The Barefoot training aims to equip those who already have experience of founding or working in a primary co-op, with the skills to become the worker co-op organisers and advisors of the future.
For the first time, we made an open call to members to propose people they thought we should back to go on the programme.
Bryn and Anthony joined Kitty's (Liverpool Community Launderette, a worker-led community co-op) in 2019 and 2021 respectively. They're both now co-op Directors. Bryn leads on Finance and Business Development, while Anthony runs external Events.
Sam at workers.coop had wanted to go onto Barefoot in earlier years, and she was able to enrol this time because of Solidfund's help.
Sponsoring Sam, Anthony and Bryn reflects a realisation that sometimes the best people to 'skill up' as co-op advisers are younger workers, already on a hot organising and development path within their own co-ops - not only people with decades of experience under their belt.
Anthony thinks he and Bryn will able to apply a lot of their Barefoot learning to growing Kitty's, as well as advocating outside their own co-op.
Barefoot is organised and delivered by experienced worker co-op business advisers. It provides specialist training to transmit some of the basic skills, knowledge, and confidence people need to be able to support new and established co-ops and community enterprises, and it's delivered through online webinars every fortnight over 6 months.
If you'd be interested to go on future Barefoot trainings, you're a worker cooperator and you'd need financial support to participate, email comms@solidfund.coop - because its likely SF members will want to repeat this year's backing.
If you're an SF subscriber but not yet part of our active members group on Loomio, where all our member discussions and decisions happen, please email membership@solidfund.coop for the joining link and we'll get you on board.
(Photo: 'Anthony with Mug' by Mikaela Raphael, Agile Collective