Community organising is about bringing people together so that they can build the power to win change. This means building community-led solutions to big and small problems, that work for everyone.

The kind of organising we do at Citizens UK is broad-based, meaning we work together on a broad range of issues that matter to people, from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads to reforming the immigration system, to the real Living Wage campaign.

We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them and together, we put the power back into people’s hands to hold those responsible to account.

Our member organisations are also broad: from schools to faith communities, charities to universities, community organisations to trade unions. Member organisations form alliances in which they pool their resources through paying membership dues and hire a community organiser whose job is to train, connect and support them to strengthen their organisation and win change for their people.

By building positive working relationships between people in our communities, elected power-holders and businesses, we make sure our members are getting a seat at decision-making tables and are heard. This is how we shift the balance of power, helping people come together across their differences, find common ground and win change.

Together, we have a proven track record of winning change on the things that communities care about the most.

So, how do we do this? We follow the 5 steps to Social Change.

Start by building a team!

This involves bringing together everyday people from local organisations such as schools, faith groups, universities, charities, unions and others. It’s not about leaving our differences at the door – we value contrasting perspectives and bring each person into the solution for change by finding common ground.

Communities we work with are too often shut out from decisions that affect their lives, and not involved in finding the best solution to these issues. So, we listen to each other and our communities to find out what is putting pressure on everyday people and families. We spot issues of social injustice that make people’s lives difficult but which they feel powerless to do anything about. Listening is not only about identifying issues, it is also a crucial way to build new relationships, learn new leadership skills, and build solidarity across people with different backgrounds.

Once we have a strong team and we know what our people care about, we set about making a plan to use our power to win change. We identify solutions and decide which actions to take. This means knowing who the ultimate decision maker is for the changes we want to see and working out how we can get to a point where we can negotiate with them. We also need to assess the potential allies we might need to build along the way.

We take action that is imaginative, legal and fun or meaningful to hold those responsible to account. We do this to prompt a reaction, such as securing an agreement to meet with us. We’ll support you through the steps to identify your team, equip your organisation with training, and connect you to the power holders who can implement change. The hard work will be yours, but we’re here to support you and take action. ​

Finally, we negotiate with decision-makers in government, businesses, or whoever holds power to agree on change. Citizens UK provides communities and power holders support to help change the debate and find a constructive way forward. Communities participating in decision-making, from a position of power, contribute to the common good and help us all build a better, fairer society.

90% of our community leaders in new Citizens alliances feel that they are better equipped to build stronger relationships in their own organisation and 82% report that community organising enables them to better connect with people of different backgrounds in their area.