Tag Archives: mutual aid

New BASE and Roses crowdfunder live!!!

Please share as widely as possible to help BASE and Roses continue to sustain this much needed food solidarity project.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/baseandroses2022

“Our project will be heading in a slightly different direction in 2022, in the hope of continuing to address the crisis in inequality made so much worse by the Covid pandemic, but to do that in a less time-intensive way. Check back here in early New Year for more on that, and in the meantime, please contribute now so we can carry out our ‘traditional’ food bag deliveries on January 8th. And please get in touch if you’re interested in helping out with admin, bag packing or driving: 07731 845211; baseandroses@riseup.net.”

This raffle feeds bristol!

Roll up! Roll up! It’s the awe inspiring, dazzling and immense BASE and Roses online raffle! Help this mutual aid and solidarity project to continue providing free food for as many people as possible in Bristol. Get your raffle tickets here: hdfst.uk/E63763

Since the start of April 2019 BASE and Roses has been distributing thousands of cooked meals and food boxes to 100s of people across Bristol to people who really need it.The project, self funded and run by volunteers, really needs funds to carry on. So tell all your friends and get those tickets in!Tickets are £5 each, 3 for £10 or 8 for £20!
Prize draw: February 26th live on Facebook!!!

Here are some of the prizes donated by legendary people and local businesses in our community!

* Weekend break in yurt on /Scottish border, summer 2021
* £50 Bar Tab at The Plough
* Unwedding Festival 2021 ticket in Abergavenny
* 2 x tickets to Outcider festival
* G Bros pizza meal for two
* Rowdy (graff artist) scarves and stickers
* Booja Booja box of chocolates
* BASE anarchist bookshop prize bundle
* Spanner record, CD and T shirt
* 45RPM print + art box containing stickers, patch, bin badge and customised playing cards
* 3dom original framed print
* 2 x three course meals out Pitchfork Cafe
* Cooking Masterclass session at Square Food Foundation
* We Creatures headdress – handmade red spiral devil horns
* Herbs & Roots handmade bath salts + womb doom balm (could be one prize or two)
* Dog Section Press book bundle (Abolishing the Police, Great Anarchists, Make Rojava Green Again, NO! Against Adult Supremacy)
* Subscription to DOPE magazine for a year
* Punk Aerobics session for one winner and anyone in their household
* ‘Eat The Rich’ necklace made by Fuck The Tories
* Sam Knox art prints and zines
* Bokeh Versions t shirt and record bundle
* Efa Supertramp and Killdren band merch
* Princess Di Love Dollars T Shirt from Scumdance Collective
* NoCorner, LavaLava and Rwdfwd record bundle
* Base n Roses T Shirts and patches
* 2 x Electric guitars
* Idle Hands record bundle
* 2 x Noods Radio t shirts
* Autonomads band merch
* Clayton Blizzard CDs
* Grand Collapse band merch
* Menstrual Cramps band merch
* Blackstar Printing Tshirts
* Chelsea Inn back patch
* Migraines records from Carnival Punks
* Patches from Suniti
* A working bike!
* Champagne and sloe gin from Emma
* Alex Mack art print
* Mind Your Peas art print
* Viva La May art print
* Sepr graffiti piece
* Stay Rotten art print
* Mollusca t shirt
* Handmade real silver crowbar earrings by Captain Grimace
* Bar tab and pizza from the Red Lion
* 2 x bottles of super fancy delish cider from Barleywood Orchard
* 1 x vegan cake – designed and made to order
* Bristol Fungarium: 3x bags of dried mushroom mix and 1x 2kg crate of fresh mushrooms
* Specialist Subject Records Merch & £30 Voucher
* Exchange Tshirt
* Active Distro – 2 x certain days prisoner support calendar + £20 voucher
* Deadspace Chamber Music CD and tote bag
* Abi Hubbard print and handmade patch
* Pull up bar
* 4 x Alice Jennings handmade ceramic mugs
* Empty Brains handmade t shirt and mask (+stickers)
* Falafel time meal for two
* Scoopaway food hamper
* St Paul’s Cidery gift pack
* Jeevans box of samosas
* Bundle of cooking, gardening and DIY books
* Bundle of board games
* Essential food hamper
+much much more – prizes coming in all the time!

Get your raffle tickets here: hdfst.uk/E63763

Please contribute what you can and share this fundraiser widely. If you’d like to donate directly we have a Just Giving page here:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/baseandroses2

About the prize draw: as much as possible we will avoid posting items, instead we’ll do local delivery and collection to keep environmental and financial costs down. Please bear this in mind if you’re from outside of the Bristol area.

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BASE and Roses is a food distribution collective formed to tackle issues around food security in Bristol. We are delivering weekly, free food parcels to people in Bristol and distributing cooked meals to homeless people.Our initiative is based on principles of solidarity and mutual aid. We are not a charitable organisation. Anybody can self refer and request a food parcel if they need one; our distribution is not means tested.Our food distribution is run by volunteers with a small budget and is predominantly reliant on donations from food suppliers. We are aiming to get as many food donations as possible for the distribution, however to ensure our food parcels contain a substantial amount of food and a balanced selection, we are buying in extra food.We urgently need funds to pay fuel costs for drivers and to buy additional food for the parcels. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/706277240085031

BASE and roses call for funds

BASE & ROSES FOOD DISTRIBUTION COLLECTIVE

BASE and Roses is a food distribution collective formed to tackle issues around food security in Bristol. We are delivering weekly, free food parcels to people in Bristol and distributing cooked meals to homeless people.

The Covid-19 pandemic is causing extreme suffering and disruption to people in Bristol, disproportionately impacting people in precarious situations.

Our initiative is based on principles of solidarity and mutual aid. We are not a charitable organisation. Anybody can self refer and request a food parcel if they need one; our distribution is not means tested.

Starting at the beginning of the lockdown, we have so far delivered over 2000 food parcels and 1300 cooked meals. There is a big need for food even after the lockdown.

Our food distribution is run by volunteers with a small budget and is predominantly reliant on donations from food suppliers. We are aiming to get as many food donations as possible for the distribution, however to ensure our food parcels contain a substantial amount of food and a balanced selection, we are buying in extra food.

We urgently need funds to pay fuel costs for drivers and to buy additional food for the parcels.

Please contribute what you can and share this fundraiser widely. If you prefer to arrange a bank transfer directly with us, email baseandroses@riseup.net.

***

Alternatively if you are an organisation/group that can donate food to our collective please also get in touch.

To access our food parcels please contact us on 07731845211 or emaill us – baseandroses@riseup.net.

support base and roses

BASE and Roses free food distribution collective has been working hard over the last few weeks, delivering free meals and food boxes across Bristol. Check out the facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/BASEandRoses/

The mutual aid solidarity project needs funds to buy food and fuel for getting people the food they need. Please donate to the crowdfunder if you can and share it as widely as possible.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/baseandroses

Mutual aid networks

Faced with the the coronavirus pandemic and a government characterised by a callous and sociopathic disregard for anyone but their friends in high places, the rapid growth and spread of mutual aid networks around the world has been nothing short of inspirational and the source of much hope. Self organised and community led, these networks have shown how willing and ready people are to break the individualist, isolated mindset fostered by capitalism and the state, to help each other out as equals without profit or reward but with plenty of human spirit and solidarity.

https://www.weareplanc.org/blog/pandemic-demands-and-mutual-aid/?fbclid=IwAR2U2fAisgQbgP0JSIHywCWU5NuGgI4M4lUSWRzfRwqBS0HAwPuAO_8zgoY

It’s worth reminding ourselves that the term mutual aid is one originally put forward in the 19th century by one of the original anarchist “old beards”, Peter Kropotkin, and we have been putting these principles into practice ever since, both in our daily lives and in times like these. It’s been shown so clearly time and time again and comes as no surprise that in times of crisis and disaster, it is always the people who come to each other’s aid first while governments at best drag their feet and usually leave us all for dead.

They have been totally shown up by our capacity for organising for ourselves, left looking redundant and quite simply, rubbish. So now we see councillors, wannabe politicians and others used to being in charge scrambling to do their best to delay, divert, co-opt and control the incredible efforts of ordinary people, desperate to be in charge of it all again. We see them predictably and arrogantly seeking to manouevre themselves into leading roles and leading genuine grassroots activity down the tired old institutional paths that have so consistently failed us. Let’s make sure we keep our mutual aid networks horizontally organised on principles of free exchange and solidarity without the need for leaders. It’s understandable why they see this as such a threat to their existing order. Who knows where it could all lead to…

Get involved if you can and get support if you need:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1032597030460220/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BS5MutualAid/

‘The state will not save us, only we can save us’: a collective response to Covid-19

We want to share some critical articles with anarchist and anti authoritarian perspectives we think need wider reading. Here’s one for starters, from https://gal-dem.com:

An open letter, on what we must do to mitigate this crisis.

We are a group of migrant solidarity, prison abolitionist and anti-racist organisers. We wanted to write this statement from an abolitionist, anti-racist perspective, highlighting the reality that the causes of the current crisis lie deeper than the outbreak of disease itself: it is rooted in the very way our economy is organised, how our society is gendered and racialised. See below our open letter, which details what we must do in the face of this crisis.

Coronavirus is a political issue. At root, this pandemic is a disease of global capitalism, both in its genesis and its transmission. Without the drive towards overproduction, the particular conditions for the increased occurrence of infectious disease would not exist; without global commodity chains and regular labour migration, the spread of disease would not be so rapid; without the ruling classes’ vested interests in maintaining capital flow, people would not be forced to continue to work, further exposing themselves to the virus.

As abolitionist organisers, our resistance to the effects of this virus are rooted in a vision of a world without borders, prisons, or the police – structures that exclude and exploit the most marginalised. The world we need now is one that we have always needed: a world where everyone can access healthcare, where everyone has a safe place to live, where no one is locked in a cage, where there is no imperative to work – a world that is accessible to disabled people. What this pandemic puts in sharp relief is the fact that the same conditions that already place certain communities at greater proximity to death are detrimental to the health of all. 

In the UK, Boris Johnson’s flip-flopping from “take it on the chin” to “develop herd immunity”, all the way to last week’s pitiful mitigation strategy – that scientists calculated would’ve left 260,000 dead – has betrayed our government’s casual disregard for the lives of those most at risk of death from the virus. Belated and half-hearted calls for social distancing have completely failed to address the inability of many to safely and effectively practise social distancing and self-isolation. Meanwhile, we have witnessed familiar patterns of fear leading to scapegoating and racist violence in the upsurge of attacks against people racialised as East Asians and other migrants. What is clear is that for our government, the lives of the elderly, immuno-compromised people, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, people of colour, disabled people, people experiencing homelessness, incarcerated people and poor people do not matter.

“Our resistance to the effects of this virus are rooted in a vision of a world without borders, prisons, or the police”

In light of government inaction, many are calling for exceptional measures, framing this moment as one of “crisis” requiring urgent action and attention. It is true that we need urgent action, but we also must recognise that the very idea of ‘exception’ obscures the reality that the people that our government is effectively willing to let die have always lived in precarious conditions, subject to the vicissitudes of an economic system designed to place profit and power above people’s lives. Not only does the logic of “crisis” exceptionalise, it creates an opportunity for the state to consolidate power – increase surveillance, restrict freedom of movement – in the name of addressing the “crisis”. Indeed, it was recently announced that police and immigration officials will be granted emergency powers to detain people suspected of having Covid-19. If we have learnt anything from the ongoing racist surveillance and criminalisation of Muslims and other racialised communities under the “War on Terror”, we know that we must be vigilant against the intensification of police and border violence in the name of a racialised “War on Disease”. 

When we call for the state to act to prevent death as a matter of urgency, then, we do so with the knowledge that the underlying crisis is ongoing, and with the hope that any actions taken now will reverberate beyond this seemingly “exceptional” moment. And when we emphasise the urgency of “quarantines” and physical distancing, we do so as a method of collective care that reduces the very real risk to the most vulnerable, whilst resisting a parallel expansion of state coercion and surveillance.

With this in mind, we propose the following non-exhaustive urgent demands to ensure that all can safely practise recommended social distancing to contain the virus, and to ensure that all can safely self-isolate and access healthcare:

1. End the hostile environment

As an infectious disease, Covid-19 is exempt from the hostile environment healthcare charges, and the government has claimed that the NHS will not share data with the Home Office regarding cases of coronavirus patients. However, we are concerned that migrants will still have legitimate fear about accessing healthcare while detention and deportation orders, and data-sharing between the NHS and the Home Office continue.

2. No new police powers

For Covid-19, we believe increased police and immigration officer powers will only be used to target those already targeted by law and immigration enforcement, including black people, Muslims, and people of colour, undocumented migrants, homeless people and sex workers. The government should invest in providing fast and general testing for Covid-19, rather than investing in the expansion of the carceral regime.

3. Access to welfare for all

Migrants with no recourse to public funds, or who are otherwise unable to access welfare and housing assistance, are at risk of homelessness and destitution. Many migrants who are already in precarious working and living conditions will need to be able to access welfare and housing support to be able to practise social distancing and self-isolate if necessary. 

4. End in-person immigration reporting

Migrants who arrive in the UK without permission to remain are usually required to regularly attend appointments at immigration reporting centres. There are 14 centres in the UK and many migrants are forced to travel long distances to make their appointments, which is particularly difficult especially if they do not have recourse to public funds. This process is designed to make life difficult and deter those seeking asylum from continuing with their claim. 

5. Safe housing for all

We have always needed safe housing for all and it is all the more necessary now, at a time when social distancing and self-isolating are the only ways to prevent the outbreak from spreading further. Currently, self-isolating and social distancing are not possible for rough sleepers, people living in overcrowded housing and people incarcerated in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in prisons and detention centres. Self-isolation and social distancing in the home is dangerous for those experiencing domestic violence. Hotel rooms, student accommodation, and suitable empty properties with private rooms and bathrooms should be requisitioned to house those who cannot otherwise safely self-isolate, including people experiencing homelessness, travelling communities and survivors of domestic violence.

6. Release people from prisons and detention centres

Keeping people locked in cages is inhumane, especially in a time of such fear and panic. Prisons and detention centres are also notorious for overcrowding and lack of hygiene. There is, as migrant rights groups have pointed out, “a very real risk of an uncontrolled outbreak of Covid-19 in immigration detention”. The UK must follow the example of Iran, which has released 85,000 prisoners to stem the spread of disease. Incarcerated and detained people must be released, and placed in safe housing and accommodation, with the necessary support and access to healthcare.

7. Periods of Negotiated Stopping for travelling communities

Enforced movement of encampments is likely to create an additional risk of unmanaged spread of the virus. Negotiated Stopping involves Local Authority officers making an agreement with travelling communities on unauthorised encampments, allowing travelling communities to either stay on the land they are camped on or move to a bit of land more suitable for all parties. 

8. Suspend rent, evictions, and utilities payments

As the coronavirus outbreak continues, more and more people will be put out of work, making it impossible to meet rent and utilities payments. The government has announced “mortgage holidays” for landlords and homeowners; however, it has not, as in other cities, committed to stopping evictions. Without a roof over their heads, people will not be able to stay safe and healthy, nor to self-isolate if they have symptoms or practice social distancing to prevent the spread of disease. 

9. Provide free essentials such as cleaning products and soap to all

Panic buying of products such as hand sanitiser and toilet paper has led to shortages across the UK. Those who cannot afford the steep rise in costs, or who do not have the time or money to scour multiple supermarkets for daily essential products, are suffering the brunt of this hoarding. People must be provided with free cleaning products and soap to protect themselves and their communities. Food banks and frontline service providers must be supported as they continue to support those in our communities. 

10. Full pay for sick leave and a universal basic income for all

Social distancing and self-isolation are a practical impossibility for many workers. As it stands, it would leave many workers with reduced or no income, with precarious workers suffering the brunt of this loss of income. The government’s current proposal for statutory sick pay of £94.25 for one week’s sick leave or self-isolation is insufficient for living and rent costs. We therefore echo demands from unions to ensure full pay at living wage plus costs for sick leave or self-isolation. We are concerned, however, about provisions for those self-employed people and those on zero hours contracts. Sex workers are already suffering a loss of clients, forcing many into situations of greater precarity; migrant domestic workers, particularly those who live-in, are vulnerable to exploitative working conditions. We therefore believe that guaranteeing a universal basic income that is sufficient for food and home security would best enable workers to practice social distancing and self-isolation.

11. Safe working conditions

Medical workers, care workers, cleaners and delivery workers at the frontline of dealing with the outbreak will be forced to continue labouring in increasingly dangerous conditions – often with insufficient protection from their employers and the government. Those precariously employed in these sectors are disproportionately migrants, particularly black people, people of colour, and Eastern Europeans. 

12. Make private clinics public

The NHS will soon be at breaking point, particularly in regards to being able to provide critical care or ICU beds. Healthcare workers are already being stretched beyond capacity. The root of this is austerity, which has seen major cutbacks to investments in the public healthcare sector and increasing privatisation of services under successive Conservative governments. How much you can pay should have no bearing on whether you can access essential healthcare. 

***

We have already been fighting violent systems, and not just now that they are having a knock on effect on the health of the ruling classes. The health of the ruling classes has always been premised on the exploitation of workers and the exclusion of marginalised people.

We are aware that the state is ultimately concerned with crisis management and reconsolidating its power. However, we believe organisers can and should pressure the state to prevent death today, whilst staying critical and building autonomy. We recognise that marginalised communities have always, and will continue, to engage in practices of mutual aid and community care to create safety outside of those structures that they have never been able to rely on. We need each other now and always. 

Endorsed by:

Community Action Against Prison Expansion (CAPE)
daikon*zine
Haringey Anti-Raids
Lesbians & Gays Support the Migrants (LGSM)
Migrants in Culture
North East London Migrant Action (NELMA)
Sisters Uncut
Newham Anti-Raids
Preventing Prevent
Prisoner Solidarity Network (formerly IWOC)
Smash IPP
SOAS Detainee Support
South Asia Solidarity Group
Streets Kitchen
Unis Resist Border Controls
(URBC)
Wet’suwet’en Solidarity UK

Support BASE

This is a callout for support for our social centre. The cafe is our primary source of income for the community co-operative and now it is closed we will struggle to pay the bills.

Do you value autonomous spaces providing genuinely affordable, not for profit healthy food, skillsharing, meeting and events space and so much more?

Do you support non hierarchical organising and grassroots projects, working hard for a better world?

Do you believe in the need for inclusive, safer spaces?

Please support BASE social centre through difficult times. Our social centre has been so useful for so many people, groups and campaigns over the years and has contributed so much to radical politics in Bristol. Let’s help BASE continue this work. Please donate what you can either via the crowdfunder linked below or direct to BASE’s bank. Our bills are around £1000 for 3 months. Your support and solidarity is much appreciated. Please share this crowdfunder around your friends, family, comrades and contacts. Take good care and stay solid together.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/base-cafe

Bank details are:
kebele community co-op
sort code 089299
acc. number 65387412