I Stand Beside is now a registered charity
As we near the equinox, we are so thrilled to share that I Stand Beside is now officially a registered charity. This marks an important step in the life of the project. What began as a simple idea — that people might choose a being from the living world to stand beside, and in doing […]
As we near the equinox, we are so thrilled to share that I Stand Beside is now officially a registered charity.
This marks an important step in the life of the project. What began as a simple idea — that people might choose a being from the living world to stand beside, and in doing so grow a deeper sense of care, responsibility, and connection — is gradually taking shape as a community, a platform, and now, hurrah, a charitable organisation.
Becoming a charity gives us the structure we need to grow this work with integrity. It allows us to develop the I Stand Beside platform, create events and gatherings, build partnerships, and support projects that help people form meaningful relationships with the more-than-human world. It also means we can seek funding in ways that are aligned with our purpose, so that the project can remain guided by care!
We are deeply grateful to the trustees who have agreed to support I Stand Beside at this early stage, and to everyone who has joined as a member or Early Adopter. Your encouragement, imagination, and trust have helped bring us to this point.
There is still much to build. The platform continues to grow, new collaborations are emerging, and we are learning as we go. Becoming a charity does not mean the work is finished. It means we are ready to begin the next phase.
At heart, I Stand Beside remains a very simple invitation:
to choose a being, stand beside them,and let that relationship shape how we see the world.
Join us, if you haven’t already!
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Photo by Daniil Komov. (The reason we chose this creature is that when we were deciding what image to celebrate our joyful announcement, a long-tailed tit perched in the rosebush very close by…)