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Early in 2024, Solidfund members responded decisively to Yalla Cooperative's crisis appeal, as the disaster unfolded in Gaza. While some of its workers stayed and fought to maintain themselves in the territory, others ended up as refugees in neighbouring countries. Supporting those workers by any means necessary had to take priority over building websites, apps and software for non-profit clients.
We talked to Joe Friel, one of Yalla's founders, about what Solidfund's intervention meant to them at the time - and what's happened since.
We talked to Joe Friel, one of Yalla's founders, about what Solidfund's intervention meant to them at the time - and what's happened since.
"What stood out for us was the cooperative solidarity - and that it came though so quickly, which was really appreciated. In fact, the solidarity of other worker cooperators and supporters was decisive in Yalla's beginning. It was there through our early development, and it's at the heart of our strategy today. I think it shows shows we were right early on to embrace the worker cooperative model for what we were trying to build".
Joe who is based in the UK, Simon Dupree in Germany and Ramy Al Shurafa in Gaza came together in 2018 after completing tech bootcamps at…
Two summers ago, tech co-op Animorph’s members were running out of both cash and morale. Potentially in big trouble while waiting to find out if they’d been successful in shortlisting for £1m of innovation competition funding, they needed cash, and fast.
Szczepan from Animorph remembers feeling hung out to dry by mainstream sources of finance, and even by the co-op institutions. “We were starting to hallucinate that we’d made a crazy mistake, and were losing hope. We’re Solidfund members, so I ran it by a couple of people then made a request for help in the members' Loomio forum. Two weeks later, we had the £6,000 we needed to survive the crisis. I can hardly express how that simple, no-strings expression of worker co-op love helped renew our energy and belief.”
Szczepan from Animorph remembers feeling hung out to dry by mainstream sources of finance, and even by the co-op institutions. “We were starting to hallucinate that we’d made a crazy mistake, and were losing hope. We’re Solidfund members, so I ran it by a couple of people then made a request for help in the members' Loomio forum. Two weeks later, we had the £6,000 we needed to survive the crisis. I can hardly express how that simple, no-strings expression of worker co-op love helped renew our energy and belief.”
In fact, the co-op's project CrossSense - AI-driven wearable tech that helps people with dementia navigate the world, and so retain more of their autonomy and independence - was shortlisted for the Longitude Prize on Dementia a few weeks later. The £300,000 of interim funding that came with shortlisting allowed the worker group to donate their emergency distribution back to Solidfund.
Last week, along with five other teams, the co-op presented at a final Longitude panel interview. The overall winners will be announced soon, and…
Democratic workers' control is about creating decent jobs and workplaces - and a crucial part of the wider movement to halt the social, economic and environmental devastation being inflicted by private capital on communities everywhere.
The more we're able to grow and strengthen networks of worker cooperatives, the more we can design and provide goods and services in a way that responds to people's real needs and aspirations, instead of the drive for profit.
A tall order? Maybe. Is there an alternative? We don't think so. Solidfund may be a small piece of the jigsaw, but there are plans to do more.
The more we're able to grow and strengthen networks of worker cooperatives, the more we can design and provide goods and services in a way that responds to people's real needs and aspirations, instead of the drive for profit.
A tall order? Maybe. Is there an alternative? We don't think so. Solidfund may be a small piece of the jigsaw, but there are plans to do more.
Earlier this year, SF members gave their thumbs up to three-stage 'Growing Solidfund' project.
First, we're switching SF's operating technology away from exploitative closed platforms like Google workspace, to open source and worker co-op providers. Then in the first half of 2026 we'll launch a new members' bulletin to keep subscribers up to date with Fund developments, followed by a newsletter going out to members, ex-members and hundreds of sympathisers, highlighting some of the brilliant worker co-ops, projects and events they've supported over the years.
In…
In 2025, the fund gave money to support seven projects, events and formations. Here’s just one example of how a small amount of money made a difference - in this case, helping grow our tribe and spread the word.
Our members at Cooperation Town asked for £1,000 to promote and organise a grass-roots ‘Cooperation Day’ festival on the spectacular roof garden at their hub in Camden, bringing together experienced cooperators and the co-op curious from London and further away to celebrate, learn and discuss co-op strategies for working class control and ownership. In the blistering heat of July 13th, a brilliant session on ‘Controlling work’ was put on by Kitty’s Launderette, Principle Six, Cooperation Town and Nanny Solidarity Network.
Our members at Cooperation Town asked for £1,000 to promote and organise a grass-roots ‘Cooperation Day’ festival on the spectacular roof garden at their hub in Camden, bringing together experienced cooperators and the co-op curious from London and further away to celebrate, learn and discuss co-op strategies for working class control and ownership. In the blistering heat of July 13th, a brilliant session on ‘Controlling work’ was put on by Kitty’s Launderette, Principle Six, Cooperation Town and Nanny Solidarity Network.
The session was led by Nanny Solidarity's Mira Hall, who is looking to start new worker co-ops involving low paid and migrant workers in the care sector. Grace Harrison came down from Liverpool to share her experience of setting up and growing a worker-led community laundry, social and cultural centre, which creates decent jobs for people who've experienced exclusion from work for a wide variety of reasons. Interventions from the floor were knowledgeable and passionate, by…
Bryn Davies and Anthony Scott from Kitty's Launderette in Liverpool are being sponsored by Solidfund to go on the next Barefoot co-op adviser training, along with Sam Nordland from our sister organisation workers.coop
The Barefoot training aims to equip those who already have experience of founding or working in a primary co-op, with the skills to become the worker co-op organisers and advisors of the future.
For the first time, we made an open call to members to propose people they thought we should back to go on the programme.
The Barefoot training aims to equip those who already have experience of founding or working in a primary co-op, with the skills to become the worker co-op organisers and advisors of the future.
For the first time, we made an open call to members to propose people they thought we should back to go on the programme.
Bryn and Anthony joined Kitty's (Liverpool Community Launderette, a worker-led community co-op) in 2019 and 2021 respectively. They're both now co-op Directors. Bryn leads on Finance and Business Development, while Anthony runs external Events.
Sam at workers.coop had wanted to go onto Barefoot in earlier years, and she was able to enrol this time because of Solidfund's help.
Sponsoring Sam, Anthony and Bryn reflects a realisation that sometimes the best people to 'skill up' as co-op advisers are younger workers…
Thanks to our subscribers, this year's Worker Co-op Weekend in Derbyshire was able - for the first time in eleven years - to provide professional childcare and put on a programme of kids' activities over two days. The effect on the whole event was transformative.
Our member Mira Hall from Nanny Solidarity Network was able to recruit two childcare workers for the weekend, and bring other colleagues from her network to participate in workshops and support a brilliantly creative kids' programme.
Solidfund members voted a £2,200 distribution to cover wages and tickets, while the children themselves came free. Some of them were experiencing the joy of going wild in the country for the first time.
Since we started in 2014, being able to support low-paid or unwaged workers and…
Solidfund agreed £2,000 to fully fund two places for worker cooperators on the Barefoot programme, to give them grounding and training to become co-op organisers and business advisors themselves. The programme takes on 15 people in each cohort, and will run for six months starting in September 2025.
Barefoot is promoted and coordinated by Solidfund member Stir to Action. Training delivery is by our members Co-op Culture and People Support Co-op. The 2025 cohort includes worker cooperators Maddy Neghabian from Outlandish/Space4 and Wongani Mwanza from Transition by Design. The programme is delivered online on a fortnightly…
Solidfund members approved a £10,000 distribution to Hempen, a worker cooperative based in Oxfordshire whose mission is to grow and cultivate UK based organic hemp "for the health of the people, rural communities and the land."
Hempen Cooperative pioneered the seed-to-shelf cultivation, processing and production of industrial hemp in the UK. They are respected leaders in the industry, and the only UK worker co-op in this space. Although SF doesn't do loans - only straightforward financial awards - a £10,000 distribution was requested by Hempen to help the co-op though a critical cashflow squeeze, while it waits for £55,000 of grant and project money. The co-op has voluntarily committed to 're-gifting' the award to SF before 2026.
Solidfund agreed to donate £4,000 to the Gaza Crisis Fund set up by Yalla, a transnational worker co-op based in Palestine. During the emergency and invasion, the co-op's focus shifted from delivering projects to supporting worker members surviving in refuge, and helping rebuild their lives when the war ends.
Yalla Cooperative is a web design and development agency founded and owned by members in Gaza, the UK, and the EU. In 2018, Joe Friel in the UK, Simon Dupree in Germany, and Ramy Al Shurafa in Gaza came together after completing tech bootcamps at Founders and Coders and Gaza Sky Geeks, two organisations championing technology for social impact and cross-border collaboration.
They chose the name Yalla, meaning “Let’s get going” in Arabic, to express their shared drive to make a difference.
SF members voted to subscribe €5,000 for co-op shares in GFF (Ex-GKN for Future) shares, to support workers at the former GKN automotive drivetrain factory near Florence to take control and convert the plant to socially useful production.
The workers have been in continuous occupation for more than two years. They have built a formidable coalition with local working class organisations and the climate justice movement - making this perhaps the most politically advanced single-site workers' struggle anywhere in the world.
Independent news channel The Canary, which converted to a worker co-op last year, is using a £3,000 distribution from Solidfund to buy time to navigate a tricky transition from an advertising-based to supporter subscription revenue model.
The Canary currently has 2,800 readers donating every month, plus an additional 12,000 subscribers who get daily emails. They've been fighting - with some success - to reverse trading losses caused by mismanagement under the previous regime, and also changes in their market, particularly the advertising revenue model. Having steadied the ship, trading losses were running at around £2,500 every month; they had about £15k in the bank, but really needed time to revamp the editorial offering and rebuild.
After converting to a…
Fund members voted £2,775 to update and secure Kate Whittle's classic guide on practical governance in cooperatives, 'From Conflict to Cooperation'. Originally published in print only, it has been comprehensively revised.
In partnership with People Support Co-op and adapted as five online chapters here, 'From Conflict to Co-operation' has been consulted over the years by many worker cooperators. It aims to help cooperatives to deal not only with conflict when it arises, but also to avoid unnecessary conflict by:
- Improving communication skills
- Improving meetings and decision-making
- Managing change caused by organisational growth and development
- Clarifying the roles and…