Caring in Common
A communal journey for resourcing hope in times of despair
Every time you open your phone, laptop or newspaper, there is an assault on the spirit. Some say ‘don’t look’, others say ‘don’t look away’.
From the genocides in Gaza, Sudan and Yemen, to the racist rallies, attacks on trans rights and widening disparities here in the UK. Some say ‘don’t look’, others say ‘don’t look away’. It's all too much.
But we’re not supposed to be ‘OK’, immobile, or unfeeling.
We're also not supposed to be alone.
In this programme we will join together as a community of caring souls. We do not propose to know all the answers, but we will face the questions together.
When and where?
The full programme will run online via Zoom, over 8 weeks January to March 2026.
You can also sign up to our intitial 2-hour workshop Common Ground to explore some of the topics, content and practices included int he full programme.
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Every day our hearts are shattered by the suffering unfolding on our screens and in our streets. Genocides, widening disparities, attacks on human rights, climate breakdown and environmental disaster… it feels like more than we can take.
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We’ve been voting, marching, organising, donating… But the tools we’ve always used feel futile in this moment.
Our so-called “democracy” has failed, and the institutions that claim to protect us have revealed themselves to be agents of the oppressor rather than champions of the people.
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We might try not to look, to take ‘screen breaks’, to regulate. But the horrors are still there, and so are our feelings. When we bury them down, our humanity goes with it. We end up numb, dissociated, hardened or reactive.
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Under the pressure of our conditions, we end up acting in ways that don’t align with our values. We can feel like we’re just re-creating the harms we want to end. Judgement, exclusion, division, blame - we’re not feeling, we’re just fighting. We’re not dreaming, we’re just doing. And we are tired.
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Society tells us to bottle it up, to deal with it yourself - buck up and get back to work. We’re made to feel ashamed for feeling so deeply. So we don’t talk, we don’t share, and don’t feel just how much common ground there is between us.
Make no mistake - all this is by design.
The powers that be (or the powers who think they are) rely on us staying this way. They need us hardened, unfeeling, and unable to witness the injustices they enact. They love when we’re fighting among ourselves, fragmented and weak.
If we want to tap into the power that we are, we have to start feeling.
We have to start connecting: to ourselves, to each other and to our shared dreams for a better world.
Caring in Common is a programme bringing together like-minded, caring souls to remind ourselves that:
Our feelings are valid and vital tools
We each have gifts that give us power
There are plenty of us and together we can change things
Who is it for?
This is a space for those who are:
Appalled by genocide, facism, deprivation, division.
Stuck in the depths of grief, rage, hopelessness or numbness.
Torn between wanting to ‘do more’ and feeling frozen.
Feeling isolated.
Feeling burned out or overwhelmed.
You don’t have to be an ‘activist’ or in a professional change-making role, although we welcome those who are. We just want to bring together a group of caring souls, longing for change and willing to engage with open hearts.
There are a limited number of discounted and free spaces available to support accessibility for those with limited resources.
It is important to note that, while this is a supportive space for collective resourcing under traumatising systems, and healing may happen in this programme, it is not catered for healing interpersonal trauma. It’s important to consider whether this is the right time for you to engage in this work and we will be having individual conversations with every participant to identify your resources for wellbeing.
How does it work?
Caring in Common will consist of 4 online sessions run over 8 weeks, with a maximum of 20 participants.
Each session will include:
Space to share our collective grief, rage and despair.
Practices that connect us more deeply to our experience, to each other and to what we care about.
Support to move into meaningful action, based on our individual gifts and capacity.
In between sessions, you will be supported with daily practice suggestions and a group chat space.
We hope all participants will leave with:
Connections to friends, allies and collaborators to continue caring in common.
A sense of purpose and hope in the power of collective action to build a fairer future.
Clear, concrete ideas for defining your individual role in the movement for justice.
Use the link below to register your interest. We’ll be in touch when the programme is live.
You can also sign up to our introductory workshop, Common Ground, to explore some of the principle sand practices before committing. Read more and sign up here.
What does it cost?
We are offering a range of price bands to support accessibility. Please consider which price band feels most appropriate and in line with the values of Caring in Common.
Standard tier - £300
Supports the time and resourcing of the facilitators, recognising that we are not funded to deliver this work.
Solidarity tier - £600
For those with secure, higher than average income, significant wealth, especially that which is unearned or inherited. This help to redistribute means to those suffering the impacts of systemic oppression.
Reduced rate tier - £100
For those with low, insecure income, with little or no personal or family wealth. We particularly encourage those from communities impacted by oppressive systems such as white supremacy, ableism, and cis-heteronormativity to consider this option if the standard rate feels inaccessible.
Payment plans will be available.
We can also discuss further reductions and free access, if the reduced rate is not accessible. Please email joy@soulworkco.org.