Save Soanes Campaign

The Principles of Save Soanes

Save Soanes is a collective effort by a coalition of local community members, residents supporters, and friends to build a vision alongside Setpoint London for Soanes Centre that will secure it’s place as a home for community-led education and grassroots creativity for generations to come.

The principles shared here are a reminder to mobilise with compassion, connection, and consistency.

1. Intersectional, Expansive, Openness to Growth

We are committed to creating an intersectional and expansive movement, growing with and shaped by the community.

How we do it

• - Recognising the different experiences, skills and insights of each member offer opportunity for collective growth
• - Treating others how we wish to be treated
• - Principles are continually revised and revisited so they can remain true to the overarching aims of our campaign and be moulded to support the most current needs of Soanes Centre
• - Welcoming and accommodating different abilities and levels of experience
• - Fostering skills development and growth through campaign activities through peer mentorship
• - Building networks with like-minded organisations within LBTH and beyond by commissioning and collaborating on projects, and invitations to participate in the campaign, and supporting their activities

2. Collectivity, De-centralisation, Rootedness

We cherish, admire, and respect the infrastructural resilience established within other local de-centralised, grassroots organisations, whose members are also part of the Save Soanes movement. We endeavour to continue to channel the strength and guidance of the collective.

How we do it

• - Principles as a means to anchor our campaign and community for safety and stability in decision-making
• - Decision-making is participatory and transparent, with open, iterative, and non-hierarchical discussion
• - Encouraging initiative and proactivity to present ideas and plans to the group

3. Championing Conflict-Resolution through Mediation and Accountability

We believe conflict is best resolved through mediation, accountability, and de-escalation; paramount in creating a rooted and anchored community space.

How we do it

- Avoiding assumptions to minimise miscommunication

- Actively listening to each other, and asking questions when we do not understand

- Championing conflict resolution skills, communication, and community

- Showing and speaking up with consistency; being honest with our individual capacity

- Honouring the commitments we make with a humble attitude and a willingness to be vulnerable

4. Developing Liberatory Frameworks around Curriculum, Place-making, and access to Green spaces, working towards a Sustainable Legacy

We recognise the existing cultural and educational programming at Soanes Centre are integral to the Campaign’s immediate goal of securing a long-term lease of the physical site. We will ensure access to these invaluable offerings will be sustained by local, individual, and community knowledge exchange and empowerment.

How we do it

• - Delivering programmes nurturing peer-to-peer learning, knowledge exchange, practical skill-sharing including: political and cultural education, artistic development, honouring different formats and approaches to curriculum
• - Translating this education into practical, tangible activities to preserve access to public and community spaces and green spaces
• - Documenting and archiving our journey and activities for public access

We believe these principles to reflect our collective agreement in the necessity of community spaces, underpinned by intersectionality, collectivity, liberatory, grassroots resistance. Recognising the critical urgency of this seminal movement to ensure the legacy of Soanes Centre, we continue to commit the mobilisation of our time and labour as necessary.