Dot Kirk-Adams
Driven by a passion for people Dot chose to study languages at the University of Warwick. She lived in Italy, France and Burkina Faso, West Africa where her interest in social justice flourished.
Dot trained as a community organiser through the Community Organisers Programme in a village -Southwater near Horsham. From rural to urban organising, she then built a community organising programme at Brighton Students’ Union. Funding was sourced through creating local partnerships on and off each campus.
In 2014 Brighton went on to host 4 trainees and train 20 volunteers funded by Community Organisers Volunteer Training Programme. In 2015 Dot financed 5 CO posts to expand the reach of her team's work to all 5 campuses and local areas. Let's Co-organise went on to deliver training to Students' Unions around the country working with Westminster, Sussex and Manchester Students' Unions, organising and delivering large scale training for the CO15 community organisers national meet up as well as coordinating the South East support network. Brighton SU also won funding to work with Community Rights projects, registering buildings as assets and campaigning not to loose vital community space. Dot's hard work lead to being a case study for the Cabinet Office, informing subsequent tenders to be released for community organising funding from the government.
Heading towards her 10th year organising Dot has expanded to:
Supporting housing groups and campaigning for Community Led Housing
See Brighton and Hove Community Land Trust and the #PUSHBACKBRIGHTON campaign
Fisheries Agency Community Engagement
Partners include Sussex IFCA, the Marine Management Organisation and Natural England
Running a well-being and food-centred social enterprise
Community Oven -Now run by a local lad, Miles and his supporters
Developing accessible national training (as an associate trainer for Community Organisers Ltd)
See here
Programme Development (at Community Organisers Ltd)
Amongst many other things! Get in touch to find out more...