories, we built bridges—connecting people not just within their communities but across them. We brought together organisers in Rock Ferry and Haringey to tackle food injustice. We connected Hartlepooland Lambeth to reimagine a 21st-century social settlement—where housing and local action are at the heart of place-based transformation.
As we grew, we learned what it truly takes to support grassroots organising. We didn’t just parachute into communities—we became part of them by working alongside people and building on what exists. We structured ourselves around a neighbourhood organising approach developed with Social Action Hubs—a model that respects, supports, and strengthens local places. These hubs are our roots. They enable us to be organised and they give us credibility, authenticity, and deep connection to place
From within these communities, we found leaders—brilliant and bold people who are often overlooked. The people we found were already making change happen in their streets, and neighbourhoods. These leaders have been at the heart of our work—steering and shaping campaigns like #OperationWiFi, the Cost of Living Alliance, and now, the boldest vision yet, Humanity Project.
10 years in, we find ourselves at a turning point.
We have listened. We have understood the struggles. We have built powerful alliances. And now, we must act. It is no longer enough to respond to the symptoms of inequality—we must develop a strategy enabling us to go deeper. We must tackle the root causes.
That is why, alongside our training and support to grow grassroots community organising, Humanity Project exists. To galvanise a wave of Community Assemblies—spaces where people can come together, build power, and shape solutions at the grassroots. But more than that, this is about working across the lines of racial, economic, and environmental injustice—connecting our organising work to wider social movements, and to those with influence who can help drive change from the ground up.
This is the next chapter in the story of Community Organisers. And like every chapter before, it begins by listening—and leads to action.
