About — SHIFT

Who We Are

Shift Bristol is a not-for-profit organisation providing innovative and immersive training: building skills and practices, for community-centred regeneration and resilience.

We have over 20 years experience of teaching hands-on skills, design systems, and collaborative approaches. We invite you to find your passion, challenge yourself and take positive action.

Our courses are deeply integrative, experiential journeys into sustainable living and regenerative design, acting as both a transformative educational model and a catalyst for broader societal impact.

Our Mission

To continue to pioneer dynamic, innovative and responsive education, contributing towards a culture founded in hope, collaboration and care, in response to the poly-crises of our times.

Learn with us

Our Roots

Sarah Pugh 1971-2022 : Visionary & Founder

Shift Bristol was visioned and co-founded by Sarah Pugh in 2010. The Practical Sustainability Course is a progression of the annual Permaculture Design Courses Sarah delivered in Bristol and around the UK from 2004.

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders.

Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (author of Le Petit Prince)

Our Roots

Our Educational Offerings

Our only entry requirements are to apply with an open mind and curiosity for the range of subjects we cover, and lots of enthusiasm and the ability to commit to a year’s study with us. You do not need previous experience or credentials in any of the subjects we teach.

We provide a high quality education and we support our tutors and practitioners to bring their extensive practical experience into the classroom in dynamic and accessible ways. We have a great reputation, and students make lasting connections within our growing networks.