more stories of change
women against pit closuresCoal mining was a huge industry in the past in the UK. In many towns and villages it was the only source of employment. In the 1980s, most coal pits faced closure which threatened jobs and communities. There were many protests. Wives of coal miners got together to support the strike. They made camps outside the gates of pits to try and stop the closures. There were more pit camps again in the 1990s when a second set of pit closures was announced.
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sheffield tree action groups
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Over 5,500 trees in parks and in streets have been chopped down in Sheffield in recent years. People came out on their streets to hug their trees and protect them from being chopped down. This action was inspired by a campaign in India where women came out to protect their trees. In Sheffield, there was also a petition and eventually the campaigners persuaded the local council to change their policy. |
co-operativesPeople can come together to get services or goods they need by working together in a co-operative. There are over three million co-operatives in the world, and over 7,000 in Britain. They are owned and run by their members. The members may be the people who work there or the people who use the services.
Single Step Wholefoods is a shop selling vegetarian food in Lancaster. It is owned by the people who work there. You can also become a member of Co-op Food, which has shops all over the country. Members of Morecambe Bay Credit Union save together so they can borrow when they need to. There are also co-operatives for people who need housing or for farmers to sell their produce. |
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