Are you part of the changemaker movement?
Across the UK, communities are stepping up—taking power back into their own hands. From community energy and repair cafes to retrofit co-ops, river testing, public education and more, people like you are leading the charge.
If you're already doing this work—or itching to start—this event is for you.
Join us for a hands-on, knowledge-sharing gathering focused on building resilience from the ground up. Bring your experience, your curiosity, and your drive to learn what works.
This isn’t a top-down event.
Our agenda will evolve with you—shaped by the needs, energy, and expertise in the space.
Let’s build the future together.
Why are we convening this Assembly?
A quick introduction for those who don't know me: I'm Anna Hyde, one of the Co-Founders of Islington Climate Centre, which is a pop-up climate centre in an empty retail space in London. You can read our Impact Report here.
I come across so many amazing people who are getting it together and making change at a grassroots level, and boy, is it hard work. Whenever we start a new project, such as a retrofit group, home heat surveys, etc., I don't want to start from scratch. I do not always have time to sift through all the excellent toolkits that are out there. I want to have the benefit of others' wisdom. I am all up for shortcuts. 3 days in person beats 3 months on zoom.
So, I have been feeling that if we all come together and share our best ideas and solutions in person at a convivial event in London, we can save each other a lot of time and help those who are just starting out. We can feed each other the energy we need to keep going. This is completely in the spirit of a self-organising system. We only have a tiny bit of funding from the Network for Social Change, which almost covers site hire. We are currently exploring catering and staffing options with the venues, and once we have that nailed, we can set the ticket prices accordingly. This will probably be by the last week of August. Let's work together to produce pool kits from our toolkits and to get to know and learn from each other through a series of seminars and sharing sessions.
Our Collaborative Agenda
Through interactive, peer-to-peer workshops, you’ll learn from the real-world experience of others and leave with tangible tools for action.
Based on survey feedback, here is our preliminary list of sessions. This is a collaborative event, so if you have another idea or a great project to share, please help shape the agenda by contacting us at info@islingtonclimatecentre.co.uk. This programme will evolve over the next couple of weeks.
Climate community action plan
How to create, implement, and measure a successful plan
Retrofit & heat surveys
Promoting warmer, energy-efficient homes through heat surveys and retrofitting
Outreach & engagement
Strategies for building powerful alliances with local authorities and community partners
Community growing projects
Practical advice on launching community gardens and local food-sharing schemes
People’s assembly
Best practices for facilitating inclusive and impactful community discussions
The Climate Fresk & Biodiversity Collage
Map the causes and effects of climate change and the interconnectedness of our planet's biodiversity
Community mapping
Using maps to identify local assets and drive targeted climate action
Truth in 10: A Climate Reality Presentation
A powerful, concise overview of the climate crisis from the Climate Reality Project
Emergency & resilience planning
Developing practical plans to prepare your community for extreme weather events
You will leave with:
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A toolkit of proven strategies and actionable ideas for your community
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A strong new network of peers for collaboration and ongoing support
This is our aspirational wishlist of groups whose work we deeply admire and hope to see at the event.
Don’t see your organisation listed? No worries—this isn’t an exclusive club. If you’re
doing great work (or want to), we’d love for you to join us.
Transition Together | Climate Reality Project | Community Energy England | Trust The People |
Re-Action Collective | Climate Majority Project | Business Declares | Transition Together |
Ashden | Cooperation Hull | Better Business Network | Art Factory |
Business Declares | Climate Emergency Centres project | Climate Fresk UK | Climate Museum UK |
Ethical Consumer | Movement Ecology | Antidote Live | Flood Mary |
Doughnut Economics Action Lab | Citizens Collective | ZERO | Communities Prepared |
Schedule
Our schedule is built around a simple idea: that real resilience comes from connection as much as it does from knowledge. We've woven structured workshops into a wider fabric of hands-on projects, social gatherings, and personal wellbeing activities, ensuring we all leave feeling inspired and deeply connected.
Day 1: Connection & Knowledge Sharing
9:00 – 9:30
Guest Arrival, Registration & Stall Setup
9:30 – 11:00
Keynote, Introductions & Icebreaker
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An introduction to the event's goals and a welcome from the hosts.
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Icebreaker activity using a "World Café Passport" system to encourage connections.
11:00 – 11:30
Peer-to-Peer Inspiration Groups
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In small groups, participants share: "The most inspiring thing you have seen in community groups" and "One BIG lesson you have learned."
11:30 – 12:00
Coffee & Networking Break
12:00 – 13:00
Concurrent Seminar Block 1 (Choose one of three):
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Seminar A: How to Run a Community Fridge
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Seminar B: Maps and Mapping Your Community's Assets
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Seminar C: How to Engage with the Existing Civic Network (e.g., local authorities)
13:00 – 14:00
Communal Lunch
14:00 – 16:30
Concurrent Seminar Block 2 (Choose one of three)
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Seminar D: Developing a Community Climate Action Plan
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Seminar E: Community Power: Taking Back Control of Local Energy
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Seminar F: Practical Workshops & Educational Tools for Engagement
16:30 – 17:00
Tea & Networking Break
17:00 – 18:00
Day 1 Wrap-up & Reflection
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Group discussions to share key takeaways from the day.
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A short, guided mindfulness session to close the formal proceedings.
18:00 onwards
Evening Networking & World Café
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An informal evening with drinks and further opportunities to connect using the World Café method.
Day 2: Action & Assembly
09:30 – 11:30
Concurrent Seminar Block 3
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An opportunity for participants to attend one of the seminars they may have missed from the previous afternoon.
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Seminar D: Developing a Community Climate Action Plan
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Seminar E: Community Power: Taking Back Control of Local Energy
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Seminar F: Practical Workshops & Educational Tools for Engagement
11:30 – 12:00
Coffee & Networking Break
12:00 – 13:00
Media & Mapping Overview
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A session focused on mapping the local media landscape and strategies for effective community outreach.
13:00 – 14:00
Communal Lunch
14:00 – 17:00
People's Assembly (with a short break)
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A facilitated session to address key questions:
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How can we build networks to help each other?
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What are the practical steps to running a local assembly in our own communities?
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17:00 – 18:00
Final Networking & Event Close
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Final opportunity for networking as participants and hosts take down their stalls.
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Closing remarks and thank you.
Please note
This agenda is evolving as we work with partners. If you have a strong feeling about what should be included, please get in touch. The guiding principle is peer-to-peer learning.
Meet our facilitators
Joolz Thompson
Joolz Thompson helps communities write and then enact their Community Climate Action plan; through a series of participatory workshops, culminating in a Peoples’ Assembly to ratify the plan.
Aneira Roose-McClew
Aniera brings a unique blend of content development and facilitation expertise. She thrives on collaborating with incredible people, constantly chewing over how we can collectively build the world we envision.
Get your tickets
Supporter
Pay for your place and support another attendee
£TBD
Standard
Standard ticket for attendees
£TBD
Supported ticket
Pay as you feel, suggested contribution
£TBD
Day ticket
Access to a single day of your choice
£TBD
Exhibition stand
Showcase your organisation's work and connect with a dedicated audience
£TBD