Thanks for a Wonderful Gathering :)

Thank you to everyone who came to the 31st Earth First! summer gathering at Brithdir Mawr in Pembrokeshire! We had amazing workshops and delicious food. We talked about the future of Earth First! and the movements we’re a part of, as well as how to smash traps, climb trees, dance danga, raise kids, care for our communities, and keep on fighting for green anarchy. There was that perfect combination of old friends to catch up with, and new ones to make. We were surrounded by nature, including a beautiful mountain which saw lots of walks up it, and a stunning beach which had at least one party. We were joined by some very talented bands who performed some great gigs. We only had one lead acid battery short circuit, and even then it didn’t really catch fire.

This winter, we want to have regional winter moots all over the country. If no-ones doing it in your area, maybe you could! Or if they already are, then why not join in. Hopefully enough places organise one that we won’t need to have an official national moot; but we will make sure something happens 6-8th February 2026, be it a local group or a national moot. Hope to see you all soon!

Sessions Preview for the Summer Gathering

With just 2 days to go until the 31st Earth First! summer gathering begins in Pembrokeshire, here’s a sneak peek of some of the sessions to look forward to!

Are we doing it all wrong? An exploration into prefigurative politics, vanguardism and making change in a complex dynamic system.

This will be a talk and open discussion that explores the theories of making change particularly emergence, realism, prefigurative politics those that champion it and its critics who propose more traditional leftist strategies for making change. It will explore some historical events and other resistance movements that used these strategies and discuss the benefits and draw backs of each.
It will also explore our own hearts and minds in why we make the decisions we do, our motivations and maybe how and why things look the way they do on the environmental left and left more generally. The aim is to have the audience participating with their own knowledge lived experience of activism and living in a system we don’t want to be a part of to have a rich discussion where hopefully we all go away having learned something even if all the ideas of the host are total nonsense.

Campaigns Round-up

A series short (15-20min) presentations from various campaign groups and what they’re about. Come along to find out what campaign are currently active, what they’re fighting for/against and how to get involved!

If you have a campaign or group you’d like to talk about, please let someone on the welcome desk know and will fit you in.

Climbing for Beginners

Learn how to safely access trees and high structures. In this beginner-friendly workshop we’ll show you how to ascend and descend a rope. All equipment is provided.

NOTE: Climbing is an inherently hazardous activity. Please do not attend if you are not in a calm headspace or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Ages 16+ only.

Conflict and Community Care

An open discussion around conflict and community care, facilitated by the Starling collective. What even is transformative justice, and what about when someone’s really being a dick? How do we deal with conflict, and how do we wish we dealt with conflict? What does community care look like? We have lots of thoughts and no concrete answers; let’s build collective care collectively.

Connecting conversations across EF!s

At many previous EF! gatherings, we’ve had strategy sessions to think about the current and future of EF! as a movement. At the last winter moot, we spoke about the strategies and resources we can build to support radical action, and ecological direct action in defense of the earth as a necessarily central focus. We wanted to provide a space to pick up these threads, catch up with each other, and think about what comes next. All welcome, even if you’ve never been to EF! before, or missed the winter moot.

Danga

Danga is a combination of Dance and Yoga. It’s a chance to come out of your comfort zone and explore things about yourself that you didn’t know about, and it’s a way of team building and communication skills with people you haven’t met before. Session will start with some meditation.

EF! winter moot: in city near you?

Earth First! also organises a meet-up in the winter, the moot. Last winter there were a couple of moots in different places. We want to see if we can continue the multiplying moot trend and get a few regional moots to happen this year! Come along to the workshop if you’re interested, it will also be a chance to meet EF people in you local area and have a chat about discussion themes and keeping conversations going between regions

Gwersyll Greddfu / Climate Camp Cymru

Dychwelodd Gwersyll Greddfu Cymru llynedd am y tro cyntaf ers 15 mlynedd. Dyn ni’n gweithio gydag ymgyrchoedd lleol i godi gwydnwch ac i sefyll yn erbyn datblygiadau sydd dim yn gynaliadwy. Mae’r sgwrs yma yn gyfle da i ddysgu mwy am y gwaith dyn ni wedi bod yn gwneud, i fyfyrio ar y gwersyll y llynedd, ac i fod yn rhan o’r tîm sy’n trefnu ein gwersyll nesaf.

Climate Camp returned to Cymru last year for the first time in 15 years. We work with local campaigns to build resilience and stand against unsustainable developments. This talk is a good chance learn more about the work we’ve been doing, reflect on last year, and get involved with our upcoming camp.

How to Love Your Bike

A hands-on workshop on cleaning your bike, looking after your chain, and diagnosing mechanical problems. Bring your bike if you’ve got on with you or listen in to the workshop if you don’t.

It takes a village…

Discussion on raising children. What challenges face those caring for children in our movements and beyond? How do we act collectively to support each other through these? Do we need to change some of the ways we organise to be more inclusive of people who care for children? Circle discussion facilitated by Starlings.

Kill the Cop in Your Pocket – Smartphones and Activism

There is no way to completely secure-proof your smartphone against your adversaries, but we can make it more difficult to them. Let’s talk security and privacy, when to leave your phone at home and what we can do to make sure that if you need your smartphone, you’re keeping yourself and your friends safe.

Tech security is community self defence!

Know Your Rights

Green and Black Cross’s ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop aims to give you the knowledge to combat repressive police tactics commonly used against protesters. Police officers often rely on the lack of legal understanding of those participating in protest. This interactive session will give you the tools to take action more confidently. We will cover our Key Messages, police tactics and the role of private security, stop and search, what happens when you’re arrested, laws commonly used against protesters, and a new section about proscription & the terrorism act. There is also space to ask questions. Please note that this workshop is only relevant to England & Wales as the law is different elsewhere.

Practical First Aid for Protests and Direct Action

Going through the basics of first aid with a focus on direct action. Come and learn how to protect and care for your comrades against the violent forces of fascists and the state; including splinting broken bones, treating pepper spray and interacting with the emergency services. No previous experience required.

Reclaiming Identity

“It’s time to be brutally honest about something that’s been happening on the left: we have absorbed the tenets of liberal identity politics. We have nurtured a culture that’s deeply individualistic, where to be seen as a victim, to be able to claim a marginalised identity position, gives you social capital.”

This quote from Ash Sarkar’s Minority Rule paints a picture of how liberal identity politics have infiltrated our movements. Race, class, gender and other aspects of identity are central to radical politics. However, discourses around identity have become dominated by a liberal framing. Critical discussion is subdued due to a culture of conformity. Important insights or concepts, such as ‘lived experience’, are twisted and uncritically applied, eventually becoming unchallengeable dogmas to be wielded against each other. Ultimately a liberal approach to identity undermines solidarity, and moves us away from rather than towards revolutionary change.

The workshop will address some challenging and complex issues, and so we ask that those attending come with a commitment to constructive, critical discussion among comrades.

If you’d like to do a bit of prep before the workshop, read over the 1st chapter of Minority Rule. It’s fairly short and works well for a reading group.

Resisting green capitalism in Barroso and beyond

True mobsters do not get their hands dirty, they are protected by a state structure in a pact of high-risk investments to maintain a colonial extractivist system. Their intrusive machinery ravages mountains into craters, clear-cuts forests into deserts and contaminates pure, wild waters. In Barroso, in the north of the Iberian peninsula, machines have invaded private and common lands, proposing an open-pit lithium mining project – despite the population of this territory resisting for the past seven years.

This conversation on ways of resisting extractivism, refusing sacrifice zones locally and globally, and celebrating us as an alternative to extractivist violence is brought by Disgraça – an anarchist social centre currently in the process of collectively buying the space that has been actively supporting the struggle in Barroso.

Stencils as a Direct Action Tool

Stencil graffiti has been used by activists and resistance movements for decades dating back to WWII, From The White Rose painting anti-nazi slogans in Germany to Argentinian students painting stencils against the military dictatorship during the late 1970s and early 1980s. We will discuss the advantages of typographic and iconic stencils as a direct action tool and how to design, cut and paint them alongside other graffiti techniques

Solidarity in a time of Genocide

Readings from radical Palestinian women and how to support the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank

As we gather at Earth First, Israel’s genocide in Gaza is ongoing and escalating. Meanwhile, in the West Bank Israeli settlers are using violence and intimidation to forcibly displace entire rural communities and the Israeli army has displaced hundreds of thousands in the northern cities of Jenin and Tulkarem.

The first half of this workshop will hear several readings from “Everything we thought was Beautiful” a new compilation of interviews with radical Palestinian women put together by UK writers cooperative Shoal Collective. Their words include impassioned calls for solidarity.

In the second part of the workshop we will hear first hand accounts from volunteers with the Palestinian-led International Solidarity Movement (palsolidarity.org), who are providing an international Solidarity presence in communities facing settler violence in the Jordan Valley, All Khalil (Hebron) and Masafer Yatta. Find out how you can join our work in Palestine or support from the UK.

Feel free to join for either Part 1, Part 2 or both

Taking Back Birth

Thinking about birthing one day, or supporting someone doing so? The anarchist slogan “everything you have been told is wrong” may well apply! We’ll cover some basic but vital information and answer
questions. If you are a birth worker or had a baby yourself your input is welcomed. If you would like to talk through a challenging experience, please ask for some one-to-one time.

The Current Goings-On at Brithdir Mawr

Join members of Brithdir Mawr in a Q&A on the current goings-on and conflict with our landlord. Hear about the history, the state of play, and predictions of the future. Hear how you could help, and say what you think about it all.

Tour of Brithdir Mawr

Join members of the 30-year-old off-grid community on a tour of house and gardens, hear some of the history and see how day-to-day life is lived here.

Visible Mending

Bring your clothes that need repairs. there will be some materials for visible mending, decorative embroidery and patching. bring your embroidery threads, hoops and needles! We will repair our garments and talk about how we can repair our planet.

What is the Problem with ‘Wellness’?

As our hosts are being evicted to make way for a retreat centre, it is time for a conversation on ‘wellness’.

This discussion, convened by the Starling collective, is a first step into examining issues like: What does ‘wellness’ mean and symbolise in modern society, and in our communities? How can we be ‘well’ in the midst of the meta-crises, and is ‘wellness’ even something to strive for? How has ‘being well’ come to be located solely in the individual, and how can we shift to collective wellbeing? And what are the historical links between wellness, social darwinism, eugenics and the far right?

Working with our Enemies: Critical Solidarity in the War in Ukraine

Drawing from experience of working alongside the military in Ukraine, we will explore questions of how anarchists can participate in struggles where we find ourselves working alongside our enemies. The workshop will try to challenge our ideological purity and ask how critical solidarity can be used in struggles, both global and closer to home.

Statement on Animal Agriculture at Brithdir Mawr

Earth First! has had a longstanding policy of not holding the gathering on sites with any animal agriculture. This is a key political stance we have taken and continue to hold.

This year we’re hosted by the Brithdir Mawr Community, who keep animals for milk, eggs and meat. Specifically there 4 battery rescue hens whos’ eggs get eaten, a rescue cockerel, 2 horses being trained to work and 7 goats who are milked. There have been male goats slaughtered for meat and in the past they have kept pigs, sheep and ducks.

We did not appreciate that this was situation at Brithdir Mawr when we decided on the site and had understood something different from our conversations with them. We’re sorry that this miscommunication happened between us and our hosts. We were excited (and still are) for the chance to bring the summer gathering to Wales and to support a community facing eviction from a landowner who wishes to turn the land into a “healing retreat centre”. We should have been more careful.

The gathering is going ahead as planned. However, we feel that we needed to let people know beforehand so you can make an informed decision. We care deeply about Earth First!’s and EF!er’s animal liberation principles and can appreciate that attending this year will be a difficult choice for some. We hope that you will come, but can understand if you choose not to.

After some consideration, the animal liberation stream has decided they will still attend, in order to keep the animal liberation line at EF! strong. In their words, the gathering will be what we make of it.

Hope to see you all there! Love and rage,

EF! gatherings collective

Access Statement for Summer Gathering 2025

Earth First! Access Statement Summer Gathering 2025

Intro

The Earth First! Summer Gathering 2025 will be held at Brithdir Mawr, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The closest train station is Fishguard Harbour or Fishguard and Goodwick.

This access statement is a work-in-progress. If you have any specific questions which are not covered in this document, or any access needs or requests, please don’t hesitate to email us. [earthfirstuk@riseup.net]

There will also be an drop-in session on Wednesday 6th where folks are invited to come along and chat to someone from the accessibility working group to ask any questions r.e access and site layout, and to work out how we can support each other during the gathering Also, if you’d like to get involved in the accessibility working group, please come along to this session and make yourself known!

If you have any other questions or requests throughout the gathering, or are unable to make it to the drop-in, chat to the friendly folk on welcome desk.

This page is organised into 5 main sections:

How it works has basic info about EF! and how gatherings are run.
Before the gathering has important info about travelling to the gathering.
Physical access describes the site and workshop spaces.
During the gathering has various points of information about things like our arrangements for food and wellbeing, COVID, dogs, and other useful stuff.
Kit list

We welcome feedback about how the gathering can be more accessible, equally if you have an offering to make the gathering more accessible, please get in touch.

How it works!

Earth First! Gatherings are a place for our movements and people to come together, meet one another, learn from one another, eat together, dance together, share ideas, knowledge and resources, and practice building the world we’d like to bring forth. They happen twice a year, although the Winter Moot tends to be calmer and smaller, allowing us to hunker down and reflect together.

We operate under an umbrella of shared values and understandings related to green anarchism. Largely, this means that we work to disrupt and overturn hierarchies of power, envisioning and building ways that we can exist together beyond hierarchical structures, and that we are committed to an ecological revolution. We are anti-capitalist, against all forms of oppression, and believe that the earth and all its beings exist in their own right, outside of their value to us as humans.

This year, the Animal Liberation Gathering will be happening alongside Earth First!, bringing anti-speciesism directly into conversations at EF!. We will share the site and learn together how to bring into practice a new world in which we are all free.

Crucially, we are all human (if you’re reading this at least!) and none of us are ideologically pristine. Earth First! is a space of sharing knowledge and learning from one another. Respectful curiosity and discussion are welcome here; bigotry and dictatorship are not.

We are all crew!

Earth First! gatherings strive to operate under anarchist principles, and as a result we are all crew!

What do we mean by this?

Earth First! and its gatherings belong to all those of us who feel aligned to its principles. No one is paid to be here; no one is ‘in charge’. All of the work which goes into the gatherings are done by people just like you!

There are working groups who work together to put on the gathering, as well as a large number of people offering workshops, kitchen roles and wellbeing support across the few days. If you’d like to be involved in any of the above, talk to someone in the relevant group!

During the gathering itself, there are still many jobs to be done! Whether that’s helping out in the kitchen, cleaning or tidying the site or facilities, timekeeping, fixing something or just generally helping things run smoothly; everyone is needed to help the gatherings come together. If you see a job that needs doing, do it! If you’re not sure how, grab a friend or chat to someone who might know (such as someone on the Welcome Desk).

We are actively trying to move away from the idea of a ‘service economy’ – the notion that a small group are ‘putting on an event’ and a larger group are ‘attending the event’. At Earth First!, we are all putting on an event and we are all attending an event. We do this together, in whatever ways we are each able, and support one another to do what we can.

We are all crew!

Before the Gathering

There’s no need to pre-register or tell us that you’re coming – just show up!

Welcome Desk

Upon your arrival, please head to the welcome desk where you’ll be greeted by the lovely people who’ll give you key information like where to camp, where the toilets are, what time you’ll be fed and also answer any questions you might have. Importantly, it’s the welcome desk who count numbers for food, so if you don’t go via the welcome desk and let them know how long you’re staying, you won’t be counted into numbers for meals!

There will be printed programmes containing lots of the information in this document as well as other important things like the anti-oppression statement and a blank timetable. Because the schedule of workshops is subject to change, these will be written up on a board, so you can fill in your own schedule in your programme.

There will be a board with a list of tasks that need doing that you can sign up to at the welcome desk too. We know some folks find it easier to socialise and settle in if theres a task to do!

At the welcome desk you may want to mention if you have any access needs and whoever is at the desk will point you towards someone who can help you. There will be some folks available at the welcome desk who can show you around the site.

Costs

Please bring cash! There will be a suggested donations guide at the Welcome Desk; this will be about £5 per day for food, plus a flat £10-50 for the site costs. If you are able to give more, please do (for example if you have regular disposable income or come from a financially comfortable background or are gonna inherit loads of dosh).

Equally, if you would struggle to pay the suggested donation price, do not feel pressure to do so; we firmly believe it is up to those who have more access to wealth to pay the way for those who do not.

Getting to the Gathering

The closest train station is Fishguard & Goodwick.

There will hopefully be shuttles from Fishguard to the EF! Site (assuming some car drivers offer to do this) or alternately you could get the bus part of the way then walk, or cycle. More travel information is available here

If you have a vehicle and are able to help us with shuttling, please get in touch. [earthfirstuk@riseup.net]

There is also a signal group chat for co-ordinating travel (e.g. lift-shares or public transport buddies) to and from the site. Please email us to join.

** Will there be parking on site??

Limited parking – please don’t bring a car unless you really need to, please don’t bring a car with empty seats or leave with empty seats!

**Biking?

The cycle from the train station to Brithdir Mawr is about an hour, or you can get a bus part of the way (to the Golden Lion Hotel in Newport) and then walk 40mins

** Will there be a wheelchair accessible shuttle this year?

Currently we don’t have this sorted, if you can offer this then please get in touch.

Site and Physical Access

Terrain

The gathering will be held across two large adjoining fields. Both fields are gently sloped, with some flatter ground towards one end. One of the fields is quite uneven / bumpy.

Key infrastructure (the workshop tents, toilets, water point, eating area) will be on the flatter part, and there will also be some camping space here for those who need it, although we expect most people will be camped further down the field. We will be asking people to self-allocate camping space depending on their own needs, please ask people if you’re unsure or need help finding a spot to camp.

We will also have access to some wooded area for hammocks.

We have 120m of rubberised track matting, which will be around the main area, connecting essential infrastructure.

Water

The site is usually spring-fed, and there are two taps on site. This spring is shared with neighbours so we will also be bringing our own IBC full of water, to ensure there will be enough water for us all throughout the gathering. Please be mindful how much water you’re using and don’t skimp on handwashing!!

If you are travelling by vehicle, you could also bring water to reduce the strain we will be putting on the spring.

Don’t forget to bring a water bottle!

Toilets, Sinks & Showers

We will be bring our own compost toilets which will have several steps. We will also bring an accessible toilet of our own; this will be a chair with a toilet seat in a 3x3m gazebo, on a flat part of the site connected to the accessible trackway.

There are two plumbed-in sinks on the site, which are fed by the spring.

All facilities are gender neutral and we are all responsible for keeping them clean and tidy.

Workshop Spaces

The workshops will be held in large marquees on the field. There will be paths and track-matting between these. We will be able to open the sides of the marquees to allow for better ventilation, or to make more space for wheelchair users to get through.

During workshops, you are free to do what you need in order to be engaged and / or comfortable! Stimming, stretching, moving around, taking notes, fidget toys and whatever else are all welcome. You are also free to leave and come back as you wish.

Fires

Don’t start them! If you are travelling by vehicle please bring firewood if you can so we can have a communal fire in the evening.

Parking and Vehicles

There is a gravel road leading into the site, which leads into a gravel carpark and one of the fields. If you park in the field and get stuck it will be really annoying and time consuming to push you out!

Accommodation

We will be camping and you will need to bring a tent, sleeping bag, roll mat and whatever else you may need to be comfy.

If camping is a barrier to you coming, or you will be unable to bring the kit you need, get in touch with us and we will see if we can link you up with someone who could lend you kit/we can help you find alternative accomodation.

Kitchen

The kitchen will be a ‘camp kitchen’ set-up. It will be close to the workshops spaces, and connected by track matting.

Tell the welcome desk if you have any allergies. Allergens will be listed next to the food at mealtimes.

There will be plenty of opportunities to help in the kitchen, for example chopping veg or washing up, and this is a great way to get involved in the gathering if you’re not sure what other jobs to do! Sign-up for kitchen shifts will happen in the morning meeting.

You need to bring your own mug but not your own bowl/cuttlery/plate

Hygiene is really important when we are eating in big groups and hand washing is mandatory! Don’t be the person that gives us all dysentry xx

Food will be served three times a day, and all food at the gathering will be vegan (and therefore free of the major allergens crustaceans, milk, eggs, fish, and molluscs).

Because we won’t know how many people are attending the gathering, mealtimes might vary, but the aim is to serve breakfast between 8am and 9am (morning meeting will be at 9am), lunch between 1pm and 2pm, and dinner between 6pm and 8pm.

Food queues may be long – if you can’t stand for a long time then please push in the queue, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing tell someone at the welcome desk or in the kitchen and we will arrange someone to bring you food or for you to skip the queue.

There will be a vegan tuck shop run by Veggies and there will be teas and coffees available throughout the gathering. This will be set up under several gazebos. There will be pump-urns with hot water on 80cm high tables. You can volunteer to keep this area clean and tidy and keep the urns topped up during the gathering.

There will be alcoholic drinks available for cheap some evenings, and the money will go towards supporting the gathering. You are welcome to bring your own snacks, as long as they are vegan and don’t contain nuts. Please bring cash to pay for snacks and drinks!

During the Gathering

Quiet Space, Wellbeing and First Aid, and Caucus space

We will have a designated quiet tent on site, which everyone is welcome to use for quiet reflection, prayer or to take some time away from the parts of the gathering which can be loud or overwhelming. Please be aware of keeping the noise level low if you are near the quiet tent. There will also be ear plugs available from the wellbeing tent.

There will be a tent or marquee space held by the well-being collective. Anyone is welcome to use this space if they are feeling overwhelmed, struggling, or just need a quiet space to talk. The well-being collective will not have a constant presence in the well-being space, but will be roaming during the gathering incase you need – they will make themselves known at the morning meeting, or someone at the welcome desk can help you identify who they are!

The wellbeing team can help you if you are feeling unwell, struggling to make friends, or need someone to talk to but are not able to solve deep-seated and long-term conflicts between people. They can however support people to set boundaries or communicate needs to each other. If you would like to contact the wellbeing collective before the gathering then please email us on earthfirstuk@riseup.net to be put in touch.

We’ll also have a space set up for caucuses to use for sharing circles/caucus circles – these are spaces where people of shared identities can get together to discuss their experiences in the gathering, the wider movement, and the world. If an issue arises, it can be helpful to talk to people who have been through something similar. Anyone is welcome to organise a circle and put it onto the programme. The well-being group can help facilitate people forming sharing circles, so feel free to get in touch with them if you’d like some assistance. There’s some guidance about what they typically look like here: https://pad.riseup.net/p/ef!sharingcircles.

There will be first aiders on site and a first aid kit available at the welcome desk and at the wellbeing tent, and first aiders will be pointed out during the morning circle each day.

These spaces will be in the main field with the workshop spaces and will be signposted.

Kids’ Space

The kids’ space will be in a marquee, near to the other workshop spaces or in the woods. There will be activities for kids including fire starting, wide games, singing, crafts, (though young people are welcome at most other workshops!)

The kids’ space is not a creche and we encourage parents and caregivers to take responsibility for their kids and check in with them regularly. The kids space is facilitated by a mixed gender group and is run by teachers, parents and non-parents. If you want to hang out with kids at the gathering, please email us or go to the kids space to sign up on the rota.

COVID

EF! Recognises that COVID-19 presents an ongoing danger, particularly at large in-person gatherings. We are asking that everybody takes a covid test before arriving on-site, and does not attend if that test comes back positive. We will have masks available at the welcome desk too – because the gathering is outside the risk from COVID is reduced but we still encourage EF!ers to take precautions.

If you test positive while at the site then we will not just kick you out. We will try to find someone willing to drive you home and/or space to self isolate. If necessary, we will pay for transport and/or space to self isolate. We will make sure you are fed and hydrated!

Smoking & vaping

Please ask consent before smoking around other people at the gathering. Not everyone is comfortable to be around others who are smoking & vaping – for example some people have asthma or are trying to quit themselves. If you want to smoke/vape during a workshop you are attending, please step outside the marquee whilst you do so.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome at the gathering, please keep dogs on leads.

Wifi, Phones & Electricity

There is no wifi at the gathering, and we encourage everyone to leave their phone switched off and in their tent during workshops. This is both for security reasons and to enable us to connect more directly with others at the gathering.

We won’t have mains power and therefore will unfortunately not be able to offer charging facilities except for necessary devices (e.g. assistive technology, electric wheelchairs).

We are working on getting access to a fridge for storing medication that needs to be refrigerated. We will update this document when we have confirmed this. Please email us if you need access to a fridge

Wellbeing

In recognition that the gathering may not be an easy ride for everybody – whether that’s because of low mood or energy, conflict with other EF!ers, general rage at the cisheteropatriarchal colonial capitalist hellscape, or whatever else – the wellbeing collective are on hand to offer support. They are a small team of loving people, like you engaged in ecological resistance, who can lend an ear and a cuppa if you need someone to talk to or decompress with, be available if you have requests or concerns regarding the wellbeing of yourself or others, and help facilitate people in conflict to share space during the gathering.

On this, they are under no pretences that they can resolve long-standing conflict over the course of a weekend, nor is that their objective; their aim is to ensure that everybody (as far as is possible) feels comfortable at the gathering and is safe to attend. Please also reach out to us before the gathering if there is anything you’d like to raise in advance.

In their practices, they are informed by the principles of transformative justice, and reject a cancel culture which dehumanises us all. With this in mind, we request that people talk to someone from wellbeing if you are experiencing difficulty or discomfort with others at the gathering, so that they can support you through it without having to involve large numbers of other attendees.

We also encourage people to self-organise support where they feel it is necessary, or make suggestions to someone from wellbeing – for example, in the past, the well-being space has been used for independent trans circles, and BIPOC circles. Let the wellbeing collective know if you want to use the space for reasons such as this. They will make themselves known in the morning meetings.

Anti-Oppression Statement

Earth First! has an anti-oppression statement which we ask everyone coming to the gathering to read and follow. You can read the anti-oppression statement here: earthfirst.uk/solidarity-statement/

Have we missed something?

We know this statement might not have all of the information everyone needs. We know some folks may have access needs that clash or things that aren’t achievable when we have limited resources in a remote location. If we’ve missed something, or you have specific needs or questions, please get in touch.

Equally, if you have skills, ideas, or equipment to offer which might help make this gathering (or future EF! gatherings) more accessible, we’d love to hear from you too.

What to bring with you

This list is incomplete, everyone’s needs and carrying capacity are different, hopefully it’s helpful…

Tent, sleeping bag, roll mat
A cup
Toiletries and medication
Eye mask and earplugs
Spare jumpers and blankets
Spare clothes
Waterproofs
Sun cream and insect repellant (e.g. cintronella essential oils)
Cash for snacks, donations, teas/coffees, food, booze, merch & zines
Charged battery pack
Firewood
Crafts
Musical instruments
Water bottle

See you soon!! <3

Site Location for Summer Gathering 2025

We are very excited to share with you that the 31st Earth First! summer gathering will be hosted by the wonderful Brithdir Mawr Housing Co-op in Pembrokeshire, Cymru!

The what3words for the entrance to the camp is unleashed.pancakes.bless.

The site phone number is 07784944171 and will be checked from the morning of Wednesday 6th. You can message on Signal, text or call.

More useful information:
Access statement
What to expect at the gathering
Travel planning guide
Sessions preview
Statement on animal agriculture at the site

See you all soon!

What to expect at the Summer Gathering

Never been to an Earth First! summer gathering before? Want to know a bit more about what to expect before you decide to come? You’re probably not the only one!

Every year, dozens of people come for the first time, and usually like it and have a lovely time. Still its always daunting to turn up to something not knowing what it’ll be like. We’ve compiled these key points from our longer access statement (which will be released shortly), to give you a rough idea of how different things will work!

Other useful articles:
Save the date
Travel Guide

What is an EF! gathering?

We are all Crew

During the gathering itself, there are many jobs to be done! Whether that’s helping out in the kitchen, cleaning or tidying the site or facilities, timekeeping, fixing something or just generally helping things run smoothly; everyone is needed to help the gatherings come together. If you see a job that needs doing, do it! If you’re not sure how, grab a friend or chat to someone who might know (such as someone on the Welcome Desk).

There will be a board with a list of tasks that need doing that you can sign up to at the welcome desk too. We know some folks find it easier to socialise and settle in if theres a task to do!

How do sign-up? What do I do when I arrive?

There’s no need to pre-register or tell us that you’re coming – just show up!

Earth First! runs on donations and we ask those who can to give towards running costs. We’d love to be living in a post-money society, but at the moment we rely on these donations to cover food at the gathering, and other costs such as buying and transporting kit. There is a suggested donation of £5/day for food, plus a sliding scale of £10-50 to go towards site costs. Having said that, no-one will be turned away for lack of funds.

What will be site be like?

The gathering will be held across two large adjoining fields. Both fields are gently sloped, with some flatter ground towards one end. One of the fields is quite uneven / bumpy. There will large marquees in the fields, which is where we’ll hold the workshops. We will be camping and you will need to bring a tent, sleeping bag, roll mat and whatever else you may need to be comfy.

The site’s water is spring-fed, and there are two plumbed-in sinks with taps on site. We will be bring some compost toilets and an accessible toilet of our own. All facilities are gender neutral and we are all responsible for keeping them clean and tidy.

What about meals?

There’ll be a camp kitchen which will make 3 vegan meals a day, with at least lunch and dinner being hot. There will be coordinators looking after them, but any attendee can volunteer to help with meal prep. You can bring your own snacks and meals if you want, but please no nuts, and all food eaten in communal areas should be vegan. Make sure to wash your hands before eating and tell the welcome desk if you have any allergies so we can make sure you have something you can eat

There will be a vegan tuck shop run by Veggies and there will be teas and coffees available throughout the gathering. There will be alcoholic drinks available for cheap some evenings, and the money will go towards supporting the gathering. Please bring cash to pay for snacks and drinks!

But will it be a nice and caring space?

We hope so! People having a good time is really important, so we encourage everyone to look out for each other and be friendly & welcoming, especially if someone hasn’t come with people they know.

There will be a tent or marquee space held by the wellbeing collective. Anyone is welcome to use this space if they are feeling overwhelmed, struggling, or just need a quiet space to talk. The wellbeing team can help you if you are feeling unwell, struggling to make friends, or need someone to talk to. They can support people to set boundaries or communicate needs to each other. If you would like to contact the wellbeing collective before the gathering then please email us on earthfirstuk@riseup.net to be put in touch.

There will be a kid’s space at the gathering with activities for kids including fire starting, wide games, singing, crafts, (though young people are welcome at most other workshops!) The kids’ space is not a creche and we encourage parents and caregivers to take responsibility for their kids and check in with them regularly. The kids space is facilitated by a mixed gender group and is run by teachers, parents and non-parents. If you want to hang out with kids at the gathering, please email us or go to the kids space to sign up on the rota.

Earth First! has an anti-oppression statement which we ask everyone coming to the gathering to read and follow. You can read the anti-oppression statement here: earthfirst.uk/solidarity-statement/

Can I bring my phone?

There is no WiFi at the gathering, and we encourage everyone to leave their phone switched off and in their tent during workshops. We also ask people not to take photos or film. This is for privacy & security reasons, as well as to enable us to connect more directly with others at the gathering. We won’t have mains power and therefore will not be able to offer charging facilities except for necessary devices (e.g. assistive technology, electric wheelchairs).

Okay, so what should I bring?

Tent, sleeping bag, roll mat
A cup
Toiletries and medication
Eye mask and earplugs
Spare jumpers and blankets for cooler evenings
Spare clothes for however long you’re staying
Waterproofs
Sun cream and insect repellant (e.g. cintronella essential oils)
Cash for snacks, donations, teas/coffees, food, booze, merch & zines
Charged battery pack
Notebook & pen for workshop notes
Firewood
Crafts
Musical instruments
Water bottle

This list is incomplete, everyone’s needs and carrying capacity are different, hopefully it’s helpful…

See you soon!! <3

Travel Planning Guide for Summer Gathering 2025

How to get to the Earth First! Summer Gathering 2025

Site location

The gathering is being hosted by the Brithdir Mawr Housing Co-op in Pembrokeshire, Cymru. The what3words for the entrance to the camp is unleashed.pancakes.bless.

The closest train station to the site is Fishguard & Goodwick in Pembrokeshire, Wales. From the station, the site is a 15 minute bus ride (T5 or 404) to Newport, Pembrokeshire, which will cost around £4.40 for a single. There’s then a 40 minute 1.8miles/300ft ascent walk up a quiet road to the site. We’ll organise as many shuttle runs for people and/or luggage as possible.

If you have access needs and require a guaranteed shuttle run, we will have a site phone number publicised closer to the time which you can get in touch with to make arrangements.

Getting to Fishguard
To get to Fishguard & Goodwick station, there are direct trains from Manchester, Cardiff & Swansea. Try a website like book.splitticketing.com to get cheaper advance tickets.

If you can’t afford to make the whole journey by train, you could get a direct coach from several major cities like Birmingham, Bristol or London, to Cardiff or Swansea, from where you can then get a train to Fishguard.

Off-peak return trains (price will stay the same):
Cardiff to Fishguard: £42.80 (£28.50 with a railcard).
Swansea to Fishguard: £30.10 (£20.00 with railcard).

Coach options (prices are one-way and will rise closer to time):
London to Swansea: National Express 4h 50m, £16.90.
London to Cardiff: Flixbus 3hr 50m, £8.49; National Express 3h 40m, £15.90.
Birmingham to Cardiff: Flixbus 4hr 05m, £8.99; National Express: 2h 40m, £11.00.

This is an non-exhaustive list, so be sure to look out for other options. One suggestion for a longer, but more scenic route is to take the train from Birmingham/Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, then the T5 bus along the coast to Newport, Pembrokeshire.

When to arrive and leave
Wednesday 6th August is the day for people to travel to the site and help with setting up, ready for the programme to start at 9am on Thursday 7th. The last programmed day is Sunday 10th, but we ask people travel back on Monday 11th, as this is our packdown day and we are all crew, so helping with logistics is both appreciated and encouraged.

Travel & liftsharing chat
There is an Earth First! travel planning chat on signal for people to ask questions, and ask for & offer lifts. Please contact us on instagram or by email to get the invite link

Last updated 28th July – advance coach prices quoted will rise over time, so be sure to book ahead of time.

Earth First! Summer Gathering 2025

Save the date: 2025 Earth First! Summer Gathering!

The 2025 Earth First! Summer Gathering will be from 6th – 11th August in Pembrokeshire, Wales! It is a gathering of the radical ecological movement, a chance to catch up with old friends, forge new connections and get stuck in with making ecological revolution a reality. We’ll post more information soon, but you can expect five days of engaging workshops, important discussions, great music, delicious food and living, breathing green anarchism.

The nearest train station is Fishguard & Goodwick, Pembrokeshire. The exact location will be announced closer to the time (it’s a bus ride and then a 40 min walk, or a car shuttle from Fishguard). More detailed travel information is available here

A selection of this year’s workshops

Biocentrism 101

Biocentrism sounds daunting, but it needn’t be, and it’s an important idea for people involved in EarthFirst!. In this workshop we will introduce the idea and create some space to explore it. We’ll talk about how it differs from anthropocentrism (putting humans first), how it relates to other ideas such as deep ecology and eco-feminism, and how it challenges ‘environmentalism’ and anarchism. We then discuss how it is relevant to our organising and what it means to put it into practice. We’ll make it appropriate all knowledge levels, so don’t worry if you feel like your starting from scratch.

Biocentrism 202

Biocentrism has all manner of interesting implications and important considerations. What does centring life require of our political strategy? How does should it affect the way we communicate and talk about nature? How can we learn from other cultures past and present that don’t consider humans superior to other life forms? In this workshop we will discuss things in a bit more detail. Everyone is welcome, but probably best if you’ve either been to Biocentrism 101 or are already familiar with the area. It will be a fairly open discussion with opportunity to explore issues that come up in more depth.

Rebel Alliances

We all want to stand in solidarity with those on the receiving end of oppression. But what does it mean to be an ‘ally’? Sometimes allyship is presented as simply following the lead of those with lived experience of oppression, but this can result in shallow, uncritical relationships and treating identities as homogeneous. Using some pieces of text taken from Cindy Milstein’s ‘Taking Sides’ we will discuss allyship and what it means in our movements.

Cancel Culture 202

Cancel culture is rife in our movement spaces. We are fiery, with strong opinions and strong moral beliefs; we are relying on one another, perhaps for survival; we are hurting and we are complex, and we are all at risk of being cancelled. What’s more, probably all of us have done the cancelling.

In this workshop we will go into a bit more depth on how to challenge cancel culture while upholding transformative justice, abolitionism and radical politics. Using some of Adrienne Maree Brown’s essay ‘unspeakable thoughts’ as prompts, we will explore some of the complexities and nuances. It will include discussion on when call outs are useful and necessary and when they can be punitive and harmful.

Walkie Talkies, over!

Walkie-talkies are a great communication tool, whether you’re on an action or helping out at a gathering like Earth First! Like with our phones, theres always the chance someone might be eavesdropping – this workshop will cover how to build a code for communicating using W-Ts securely, and discuss what good W-T etiquette sounds like.

266la; direct action in the front line of animal oppression

Since 2016, our collective and sanctuary “269 Libération Animale” has been developing offensive activism based on direct action. We target the large capitalist and speciesist industries all over Europe with numerous activists – up to 150 per action. We thereby blockade slaughterhouses and free animal people from speciesist domination. Once freed, they get the opportunity to live with dignity in territories of resistance, where activists do everything possible to support them in finding their autonomy. We defend direct action as a revolutionary path for the antispeciesist struggle in regard to the financial losses it can cause to industries and the empowerment of activists it entails.

Reclaiming Play

Do we give ourselves the time to look after our inner parts, when doing outer work for social change? Our inner child can sometimes be hidden when we are working to challenge social injustices and this workshop is an opportunity to do some inner activism! Give your inner child and other parts of yourself the spaciousness to return to the surface! Take a break from being in your head and get back into your body! To do this, we will be using techniques from the world of improvisation and wisdom from the world of clowning. Allowing ourselves to build a more playful perspective on relating to one-another and the world at large.

Is there such thing as an ethical egg?

Description: It is often argued that eating eggs can be ethical, morally acceptable and that hens do not suffer in higher welfare systems. Vegetarians will often tell you that no one has to be killed for you to eat eggs. But what is really going on inside egg farms? And are backyard eggs any better? Come and find out more about egg farming, the life cycle of hens and the individuals impacted by our every day choices.

How to design, cut and paint stencils

Stencil graffiti has been used by activists and resistance movements for decades dating back to WWII, From The White Rose painting anti-nazi slogans to Argentinian students painting stencils against the military dictatorship during the late 1970s and early 1980s. We will discuss the advantages of typographic stencils as a direct action tool and how to design, cut and paint them.

Security as Solidarity

A lot of campaigners feel disempowered when faced with intrusive police surveillance. The way many talk about security is often ‘all or nothing’: ignoring the risks or creating a climate of suspicion and pressure that makes it difficult to build trust and work together. Netpol argues we need to talk openly about how best to resist surveillance, share knowledge about reducing the risks of harm to members of our groups and educate new campaigners so they do not feel disempowered. Protecting each other is an act of solidarity – so let’s talk about how we protect each other from police intelligence-gathering.

Sustainable activism

How can we make our activism more effective and sustainable? This workshop will give you practical tools to help prevent ‘activist burnouts’, to increase your resilience when coping with high stress events, such as police repression, and to integrate mutual care practices in your communities.

Radicalising Right to Roam

The Right to Roam movement has grown significantly in recent years and given many a taste of disobedience and collective experiences of natural surroundings, but it has been criticised for being too conservative. Presented by some who have organised in Right to Roam, the workshop will collectively explore some questions around the campaign: Is it worth engaging with? If so, how can it be transformed into something that radicalises participants or achieves more radical outcomes? Or would it be better to focus efforts on other land justice projects and activities? Join us in discussing the Right to Roam and building the radical movement for land justice on these isles and beyond.

In Defense of Violence?

Is smashing up a fracking rig or a coal mine violence?
How about shouting abuse at an aggressive cop or self defence?
Does it even matter?
Should we be absolutely non-violent or is violence sometimes morally justifiable?
Can violence ever be tactically useful?
What are some examples of radical political violence?
Does negative media and public perception mean that any action perceived as violent should be avoided?

This workshop is a chance to discuss these questions and more, as well as collectively questioning some of the assumptions that underpin a lot of recent environmental action movements.
This isn’t a lecture but a group discussion.
If you have strong views on these subjects, please be aware you may find parts of the workshop challenging, and remain respectful of other views.

Archiving our movements

Eco anarchist direct action movements have a vibrant history: we can learn a lot from our collective past, and find elements of it to
criticise and celebrate. However, our movements are often inconsistently recorded – partly due to a need for security, and
because activist spaces are often precarious and moving on to the next thing feels more urgent than documenting what we have just done. There are a number of physical and digital spaces in which activist archives exist, in varying states of stability and orderliness. This interactive workshop will identify existing archives and work out what we can do to better retain, share and learn from these histories and to safely document current movements.

Bike stuff

Our car-centric society is a dangerous and scary place to be a cyclist. This workshop will cover some of the ways we can get around on two wheels more safely. We we go over some basic bike safety, M-checks and some simple repairs. People are invited to bring their bikes and any bike tools.

Veteran & Ancient Trees walk

Introduction to Veteran & Ancient trees. What’s the difference between them & jargon busting. Discussion on their cultural importance & their value to wildlife.

The ‘Game’ Industry

Every year, millions of pheasants, partridges and other “game” birds are farmed and released into the wild purely to be shot for fun.
We will discuss the life and death of “game birds”, the impact of these shoots on the ecosystem, and what direct action can be taken against them.

Introduction to hunt sabotage

Hunting with hounds was made illegal 20 years ago, yet hunts in England and Wales still routinely chase and kill wildlife. We will discuss what happens during a hunt and the direct action techniques used by hunt saboteurs to intervene and stop them killing.

Post Trap Animal Care

Take a dive in to post trap animal care with an experienced wildlife rehabber and long term activist. Learn how to do basic triage and know when it’s safe to do an on site release Vs needing long term rehabilitation.

Technology security.

The tech world is dominated by capitalist enterprises that buy and sell you like you’re currency. Law enforcement hugely benefits from the constant array of tracking and spying your tech devices do in the name of comfort. But tech has lots of extremely useful tools to organise and fight back! Let’s talk securing your tech, tools to use and specially, behaviour changes you need to take to care for yourself and people around you. Tech security is community self defence! (All levels welcome, basic topics discussed)

Elemental Sounds – singing circle in conversation with nature

Join vocalist and facilitator margomool in exploring textures of the natural world through the voice. Using embodied singing practices, we will vocally play with our environment and explore the realms of collective listening. There will be games, improvising and simple folk songs that will ignite internal and external connection. No previous singing experience is required. Just an openness to trying something new and listening.

Practical first aid for protests and direct action

Know Your Rights

GBC’s ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop aims to give you the knowledge to combat repressive police tactics commonly used against protesters. Police officers often rely on the lack of legal understanding of those participating in protest. This interactive session will give you the tools to take action more confidently. We will cover our Key Messages, police tactics and the role of private security, stop and search, what happens when you’re arrested, and laws commonly used against protesters. There is also space to ask questions. Please note that this workshop is only relevant to England & Wales as the law is different elsewhere.

Strengthening practical solidarity and resistance to police repression within our movements

This skillshare session will discuss how we prepare for and organise in the face of increasing police repression and violence. It will include how we better support comrades through arrest, court processes and prison, and how we build the capacity within our groups and movements to centre this work. We will also discuss different strategic approaches to legal issues and there will be space to bring questions and discussion on the challenges you are facing within your organising related to state repression and policing

Taking back birth

Thinking about birthing one day, or supporting someone doing so? The
anarchist slogan “everything you have been told is wrong” may well
apply! We’ll cover some basic but vital information and answer
questions. If you are a birth worker or had a baby yourself your input
is welcomed. If you would like to talk through a challenging experience,
please ask for some one-to-one time.

Leviathan’s Body: Recovering Fredy Perlman’s Anarchist Social Theory

Fredy Perlman’s anarchist maximalism had a formative influence on the movement’s post-1960s revival, quite apart from his later and better-known critiques of domestication. Perlman’s long-neglected books, pamphlets and parodies from 1968-1972 show him championing an anti-vanguardist ethos of direct action and practical de-alienation, while working towards an original and distinctly anarchist social theory of domination. This article traces the influences of Isaak Rubin, C. Wright Mills, and possibly Henri Lefebvre and Peter Kropotkin, on Perlman’s thought. Perlman’s originality was to generalise a heterodox Marxian critique of social reproduction, including but exceeding productive relations. Thus, he explicitly sets the state in analytical parity with capital, theorising authority as a fetish distinct from exchange value. Implicitly, he points to other containers for alienated powers, including the family, religion and scholarship. Perlman’s account of self- and community powers remains incomplete, however, eliding constitutive violence and inviting engagement with current intersectional approaches.

Border abolition

This workshop will cover – A brief history of borders – why where they put in place and by who? Moving Borders – updates on the increasing
externalisation of UK and EUs borders, developments in the Sahel, Libya, Tunisa and Calais. Enacting Borders within communities – how bordering
is performed in communities by state actors and community members. Then we collective explore – what is a world without borders? Come and
imagine a world in which the borders fall!

La Via Campesina – how can we respond to climate catastrophes?

We know our governments and said charities can’t save us, and globally, we need to be to be able to respond to ever more frequent climate catastrophes. La Via Campesina are building structures to respond to crises and provide practical mutual aid and internationalist solidarity, as well as developing land & farming practices that are able to adapt to drastically changing climates

The Struggle for Life in Kurdistan and Beyond

Amidst increased attacks on the people, ecology and all means of life across Kurdistan, 2024 has seen huge developments in the ecological struggle, organisation and perspective of the Kurdistan Freedom Movement. This workshop gives an update on the ecological situation, the war in the region, and new organisational developments in Kurdistan and Europe. Come and discuss ways we can better support.

Solidarity Economy as Revolutionary Strategy

How can we build collective power to survive and overcome capitalism? From mutual aid and cooperation to internationalist solidarity; building a new world in the shell of the old while defending our rights and surviving together. Come and learn more about solidarity economy as revolutionary strategy.

Introduction to Transformative Justice

Introduction to and discussion about Transformative Justice (TJ) and how we can develop practices and approaches within that framework.
Developed mainly by Black and Indigenous activists, especially women, trans and queer folks in Turtle Island (North America), TJ offers an abolitionist framework for community approaches to justice that do not rely on state systems such as prisons and police. Many different tools can be used within this framework, TJ is about the approach and the values that underpin it, based on a belief that transformation is possible and an understanding that bigger systems of oppression are at the root of all harms caused.

Wildflower Walk

A walk round the local area, seeing how many flowers and trees we can identify between us. We are not experts, and you may know more than us! This is a chance for a walk in nature and to share our knowledge.
Note- weather dependent, we won’t want to be walking round in pouring rain!

Danga

Danga is a combination of dance and yoga. A great way to start your morning with movement and a chance to release your inner extrovert

UK coal – the End Game

We’re so close to winning, but we’re not quite there, and if we take our eyes off the game – progress can rapidly unravel, such as when the UK Government wasted £420m tax-cash on coal imports and propping up coal power stations through the 2022-23 winter. Get involved – let’s finally end coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, together.

Politicians are lining up to pinky-promise no more coal mine licences as coal-fired power generation will pass into the history books this summer, and coal-fired steelworks join those history books over the next year or two. But in South Wales there is still an operating deep coal mine and an opencast coal mine striving for an extension. In England, at the site of last year’s Earth First! Gathering, the West Cumbria coal mine proposal continues to loom, threatening coal mining until 2049. Now, a new frontier of coal mining yawns open, with a company applying to mine old dumps (coal tips) of coal abandoned by historical coal mining, in the name of “restoring” those coal tips. This amounts to a proposal to solve the issues left by mining by more mining – and with over 300 coal tips in Wales alone, this could be a dangerous new scramble for coal.

Transformative Justice in our Movements

Discussion around the practice of transformative justice in our movements – where are we going wrong and how can we be more effective and caring in dealing with harm. May involve some difficult involve conversations about difficult or triggering subjects. Expect good chat and role play!’

How to rescue and care for a fox hound.

Alfred is a Foxhound who came from the clasp of the hunting fraternity. A fierce runner who’s pedigree is of royal blood. A tale of how he and other animals like him have been rescued from a life of torment and exploitation. Used against our native wild by the most depraved of orders. Stories of a life undercover as an activist and comrade, Alfred’s keeper who doubles as a live animal capture expert will be offering advice. In hope that future opportunities can be given to such a friendly and misunderstood breed. “If not you, who?”

Youth Liberation

Youth, and especially children, face oppression in our society and even in many of our supposedly radical spaces that is frequently ignored. In this workshop, we consider the basics of youth liberation – the nature of the oppression of youth in our capitalist and imperialist society and the fight to end it.

Fighting the Home Office through Anti Raids

Anti Raids Brighton will be guiding you through the best ways to spot immigration raids, how to stop them, and how to set up your own Anti Raids group in your local area. With Labour’s new administration planning on being harsher on immigration than ever before, Anti Raids strategies are more necessary than ever.

Folk Dancing

Come and learn some folk dancing from these isles, including molly and morris dances! sticks will be provided!!

Sonic Meditation

Come listen and experiment with your senses using a series of guided prompts to encourage listening deeply to the environment – with group noise making and movement we will playfully engage with our environment.

Using and repairing hand tools

Learn or improve your skills with using, sharpening and repairing axes, billhooks, bowsaws, scythes and more. Suitable for complete beginners, but experts wanting to share their skills are welcome too.

Action Massage

8 hours in a lock-on, clambering fences, lugging tripods… this workshop shows some quick techniques to release tension and key spots to help aches and pains that can be done almost anywhere – let’s take care of one another. No oils, no stripping, & definitely no Enya. Find your massage partner before the workshop and arrive with them (for ease of consensual contact). Touch will include the back, shoulders, neck, head, face, arms. Wash hands just before workshop! Numbers limited to first 16.

Fighting Basics

Learn some simple ground rules of keeping yourself safer in a physical confrontation, and the weak points on an opponent to target. Become slippery! This is a no bullshit, non-macho, boundary-respecting space, suitable for total newbies. Tap out at any time during the workshop. Numbers limited to first 14.

Climate activism and resistance in Wales then and now

This awareness-raising session explores climate activism and resistance in Wales. It provides an overview of fossil capital in Wales past and present and goes on to highlight resistance in Wales then and now. Finally, the session explores the concept and ideologies of climate camps and introduces the ‘Climate Camp Cymru’ movement and this year’s camp that is being held 30th August – 2nd September in Swansea. In the session, we will also be seeking input from comrades into the strengths and weaknesses of the climate camp model and an opportunity to learn from our collective experiences.

Passport-free solidarity – How can ‘non-citizens’ contribute to the rising tide of actions in the UK?

This session is not a one-way talk, but a space to collectively discuss the strange hardships that politically-minded migrants encounter when trying to be part of actions, whether it’s something like joining protest marches or taking part in higher-risk direct actions. Thanks in equal part to state terror and a cruel propaganda machine, migrants tend to consider the risks to their visa status before joining even relatively ‘harmless’ actions. This has implications beyond activist strategy, as a general position of non-participation — out of a real fear of arrests, refusals of future visas, or worse — can have a chilling effect on the political consciousness of migrants. The goal of this facilitated session is to consider such aspects, hear from migrant voices, and collectively think of ways in which we could invite and welcome migrants into radical political actions.

The cultural programming of (post-)modern society and its fuckedupness

“The true focus of revolutionary change is never merely the oppressive situations which we seek to escape, but that piece of the oppressor which is planted deep within each of us….” Audrey Lorde
This workshop explores the manner in which the dominant culture fails to meet our fundamental human needs and in so doing plants that piece of the oppressor within each of us, such that we are culturally programmed to replicate it. The working hypothesis being that multiple missing cultural elements need to be identified and instigated before we can create a benign human presence on this planet.

Action climbing for beginners

Come along and learn about climbing as a direct action tactic. From tree houses to oil rigs, this is a valuable skill in a green anarchist’s tool chest. Have a go at climbing a rigged rope and practise the knots needed for rigging and climbing. Absolute beginners welcome, please tie long hair back and wear sturdy shoes. Climbing is an inherently hazardous activity; 16s and over only.

Militarism, policing, and ecocide in Gaza

What is the relationship between policing, militarism, and ecocide? Why does eco-liberation require abolition? How is ecocide used as a weapon of war, in Gaza and across the world? Workshop followed by discussion.

Why I cut down trees; an introduction to woodland management & conservation

Forestry practices are often misunderstood by those who do not work within woodlands, with their being no culture of forestry in the mainstream and the average person not having access to forests. Most of what is seen in the media, is polarising incidents of bad practice, or scrupulous felling in aid of megaprojects. Join two foresters for an insightful & nuanced discussion on the varied & often challenging landscape of woodland management & conservation in the UK.

Action planning: two part session

What to consider when planning an effective action: strategy, tactics, logistics, dynamics…

Safer spaces policies: great to have, hard to use

Dealing with oppression or harm in groups can be hard, even if you have agreed values or systems in place. This session will explore challenges, tools and approaches to having conversations that are politically and relationally engaged.

Not seen, not heard: moving at night without being detected or identified

A structured series of practices culminating in a capture the flag game to hone your action skills. If you have accessibility questions, please ask someone at the welcome tent to put you in touch with us for a chat beforehand.

Fences: over, under, through

A practical session suitable for beginners. If you have accessibility questions, please ask someone at the welcome tent to put you in touch with us for a chat beforehand.

Quick decisions on actions

How to make group decisions when the situation keeps changing and the stakes are high.

Worker liaison, de-escalation and assertiveness

Skills for engaging with workers when our action has obstructed their work: how to stay safe, stay put and stay true to our values.

How do we do it?

We want to build the radical ecological movement, we want to transform society and our relationship with nature, but how do we do it? To get people thinking and talking we will have some short presentations giving different perspectives with a chance to delve into each. We’re not looking trying to come to a shared position or promote a particular strategy, but we do want to help people think seriously about radical social change and how to make it happen. There will also be a chance to meet people in your local area so conversations and plans can continue.

Hegemonic Narratives

How do the many rule the few? Not by force alone (or even the threat of it). We’ll investigate the narratives created and spread by the hegemonic elite in order to control populations, and see how this links to Gramsci’s concepts of active and passive consent. In this workshop, we’ll explore the narratives we have inherited from the culture we’ve been brought up in, and the ones that may still lurk deep down inside, along with how to uproot them in ourselves and society at large.

Complexity Games & Movement Ecology

Come learn about complex systems in an embodied, experiential way through the medium of games. We all have experience with complexity and know what it is in a fundamental way, but we might not know that we do or how to describe it. Too often, we go about trying to create change as if we were dealing with a predictable and ordered machine. Yet, understanding the rich, organic complexity of our workplaces, communities and societies and the process of building collective power to change them, is key to effecting, long-lasting change. This is the core idea of ‘movement ecology’. This workshop will help you to understand what complex systems are and their key characteristics, and give you a new lens with which to view the world. Accessibility: This workshop involves standing and moving about, but each person can decide how much they want to move.

Undercover cops in our movements – history, current situation, and lessons learnt

In this workshop we’ll be discussing the history of undercover infiltration in our movements, the current state of the official inquiry, and how it has affected EF! and eco/anarchist/leftist movements more widely. How can we take seriously the lessons learnt and the trauma caused, while not letting them break us? What are effective tools to deal with the intertwined issues of security and paranoia?
A space for discussion and sharing experiences.

Feeding the Masses

A discussion of experiences, strategies and tools to feed our movements. Sharing food builds community, connection and care. Kitchens have always been part of both mass mobilisations and local community initiatives. From sourcing good food, practical and legal considerations, and equipment, to sharing ideas, experiences and learnings, this is a space to think about cooking for the revolution.

Power to the People: Off-Grid Electrics 101

Come and learn the basics of off-grid electrics and 12V power systems. Whether you’re setting up a protest camp in a field, living in a van or boat, or just curious to understand how it works this workshop is for you. We will be primarily looking at a solar system set up and will also cover basic concepts that are transferable to other power sources.

…and many more 🙂

Please note: the kids’ programme is separate and will be hung up on the kids’ space and welcome tent! Kids are welcome to join other workshops (with some exceptions) too, of course!

Sharing circles

What are Sharing Circles?

‘Sharing circles’ are spaces where people get together, usually based on their shared identities (and usually sitting in a circle) to share and discuss experiences and issues, or just get to know and support each other. So, for example, there could be a circle of people of colour or a circle of trans or working class people. They can strengthen solidarity, celebrate identities and allow people to feel more comfortable in expressing how they feel. They can encourage conversations to happen that might be harder in spaces where others don’t share lived experiencs of the particular identity. Circles can be powerful ways to counter systemic oppression (such as sexism, ableism or racism).

In and outside of circles it’s important to recognise how different forms of oppression overlap and intersect and to avoid pitting identities against one another. When fighting identity-based oppression, transformative justice is key, whereas ‘cancel culture’ can end up making things worse. The anti-oppression statement includes some guidelines on collectively taking responsibility for tackling oppression (https://www.earthfirst.uk/solidarity-statement/). Cancel culture is explored in more depth in the piece ‘Raise Your Hand if You’ve Been Cancelled’, which is in the programme and a separate zine. There will also be several workshops on cancel culture and transformative justice at the gathering.

The well-being group will help facilitate people forming sharing circles, so feel free to get in touch with them if you’d like some assistance. If an issue comes up in your circle, then please get in touch with the well-being group to see if they can help. Sharing circles can be wonderfully liberating and as a space promoting green anarchism, which fights against all forms of oppression and domination, people are strongly encouraged to form sharing circles at the gathering if they wish to.

Wellbeing 2024 summer gathering

During the gathering, the wellbeing group will work to hold and attempt to resolve difficult situations that may arise. The group works on a loose rota, meeting every day to discuss any issues that come up.

The wellbeing group may be able to help people navigate concerns that arise or triggers that happen during the gathering. They may also be able to mediate and help shift tension between people.

Please not that the wellbeing group and the EF! gathering collective are NOT authorities at the gathering and cannot resolve long-standing problems between people.

Everyone at the gathering is crew and everyone should take responsibility for the well-being of the gathering and everyone at it. Although the well being team is not open to people joining during the gathering, please get in touch if you’d like to help out in future.