Applications for our 2025 Coaching Pod are now OPEN!

When we organise, we don’t usually have access to outside support to help us think through our strategy or help to motivate us when we experience the pressures that inevitably come when we are fighting against injustice. But we do have each other. We can collectively rely on each other to build power and learn skills and ways of care that enable us to keep organising towards the world we want to see. 

Coaching is one of the skills that is essential to sustaining our movement building. It is rooted in critical thinking and tangibly strengthens leadership. Great coaching is pretty simple: ask questions, trust that people can figure things out, and help them tap into their own abilities. It’s less about giving instructions and more about guiding through curiosity, turning organising into a team effort where we can help each other discover our own paths. When we take on this role, we build stronger, more effective teams.

There is only one way to get good at coaching and that is through practising! That is why Act Build Change developed our Coaching Pod – a practical offering that supports organisers to learn and practise their coaching, guided by experts and supported by a group of their peers.

We are excited to launch our 2025 Coaching Pod! Here are more details about the pod and how you can get involved:

What can I expect?

If you are accepted in the 2025 Coaching Pod cohort you will be joined by a community of organisers who you will get to know, be in solidarity with, and practise your coaching skills with. Each session will teach you new coaching skills, and you will receive hands-on support as you use your skills in your organising. The Coaching Pod is a unique and transformative experience of both skill development and relationship building with your peers. 

What is the commitment?

The Coaching Pod is only open to Full Members of Act Build Change. Plans start at £6 per month – if you are unable to pay, we will still consider your application. 

To get the most out of your experience, show up for your peers, and take accountability, you must be able to commit to all six sessions of the Coaching Pod. Sessions will be held every three weeks on a Tuesday at 6pm:

• Tue 27 May, 6-8pm BST
• Tue 17 Jun, 6-8pm BST
• Tue 8 Jul, 6-8pm BST
• Tue 29 Jul, 6-8pm BST
• Tue 19 Aug, 6-8pm BST
• Tue 9 Sep, 6-8pm BST

We expect participants to practise their coaching skills as they are learning, so be prepared to practise within the session and externally in your organising practise.

Application Process

If you are interested in joining this year’s Coaching Pod please fill out our application form. We will have a rolling deadline for applications with the end deadline of midday (BST) Friday 2nd May. We will be in touch over email with the outcome of your application.

These commitments facilitate true dedication to coaching and organising that will support you in your work. We cannot wait to launch this year’s coaching pod and are looking forward to the ways we can collectively build power through coaching!

If you have any questions about the Coaching Pod or the application, email us via info@actbuildchange.com. 

About The Trainers

Shingai is a community organiser, international coach and facilitator with a proven record of organising and training community leaders. Shingai has helped spearhead campaigns on issues such as housing rights, migrant rights, climate justice, human rights, and UK electoral campaigns. She has coached organising workshops delivered by Harvard Professor Marshall Ganz and worked with partners like the Labour Party, Amnesty International, Friends of the Earth, the NUS, Trussell Trust and POMOC.

Ariel has over a decade of experience as a community organiser focused on social justice issues, primarily with environmental and land justice. Before joining Act Build Change, she was the Senior Director of Community Organising and Education at TreePeople, a leading Los Angeles-based NGO, where she led a team of 40 organisers and educators supporting communities impacted by climate change and environmental injustice. Prior to TreePeople, she ran major advocacy campaigns at Ten Strands, securing significant legislative and funding victories for climate literacy. Ariel is passionate about healing the violent separation of land and people through organising.

Now all that’s left to do is apply!