Recent updates

The latest news from our projects

  • Online Teachers Raise £40,000 to Develop Learning Platform Co-op

    An update for MyCoolClass Learning Platform Owned by Teachers, Not Venture Capital. Help us Grow!

    Aug 9 2022

    MyCoolClass, a new learning platform cooperative, has raised £40,000 through community shares to develop their own platform and provide fair work for online educators

    LONDON – August 9th, 2022 – MyCoolClass, a new learning platform cooperative, has raised £40,000 through community shares to develop their own platform and provide fair work for online educators.

    MyCoolClass helps teachers with fair payment for their teaching and tutoring services and gives members a stake and say in the workplace. MyCoolClass is dedicated to bringing equity to online teachers around the world who are tired of being exploited by big tech.

    “The education sector has been defined by rampant profiteering in which both teachers and students are getting ripped off", says John Hayes, the creator of MyCoolClass. “We are building an alternative to the venture capital-owned giants that have been dominating the online learning sector by giving teachers skin in game through community ownership. Teachers want something better and that’s MyCoolClass. ”

    MyCoolClass features unique courses in a variety of languages, subjects, and skills. The co-op attracts high-quality teachers and eager learners globally who prefer working in an ethical and democratic environment. The platform is currently available in 14 languages and offers classes in over 20 languages.

    To effectively market and expand services to more teachers, MyCoolClass is undertaking a community shares issue. The cooperative needs to raise capital to grow the business and challenge industry giants. Community shares is a common fundraising practice in the UK among cooperative societies.

    MyCoolClass has an objective of raising a maximum target of £500,000, with a minimum share subscription per person of £100. Interest of 5 percent will be paid annually after year one. The withdrawal of capital is targeted after three years, and UK investors may seek up to 50% tax relief on their investments. Investors can also vote in elections and run for board of directors. The community shares offer is being hosted on Fundsurfer and closes October 15th.

    Community shares is a user-friendly name for withdrawable, non-transferable share capital: a form of equity uniquely available to cooperative and community benefit societies. Since 2012, over £155m has been raised by over 104,203 people in community shares across the UK.

    For more information about MyCoolClass and community shares, please visit: 
    https://www.fundsurfer.com/community-share/mycoolclass-learning-platform-owned-by-teachers-not-venture-capital-help-us-grow

    Contact: John Hayes – Creator/Director
    Email: jhayes@mycoolclass.com
    Website: https://mycoolclass.com
    Facebook: https://facebook.com/mycoolclass
    Community Shares Offer: https://www.fundsurfer.com/community-share/mycoolclass-learning-platform-owned-by-teachers-not-venture-capital-help-us-grow

  • Urgent Appeal - Nearly A year

    An update for Supporting Afghan families in need

    Aug 9 2022

    Emergency Case
    We have a pregnant Afghan woman, an at risk journalist, in Pakistan that is 8.5 months pregnant and without a visa, and therefore can only avail of a few hospital services in Pakistan. She is suffering bleeding during pregnancy and needs to see an OBGY and deliver her child.

    We need your help urgently to provide desperate Afghans who have nowhere else to turn with:

    • Basic Medicine & Nutritional Supplements
    • Hospital and Maternity Visits
    • Food Packages for Families

    It’s been almost one year since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. The situation of ordinary Afghan people has only gotten worse. The latest reports from Human Rights Watch describe 90% of the country in a chronic state of food insecurity leading to starvation and malnutrition. Children will be affected by this throughout their later lives. 

    With the shortage of access to medical supplies and treatment people across the country are unable to acquire even basic pain relievers or vitamin supplements. Pregnant women don’t have maternity support. Thousands of people from lawyers, journalists, civil society and former Afghan National Security Defence Forces (ANDSF) are hiding from the Taliban. These people can scarcely leave their homes and have no means to work, slowly withering waiting for the hope of receiving asylum.

    Presidium Network and our partners have provided food and medical supplies to tens of thousands of Afghan families since the collapse of the former Government. In a single home up to 14 people may be living, and in desperation many families have sent their children out to work, or beg in the streets.

    We have full-supply chains for medicines and foods, as well as the logistics to deliver food parcels across the entire country. We are able to provide a more diverse range of food-stuffs and sanitary products than most organisations including: rice, flour, sugar, sunflower oil, a variety of vegetables, powdered milk, soap, shampoo and toothpaste.

    PLEASE DONATE NOW TO HELP THOUSANDS OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN AND IGNORED BY THE WORLD. 

       

    • Special Presentation Tomorrow!

      An update for MyCoolClass Learning Platform Owned by Teachers, Not Venture Capital. Help us Grow!

      Jul 13 2022

      We are hosting a special event giving you an in-depth look into MyCoolClass!

      Join the founding team to hear the story behind MyCoolClass and find out how we are challenging an exploitative industry by developing the first international learning platform cooperative.
       

      Thursday, July 14th, 2022, at 19:00 London
       

      Event will take place via Zoom

      Learn about our business model, growth projections, benefits for teachers, as well as investment opportunities.

      Have any questions? We will be happy to answer them during the Q&A.

      The event is free and open to the public. Teachers, journalists, cooperators, and investors are encouraged to join.

      MyCoolClass is the only global online learning platform cooperative owned by teachers, workers, and investor members.

      RSVP by email here
       

      Website: https://mycoolclass.com
      Contact: info@mycoolclass.com

    • Appealing for tag on exceptional medical grounds.

      An update for Baba Ganoush Kitchen Needs Your Help!

      Jul 7 2022

      Thank you all so much for your donations and support so far.

      We have now been informed that we can appeal to the Governor of the prison for early release on tag due to exceptional medical circumstances. Those being in brief that Shad still has not had access to his urgently needed operation, his emergency neurology consultation for the migraines he is still suffering from 24hrs a day without his pain medication, his dangerously high blood pressure etc all of which the GP at Portland said they can do nothing about as there is no hospital there..! 

      I have been told that my barrister needs to do this appeal for us to have a much better chance of success and hopefully get Shad released immediately so that we can get him to hospital and give him his medication. 

      For this we need to raise £900.

      If you can support this in any small way it would mean a lot to us.

      Thank you. Peace and love always.

    • A (small) Win!

      An update for Baba Ganoush Kitchen Needs Your Help!

      Jul 7 2022

      Last week we returned to Crown Court to face the same judge who sentenced Shad, to apply to him to ammend the sentence which our barrister argued was miscalculated by the judge at sentencing. We weren't expecting him to allow this due to previous encounters with him but we wanted 2.5 weeks taken off the overall sentence and he rounded it up to 3 weeks! This means Shad will serve 1.5 weeks less in prison without medical care or his medication which for us is actually a great win! It won't be long now until he is back with us feeding you all! Peace and love 

    • Appeal news

      An update for Baba Ganoush Kitchen Needs Your Help!

      Jun 20 2022

      Firstly we want to thank you all for your support in all the various forms you have been giving it. We are so blessed to be so loved and supported by our wonderful community and you have made this difficult experience so much easier by standing by our side. 

      Secondly, after what felt like a very long wait we have had the advice from the Barrister who was working on trying to find grounds to appeal the sentence. Her advice is that unfortunately she could not find any grounds to appeal as the judge had made sure we would not be able to appeal. However, she did find that the judge miscalculated the sentence by 2.5weeks too much and we have applied to the court to have this amended. It's a very small win but each day in prison, in pain, without healthcare is a long time so at least we can reduce this slightly. 

      We will not give up here and continue to find ways to fight this injustice. Watch this space!

    • £34,750 raised!!!

      An update for MyCoolClass Learning Platform Owned by Teachers, Not Venture Capital. Help us Grow!

      Jun 10 2022

      AMAZING!!!

      We have reached 34% of our minimum target and still have 4 more weeks to go.
      Our course marketplace will be launching next week and we're getting excited.

      Thanks to everyone who has invested and is helping share our project.

      Keep it up!

    • Share offer next actions

      An update for Help the Stokes Croft Land Trust purchase its first building and bring it into community ownership

      Jun 5 2022

      A key date for the Land Trust is on Tuesday when we meet with the current owners again.  We shall look to draw down your pledges once we have an agreement from the current owners on the terms of the sale, which we hope to be forthcoming very soon.  

      I shall update you again with the timescale on which the money will be drawn down from your accounts / cards after this meeting. 

       

      All the best & many thanks again for your support,

      Hilary

      Director, Stokes Croft Land Trust

    • 50% raised update

      An update for Baba Ganoush Kitchen Needs Your Help!

      Jun 3 2022

      Dear all, thanks to you all we have now reached 50% of our initial goal to launch an appeal for Shad's release! Shad still doesn't have the medical treatment or medication he needs despite best efforts from out here and his conditions are inhumane. The barrister has been working hard on the case and we are waiting to hear next steps. Going through all the paperwork is taking time but fingers crossed it's worth it 🤞Peace and love ❤ 

    • 45 Mins to go!

      An update for Help the Stokes Croft Land Trust purchase its first building and bring it into community ownership

      May 31 2022

      Thank you so much for your support, every investor and every investment has brought us to one step closer to securing our own community owned building in Stokes Croft. 

      With 45 mins to go on our share offer we have an amazing 427 investors pledging £325,090 towards our £345,000 maximum total. 

      We are very proud of the strength of support for community ownership and community shares.

      If you know anyone who wants to invest and hasn't done so yet, do please tell them to be quick! 

      Thanks again,

      Hilary

      Stokes Croft Land Trust Director