What we do

Mutual Aid In Sussex or MAIS is a network of people from Brighton, and the surrounding area, who are interested in more co-operative ways of living and working.

Please note: the network is only currently active through the email discussion list and newsletter but this may change in the future.

Although co-operation and mutual aid are often talked about, it is not always easy to apply these ideals in practice. So we want to help co-operatives, small ethical business, community groups, and other like-minded people, by providing a free platform where mutual aid and support can be more easily achieved through face-to-face meet-ups and online conversations.

Membership: Membership to the network is free and open to anyone interested in the idea of mutual aid. There are no formal commitments. If you receive help from other members it would be nice if you were able to help some one else in the future, but there are no formal structures to ensure this happens. We rely on trust and, over time, we hope a shared sense of purpose and friendship.

There is no membership fees or hidden costs. However, we may decide collectively as a network, in the future, that some form of contribution is mutually beneficial, to help with promoting the project, giving workshops, venue hire, etc. Any such decisions will only be taken by the group as a whole.

Promotion and campaigning: We like to use our own experiences with mutual aid networks to expand the co-operative sector in Brighton and the surrounding area by promoting co-operatives, such as workers’, food and housing coops. We have done this by running workshops and events, holding stalls and much more.

Email list: Although we think that face-to-face meetings are essential to establishing networks and can really nourish those involved, we recognise that email lists can help get something you need, especially when time is pressing and people have little time for organising events. So we have an email list for requests for help, and to inform people of events likely to be of interest to members.

If you have any questions about MAIS, please get in touch at mais[at]riseup.net