Stir to Action
Stir to Action is a UK worker co-operative founded in 2013 that publishes STIR Magazine, runs training workshops and festivals, and delivers the 21st Century Social Clubs programme to advance democratic ownership and community-led economic alternatives across England.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBridport, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Stir to Action does
Stir to Action is a worker co-operative registered in England as a Company Limited by Guarantee (company number 07951013), founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bridport with regional offices in London and Bristol. The organisation operates as an economic development entity focused on promoting democratic ownership and community-led economic alternatives, delivering a portfolio of programmes including STIR Magazine (a quarterly digital and print publication with a searchable archive spanning 54 issues since 2013), the ABCs of Community Assets training programme, the New Economy Programme (now archived), annual festivals (Playground for the New Economy Festival and ABCs of the New Economy Festival), and the newly launched 21st Century Social Clubs national initiative. Its primary beneficiaries are community organisations, social clubs, co-operative developers, policymakers, researchers, and individual advocates for democratic economic reform across England.
Commercially, Stir to Action earns revenue through five streams: recurring magazine subscriptions (from £5 per quarter via Exact Editions, £11.99 annually); sliding-scale training workshops (£30-£70); festival ticket sales (2-day tickets £75-£90, group discounts available); annual STIR Journal print sales (£14 per copy); and most significantly, programme grants — notably over £2.7 million from The National Lottery Community Fund's Solidarity Fund over five years for the 21st Century Social Clubs programme. Partnerships with Power to Change, We Can Win, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Preston City Council support programme delivery and subsidised training places.
The underlying technology is standard e-commerce infrastructure rather than proprietary IP: Stripe, PayPal, and GoCardless handle payments; Zoom delivers online training; Google Analytics and Hotjar provide web analytics and UX insight; Cloudflare supports GDPR consent management. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the stirtoaction.com storefront with global digital reach for magazine subscriptions (via Exact Editions on web, iOS, Android) and domestic in-person delivery for festivals and study visits. Leadership comprises founder Jonny Gordon-Farleigh (also Programme Director of 21st Century Social Clubs), directors Abby Gordon-Farleigh and Daniel Stanley, and staff including Nicola Scott and Adam Rich. The organisation is a Living Wage Employer and member of Co-operatives UK, CCIN, and Locality 500.
Stir to Action firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stir to Action
- Legal name
- Stir to Action Ltd
- Website
- https://stirtoaction.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Stir to Action is a UK worker co-operative founded in 2013 that publishes STIR Magazine, runs training workshops and festivals, and delivers the 21st Century Social Clubs programme to advance democratic ownership and community-led economic alternatives across England.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stir to Action industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Economic Development Education
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)
Keywords
Where Stir to Action is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bridport
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Stir to Action business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: STIR Magazine is published quarterly as a digital subscription through Exact Editions. Subscriptions start from £5 every three months. The magazine covers topics including economics, politics, democratic alternatives, and community ownership. Annual subscriptions include access to the complete digital archive. Digital institutional subscriptions are available for academic, corporate, and government institutions.
- Training and Workshops: ABCs of Community Assets training programme offers online workshops and in-person study visits on topics including community ownership, democratic business, engagement and participation, social communication, media and journalism, economics, and autonomy at work. Pricing follows a sliding scale model (Low Income £30, Standard £50, Organisation £70). The New Economy Programme previously offered similar training with over 1,000 participants during the pandemic period.
- Festival Tickets: Annual Playground for the New Economy Festival and ABCs of the New Economy Festival generate revenue through ticket sales. Pricing includes early bird options (2-day tickets from £75) and standard pricing (2-day tickets £90, single day tickets from £35-£50). Group discounts are available (Group of 5 early bird £300). The 2024 festival was held at Arts Mansion, Ashton Court Estate in Bristol.
- STIR Journal Sales: The annual STIR Journal compilation book is sold as a physical publication. Volume 1 was priced at £14.00 per single copy. The journal features in-depth articles, long-form interviews, and editorials showcasing the most inspiring ideas from quarterly magazines.
- Programme Grants and Funding: Stir to Action receives programme funding from institutional funders including The National Lottery Community Fund (£2.7 million over five years for the 21st Century Social Clubs programme), Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Power to Change. These grants support delivery of specific programmes rather than general operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital quarterly subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Digital annual subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Training workshop sliding scale |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Festival 2-day ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Festival 1-day ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Festival group ticket (5 people) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | STIR Journal single copy |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Stir to Action product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stir to Action is a worker co-operative that publishes a quarterly magazine on democratic alternatives and runs training programmes and festivals to promote community ownership and economic reform. Its offerings include the STIR quarterly magazine, the STIR Journal annual book, the ABCs of Community Assets training programme, the New Economy Programme, and the ABCs of the New Economy and Playground festivals.
Product overview
Stir to Action is an economic development cooperative offering a portfolio of products and services focused on democratic ownership and community-led economic alternatives. The core offerings include STIR Magazine (a quarterly publication with digital archive), the ABCs of Community Assets training programme (workshops and study visits), and annual festivals (ABCs of the New Economy Festival and Playground for the New Economy Festival). The New Economy Programme provided online training but is now archived. The 21st Century Social Clubs is a major national initiative. Subscriptions to the magazine provide access via Exact Editions platform, while training and events are booked through their website using Stripe, PayPal, and GoCardless for payment processing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 21st Century Social Clubs: National initiative to revitalise social clubs as spaces for community action, social cohesion, and local economic development.
- New Economy Programme
- ABCs of Community Assets
- Playground for the New Economy Festival
Products and services
- STIR Magazine
- STIR Journal
- ABCs of Community Assets
Quantifiable outcome
- More than £2.7 million in National Lottery funding secured for 21st Century Social Clubs programme over five years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Stir to Action
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Stir to Action technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Stir to Action partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Power to ChangecorePower to Change is a programme partner for the 21st Century Social Clubs initiative alongside Stir to Action. The organisation engages with government and funders to improve approaches to local regeneration, advocates for inclusion of social clubs in major public investment programmes, and supports unlocking significant new funding for the wider movement.
- We Can WincoreWe Can Win is mentioned as a partner in the 21st Century Social Clubs initiative, working across community organising, business development, national learning, and movement building alongside Stir to Action and Power to Change.
- Farming the FutureminorFarming the Future partnered with Stir to Action to offer 10 free training places on the 2022 New Economy Programme. The organisation aspires to facilitate collective power to build a system of regenerative food production and land use furthering social and environmental justice.
- Preston City CouncilminorPreston City Council sponsored 20 free training places for residents on the 2022 New Economy Programme's Community Ownership and Democratic Business webinars, aligned with their Community Wealth Building strategy.
- Joseph Rowntree FoundationminorJoseph Rowntree Foundation partnered with Stir to Action to offer funded places on the ABCs of Community Assets training programme, supporting communities facing poverty and disadvantage.
- Co-operative Finance (CCF/CLF)minorCo-operative Finance (a partnership between Co-operative Community Finance and Co-operative & Community Finance) supports the ABCs of Community Assets programme, providing expertise in community finance and co-operative development.
- Arts Mansion / Artspace LifespaceminorArts Mansion at Ashton Court Estate, managed by Artspace Lifespace, hosted the 2024 ABCs of the New Economy Festival. The venue is publicly owned and managed as a grassroots inclusive and progressive space.
- StripecoreStripe is the primary third-party service used to support the online store, handling payment processing for subscriptions, training bookings, and merchandise.
- Zoom Video ConferencingcoreZoom is used for delivering online training workshops and webinars as part of the ABCs of Community Assets programme and previously the New Economy Programme.
- Exact EditionscoreExact Editions provides the digital platform for STIR Magazine subscriptions, offering cross-platform compatibility with web, iOS, and Android devices, fully-searchable archive access, and institutional subscription management.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stir to Action competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Transition Network: UK-rooted network supporting community-led responses to climate and economic challenges through local Transition initiatives — comparable as a community-organising and training network whose audience and movement-building approach intersects with Stir to Action's 21st Century Social Clubs and ABCs programmes.
- Resurgence & Ecologist: Long-running independent magazine covering ecological, social, and economic alternatives — comparable as a UK-based subscription magazine serving a values-driven readership interested in democratic and sustainable economic models, though narrower in editorial focus.
- Shared Assets: UK non-profit working on land, buildings, and enterprise as commons, focused on community-asset development — directly comparable to Stir to Action's ABCs of Community Assets training scope, with overlapping beneficiaries and funders.
Broad incumbents
- Power to Change: Major independent trust funding and supporting community businesses across England — serves as both a partner and a broader-incumbent funder shaping the same community-ownership and democratic-business agenda that Stir to Action's training and 21st Century Social Clubs programme advances.
- Locality: UK-wide charity supporting community organisations to take on local assets and services, and a Stir to Action member — directly adjacent in mission (community asset transfer, neighbourhood economic power) and overlapping training and policy-advocacy remit.
- Co-operatives UK: UK trade body for co-operative enterprises, of which Stir to Action is a member — comparable as a co-operative sector membership and advocacy organization and the dominant infrastructure player in the space Stir to Action operates within.
Direct peers
- openDemocracy: Independent news outlet covering global affairs with a strong economics, democracy, and social-justice beat — competes for the same policy-maker, academic, and activist readership as STIR Magazine, particularly on cooperative and community-ownership coverage.
- Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES): UK organisation promoting Community Wealth Building and local economic strategy, closely aligned with Preston City Council's approach that Stir to Action has partnered with — comparable in thought-leadership, training, and policy-adjacent convening on democratic economics.
- Positive Money: UK research and campaigning organisation advocating reform of money and banking for a fairer economy — comparable as a UK nonprofit producing periodicals, training, and advocacy on democratic economic alternatives with overlapping policy-maker audience.
- New Economics Foundation: UK think-and-do tank producing research, journalism, and campaigns on economic alternatives, democratic ownership, and community wealth — directly comparable to Stir to Action's magazine-plus-programme model and overlapping audience of policy makers and activists.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stir to Action social profiles
Digital presenceStir to Action financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stir to Action leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Stir to Action funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stir to Action M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stir to Action
What does Stir to Action do?
Stir to Action is a worker co-operative that publishes a quarterly magazine on democratic alternatives and runs training programmes and festivals to promote community ownership and economic reform. Its offerings include the STIR quarterly magazine, the STIR Journal annual book, the ABCs of Community Assets training programme, the New Economy Programme, and the ABCs of the New Economy and Playground festivals.
Is Stir to Action a public or private company?
Stir to Action is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Stir to Action founded?
Stir to Action was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Stir to Action based?
Stir to Action is headquartered in Bridport, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Stir to Action make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are training and Workshops, festival Tickets, STIR Journal Sales and programme Grants and Funding.
Who are Stir to Action's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Transition Network, Resurgence & Ecologist and Shared Assets. Broad incumbents are Power to Change, Locality and Co-operatives UK. Direct peers are openDemocracy, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), Positive Money and New Economics Foundation.
Does Stir to Action have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stir to Action.
What industry is Stir to Action in?
Stir to Action's product category is Community Economic Development Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAJ, Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAC, Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government). Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8600.