Amplify Stroud

11/12/2025

Nikki Laine interviews Ayoob "Ginge" Moolla about Rising Stars FC after 50 years of growth of the club.

A group of young boys come to the UK in the Summer of 1966. They go to the park at the weekends to play cricket but their heads are turned by the nationwide obsession with football.

The boys save up to buy a football and start playing in the park — 25-a-side, they have dreams of starting a club and joining the Sunday League.

Fifty years later Rising Stars FC takes the county championship.

There is a film screening TONIGHT (Thursday 11 Dec 6pm) at FOREST GREEN ROVERS. Tickets available from Stroud Film Festival.

A group of young boys come to the UK in the Summer of 1966. They go to the park at the weekends to play cricket but their heads are turned by the nationwide obsession with football.

11/12/2025

This is so important

Join us on Thursday for the opening night of our new exhibition.

‘The Silence Between Us’ is an exhibition exploring a young response to modern misogyny. Expressing the emotions that everyone feels being part of our society, regardless of gender. Aiming to bring attention to misogyny and to start a conversation without judgement and to create understanding instead of division.

Opening Thursday 11th Dec 6pm
Open 12th-18th Dec 11am-5pm

29/11/2025

Alyssa Pearce meets with Dale Vince & the rest of the Patriotic Millionaires ahead of the Autumn Budget.

“Tax us MORE or we'll leave the country"
— Dale Vince

The Patriotic Millionaires came to Stroud to raise the profile on their campaign calling for a 2% wealth tax

22/10/2025

EMERGENCE RE-STOCK — THE CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE TEXTILE WASTE
SHALIZE NICHOLAS | Emergence Re-Stock
October 2025
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“UK households throw away around 300,000 tonnes of clothing each year, with much ending up in incineration or landfill. Emergence Re-Stock aims to change this by collecting donated garments, repairing, upcycling and reselling them affordably, and working directly with local charities.”
— Shalize Nicholas

Shalize talks powerfully about fashion, a love of clothes as self-expression and the huge amounts of waste generated by the fashion industry.

The CIC that Shalize has set up aims to challenge that, one stitch at a time, bringing clothes back into the market, through repair and re-use and working with local businesses to reduce textile waste and generate income.

THERE IS A CROWDFUNDER ON SPACEHIVE - If they can achieve 50 pledges (of any size) this will unlock enough match funding to cover the initial set up and premises rental costs, so please read the article, follow the link, make a pledge and let's make Shalize smile.

Full article here on Amplify Stroud
>>> https://amplifystroud.com/emergence-re-stock-the-campaign-to-reduce-textile-waste/ > https://www.spacehive.com/transform-stroud-s-textile-waste

15/10/2025

MUSIC IS THE KEY TO RADICAL RESISTANCE
TIM LEZARD | STROUD LOVE MUSIC / HATE RACISM
OCTOBER 2025

As Italian Ska Punk renegades LOS FASTIDIOS prepare to return to Stroud to play at the Prince Albert on Monday October 27, Tim Lezard catches up with Elisa and Enrico in Verona to talk performance, politics, people power and above all a lifelong love for British Ska and Two Tone.

“We can't wait to return to Stroud. Last year was wonderful, and this year will be even better,” says singer Elisa Dixon. “We return to Stroud with great enthusiasm, a new album and a great desire to have fun and entertain, in the name of solidarity.

“The events related to direct solidarity are always the most important for us, because they further demonstrate the power of music. That's the music we love: the music that unites people from the East to the West.”

Read more at https://amplifystroud.com/music-is-the-key-to-radical-resistance-los-fastidios/

Pick up tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/los-fastidios

SUPPORT NEW INDEPENDENT WRITING
Amplify Stroud is actively nurturing the next generation of young writers and your contribution enables us to commission new articles from new writers every month.

Read more on our website and subscribe for free articles straight to your inbox.

10/10/2025

COMMON GROUND
OCTOBER 2025
WORDS: NIKKI OWEN
ILLUSTRATION: JOE MAGEE

“I blinked through the sunlight dancing in the trees, feeling, in that moment, at one with the world. Until I saw it. There, attached to a pole on a caravan, flapping in the cool breeze like a sharp slap: an England flag.”
— Nikki Owen

Read more at

>> amplifystroud.com/common-ground/

I blinked through the sunlight dancing in the trees, feeling, in that moment, at one with the world. Until I saw it. There, attached to a pole on a caravan, flapping in the cool breeze like a sharp slap: an England flag.

01/10/2025

GLOUCESTER WELCOMES REFUGEES
In the wake of anti-refugee protests outside the Ibis hotel in Gloucester, an upcoming gathering in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers is planned for Sunday 5 October.

Read more at Amplify Stroud

A peaceful, non-confrontational gathering will be held in Gloucester on Sunday 5 October to show support for people seeking asylum and challenge attempts to stoke division and racism.

21/09/2025

It seems like an important time for us to share this article from last year

Here is a story of a moment of warmth and hope in an obscure rural corner of our district. A story that shows you can fix a little bit of the broken world and push back against the hate with a smile and a hand of friendship.

10/09/2025

DATELINE: 10 SEPTEMBER
TITLE: STROUD FESTIVAL OF COMMONING
WRITER: CHIKARA SHIMASAKI

Chik breaks down the Festival of Commoning taking place in Stroud on 12 / 13 September.

Stroud becomes a hub for rethinking community, economy, and democracy this September.

01/08/2025

Video made by local artists from Stroud calling for everyone to "Raise Your Voice" for Gaza. Features members of the Stroud Ceasefire Now Coalition at vigils and at the National March for Palestine.

15/07/2025

Redz is the latest face of a long and proud tradition of grassroots community organising in Stroud. Since opening their doors two months ago, the group have been providing activities, opportunities, and an accessible chill-out space for local youth in the town centre.

Whilst the Redz volunteer team are happy to take the reins on the practical stuff - bulk buying the Ribena and keeping the lights on - they want to encourage young people to pitch ideas and make the space their own.  

“Whilst we are organisers, I think this space wants to belong to all of the youth in Stroud in terms of like feeling a level of [shared] ownership. We want people to feel like this is a third space or an extension of their living room.”

You can see Redz’s timetable of events on the Stroud Community Space website, and make a suggestion or hire the space using their online form.