An alternative option for At the grassroots?
This post was first published on our sister blog At the grassroots. It’s being re-published here because, as regular readers of this blog will be aware, there’s been a bit of a re-think as to how both of our blogs go forward. A significant part of that is shifting the focus towards what can be done in the here and now to bring about change. As was made abundantly clear in the previous post: A shift in direction and priorities... 10.07.25.
When it comes to how the At the grassroots project is run, we feel we need to point out that once a decision has been made, it’s not set in stone and if circumstances change, or we have another think about the situation, an agreed strategy can be altered. While we refuse to bend with the wind, we’re always open to rethinking and modifying our plans if there’s a reasonable chance that will lead to a better outcome. Just over a month ago, we were toying with the idea of archiving this blog and merging the content into our sister blog, Stirrings from below: Long term plans… 2.6.25.
We have been toying with the idea of eventually archiving this At the grassroots blog and putting content about prefigurative action and building parallel systems onto the Stirrings from below blog. Obviously, if we do decide to do this, it would not happen until distribution of the current At the grassroots paper has been completed towards the end of this year. The reason we have been thinking about it is that Stirrings from below has a considerably bigger audience than this blog. There has also been a fair degree of cross posting between the blogs which has sometimes left us asking – why are we running two blogs? Suffice to say, this is not a decision we want to rush into. Should more people come on board to help out with At the grassroots during the rest of 2025, then things will start to look very different.
Suffice to say, we’re having a rethink about the situation and exploring ways that will keep At the grassroots going as a separate blogging project.
What won’t change is our commitment to practical action in our community. We’re committed to both the Keynsham Community Veg Plot in the Park and the Keynsham Wombles. This is the kind of practical action where we walk the walk as well as talking the talk. Obviously how we undertake those commitments can be reviewed, particularly with regards to the Plot in the Park where if we’re honest, changes are needed. What can and will change is how we move forward with this At the grassroots blog and also, its sister project, Stirrings from below.
Weirdly enough, despite the clusterf**k we’re in, I’m starting to feel more optimistic than I’ve been for a while. Without wanting to get all new age, touchy feely about things, there is a definite energy shift taking place. Looking at how those who presume to rule over us are acting, it’s becoming clearer by the day that they know they’ve been rumbled and that they’re panicking. Sure, things will get messy but, the increasing number of people who are coming to the realisation that we cannot carry on as we are and, the growing realisation that there is a better, more holistic way of living, gives me some cause for optimism.
In what way does this affect how we move forwards with our propaganda? Over the last couple of months, I have been cross posting more material from At the grassroots on to Stirrings from below. There is a definite shift to move Stirrings from below towards more coverage of what prefigurative action means and how that can be applied, rather than just churning out pieces about how dire the situation we’re in is. In part, that’s because I realise that I can’t be all things to all people. It’s also down to a recognition that over the years from the Independent Working Class Association through to working alongside Basildon And Southend Housing Action, and running the Alternative Estuary blog, we’ve gained a lot of experience in working at the grassroots.
Working at the grassroots is our area of expertise. While I’ll still post up pieces on Stirrings from below on the clusterf**k we’re in, they will be balanced out by pieces on prefigurative action and how real change has to come from the grassroots upwards. So, while there will still be coverage of the insane drive towards WW3 from those who presume to rule over us, that will be tempered by pieces on how we can bring about change in the here and now. It’s just a question of getting the balance right.
So, where does this leave At the grassroots? The agreed plan was, after the current issue of the paper had been distributed, to archive that blog, while moving a fair chunk of the content over to Stirrings from below. Well, that’s already underway so, that could be seen as making At the grassroots redundant sooner rather than later. That’s because to date, At the grassroots has tended to be about the generalities of prefigurative action rather than actual examples of action on the ground. However, with some of the recent posts ranging from write ups of Dig Ins at the Plot in the Park, the impromptu overgrowth management we did along the road towards The Lock Keeper, through to the promotion of the film show in Keynsham about agroecology, there’s an indication of what At the grassroots could a should be:
Digging in at the plot – 28.6.25
Direct action gets satisfaction:) 23.6.25
One Last Farm, One Last Chance 7.7.25
Which is focusing on grassroots projects, actual action and events promoting these. Which was the original intention behind At the grassroots and also, it’s predecessor when we were back in Essex, Alternative Estuary. It is possible to orientate At the grassroots towards that kind of coverage, albeit it’s going to involve a lot of hard work along with the necessary networking which to date, we’ve been reluctant to do. It may mean in the interim, only posting once a week with a post that’s about meaningful action. The hope is that enough momentum can be built up throughout the rest of this year and into 2026 to justify keeping At the grassroots going as a viable resource,
If this can be done, then instead of being archived, At the grassroots could possibly have a viable future. Which to be honest, is something I would rather have than simply accepting defeat and archiving this blog. I’ve got a few ideas about blog posts I want to do on At the grassroots that are about real, grounded action that’s getting stuff done. This is because when we take a step back to look at things, there’s a lot going on in the region we cover to be positive about. While what’s going on may not meet a strict political purity test, there’s enough about it that we like to warrant covering it. While all of this will involve a bit of extra work, in the long term, it’s a better bet than archiving At the grassroots.
It’s taken a fair bit of time to get to this point. There have been plenty of wrong steps along the way. There are lessons to be learned from those wrong steps. However, there have been things that we’ve done that have worked and are right. Focusing down to what we know and have plenty of experience in has to be the way to go forwards. As already mentioned, it will involve a lot of work but, the pay off will be worth it.
