The original idea was to do events/workshops within other community projects and places. (which will still happen) by time travel through the community to different venues with the Tardis project, and the community rickshaw to work on ideas of solidarity through ideas and activities folk would enjoy and would also hopefully open a variety of different aspects of learning. A bit like the “Reshuffle” events held in Govan some years back.

But our project (CGAP) being baseless  and with restrictions on the spaces we would want to use, time slots, booking, storage, agendas and so on in different community venues, this strategy became difficult to maintain. 

While sharing these problems with the folk at Free Wheel North who we have worked in mutual support over the years, the idea came about of using part of a shipping container used to store bikes at FWN as our headquarters. This was instantly appealing, as. 1. it was off-grid. 2. We could use it anytime and 3. It was out in the open with space to play in and bikes everywhere. 

So a few of us have worked hard to kit out the “Learning Pod” container, over the last few months. Now we are ready to do some stuff and we need help. We need to catch up on the time we used to do up the learning pod, so we can get a good summer out of it.

There are only a few of us to do the administration, websites, events, and all of the other work both the Common Good Awareness Project, as well as City Strolls has done over many years supporting groups and others endeavours. We are not a funded organisation, we have no paid workers, all costs, effort and time is met by ourselves apart from the occasional grant, which is far and few between. 

There is much that we do that is useful to others working for change. Thats what we are told anyway. 

We know folk have no time and everyone is busy, and non busier than ourselves. Maybe an important topic for discussion at the pod at some point should be. “Why are we all so busy?” In our experience within the movement for change we found it has a lot to do with reinventing the wheel. How do we know this? Because our activities through visiting groups and talking to people, it becomes obvious. 

The thing is. We all may rase solidarity as an important principal but tend to ignore it in practice. That is not to say it doesn’t happen, but to suggest it doesn’t happen enough. We want to look at some of these ideas in building solidarity, but in a socialised context of building through sharing ideas along with encouraging ordinary people to become engaged and involved in community and public life. 

We very much work on the idea of not creating more work for people but using work already done that can be shared and used by others. Thus allowing the time saved to develop new ideas that can reach more people. It also has to include elements of enjoyment fun good humour and innovation. So we are open to ideas and have plenty to share.

We will be at the Learning Pod most days, pop in, find out more, or join us for the Sunday chat sessions 12 – 4:00 At the Learning Pod, Free Wheel North, Glasgow Green. At Templeton Street.