Proper Job!

A careers fair. A knowledge exchange. A networking event;

For anyone interested in building regenerative livelihoods within Bristol's circular economy.

Where did the idea come from?

Shift Bristol has been teaching and observing students through our Practical Sustainability Cources and Permaculture Design Courses for over 20 years. We know that we can only take students so far along a development pathway before they embark on applying their newly found skills, and attempt to carve out a livelihood for themselves. We feel many of those pathways are often not clearly defined, obvious, and quite often come down to who you bump into at the right time. Proper Job was designed to help illuminate pathways and identify what helps and what hinders people from finding their dream regenerative job.

Proper Job was the first stage in a much larger piece of work on educating, training and livelihood creation; aiming to bridge the gaps in our collective knowledge and understanding, and begin to build strategies alongside the Bristol Commons to support collaborative action and overcome barriers that stand in our way.

We know that at all stages in personal development, people need support from the ecosystem, and they also have things to offer. This balance of exchange is what creates opportunities for growth and support, sharing and interdependence, investment and regeneration within the local community. This is what leads us on the successional pathway of becoming a fully fledged, thriving and joyful community; centred on passion and meeting each other’s needs.

What's next?

The Bristol Commons movement are in the process of creating an online platformm that will serve as a tool for connection, signposting and collaboration. At Proper Job we called this community building the 'Mycelium People's Network, and we set up a Google Form for anyone interested in building a connectd network of people interested in building regenerative livelihoods. This form is still open, and we shall safeguard entries until a time when the platform becomes available.

The piece of the puzzle we are focusing on this year, is Educators Unite, where we are bringing together people interested in creating a Knowledge Commons in Bristol; connecting many different sorts of educators and students.

Proper Job! - Oct 2023

Wow - What a wonderful event Proper Job turned out to be!

150+ people supported the event on the 20th October 2023; either as attendees, panellist speakers, facilitators & volunteers, or part of the documenting team recording, photographing and interviewing people.

This huge community held and supported 14.5hrs of collaborative discussion on supporting regenerative careers within a circular economy.

We are excited to reveal the insights gleaned from the day in our follow up report, but for now we would like to signpost people to the opportunity to join hundreds of people who are telling us what they need, and what they can offer, in order to support regenerative job role development within the community.

And, thank everyone for being involved!

Sara Venn - Edible Bristol
Sol Harmsworth - Heart of BS13 - Hartcliffe Farm
Tim Foster - Organic Horticulture Tutor
Jimmy Thompson - Lush Greens
Steph Wetherell - Bristol Food Producers
Paul Chandler - Bristol Energy Co-operative
Emilia Melville - Bristol Energy Co-operative
Alan Kellas - Green Social Prescribing
Sian Kidd - Secret Soup Society / Theatre & Puppetry
Megan Trump - The Vench
Guy Manchester - Alive Activities
Rosy Benson - Field Bakery
Danny Balla - Bristol Commons
Mike Thomas - Transition Movement
Alice Cutler Clarke - Kindling Interventions
Sarah-Poppy Jackson - Nature-based practitioner
Debs Hoy - Avon Needs Trees
Alex Toogood - Tinkers Bubble
Lewis McNeil - The Orchard Project
Tabi Jayne - EarthSelf
Duncan Jackson - Permaculture Teacher
Carli Rescott - Senior Sustainability Consultant for Turner & Townsend
Jackson Moulding - Director of SNUG homes
Alex Watson - Boyle & Summers
Mike Feingold - Royate Hill Community Orchard
Chris Kaboutian - Grow Wilder, Avon Wildlife Trust
Lucy Mitchell - Golden Hill Community Garden
Jah Caballero - ACH Refugee Integration Services Provider
Jo Pengilley - Thingwall Park
Stacey Vallis - 'Walk & Talk' - Carers Support Centre
Kule - Migrateful
Julian Harrison - Sims Hill Shared Harvest
Geoff Hannis - Tree to Treen
Ben Moss - Bristol Wood Recycling Project
Scott Baines - The Rewild Project
Mark Simmons - Photography Documentor
Henry Kenyon - Photographer
Jacob Scordilis - Videographer
Alex Van Zyl - Videographer
Amy Money - Videographer
Ursula Billington - Bristol 247 Journalist
Kizzie Fitzwilliams - Facilitator / Volunteer
Alex Reuer - Facilitator / Volunteer
Helen Hughes - Facilitator / Volunteer
Bryher Bloor - Facilitator / Volunteer
Leila Meredith - Facilitator / Volunteer
Katie Pollitt - Facilitator / Volunteer
Birgit Muller - Facilitator / Volunteer
Rik Vanhoutteghem - Facilitator / Volunteer
Stacey Vallis - Facilitator / Volunteer
Rachel Fountain - Facilitator / Volunteer
Abby Charlesworth - Facilitator / Volunteer
Afrel Pounds - Facilitator / Volunteer
Janet Barraclough - Facilitator / Volunteer
Karen Balmforth - Facilitator / Volunteer
Caroline Wilson - Facilitator / Volunteer
Stephanie Bryan - Facilitator / Volunteer
Nick Haigh - Facilitator / Volunteer
Chrissy Weidner - Facilitator / Volunteer
Chris Secker - Facilitator / Volunteer
[The amazing and delicious] Secret Soup Society - caterer extraordinaire!
Sarah Pugh - Founder of Shift Bristol 1971 - 2022 ❤