If you want to get more involved, there are lots of groups you can join. If you’re not sure where you’d fit in best, email oxford+welcome@extinctionrebellion.uk and we will help you find your place.
Affinity Groups
South Oxford Geese
The Geese are a smallish, friendly affinity group drawing members from South Oxford and Kennington. We participate in Oxford-wide and national actions and sometimes plan smaller actions, such as banner drops, of our own. We welcome new members – do get in touch to find out more.
Contact: soxgeese@gmail.com
Next meeting: Tuesday 28 September, 8:00-9:00PM
Marsh Harriers
The Marsh Harriers are a small and friendly affinity group in East Oxford that are happy to welcome new members. We meet every three weeks, usually on Tuesdays 7-8 pm. We’re involved in lots of different things and since we’re a small group you can have a lot of input. In the last year we have scrutinised the local press, joined money rebellion to put pressure on banks, and attended two Rebellions together in London, among other things.
Contact: xroxfordharriers@gmail.com
Headington Fringe
Headington Fringe is a large, friendly and supportive affinity group based in the Headington area of Oxford but drawing in members from a wider area. The affinity group is coordinated by a ‘core team’ of six people who send out regular emails informing members about upcoming XR talks, training, meetings and actions. We have an email group for all members, and also communicate with each other via our Headington Fringe Telegram group.
Contact: headingtonfringecoordinator@gmail.com
Next meeting: Sunday 17th October, 4:00PM
XR Oxford University
We are open to all students and staff at Oxford University and its colleges. We are looking to revive the group with the start of the new academic year, working with Oxford Climate Justice Campaign and Oxford Climate Society. We have a Telegram chat – email us for the link.
Contact: xroxforduni@gmail.com
Wolvercote Wolves
We have been lying dormant since the beginning of Covid so we are arranging a social gathering to re-ignite before COP-26. We are a very friendly, social group and welcome new faces, so please come along or get in touch if you are interested in joining.
Contact: xrwolvesoxford@gmail.com
Canaries
We are a lively, active group based within North Oxford and with particular strengths in actions, arts and alliances. Well-established but also welcoming some new members, and happy to help new groups to start up.
Contact: canariescoordinator@gmail.com
Rusty Bicycles
We are based in East Oxford. Between rebellions we’re relatively quiet—we don’t have regular meetings—although many of us are active in other parts of XR, and small groups of members initiate actions such as banner drops from time to time. We try to gather together for the big rebellions, though, with preparatory sessions beforehand and lots of care for one another during protests. You can usually find a Rusty or two amongst the lock-ons, in the samba band, or carrying a banner!
Contact: xr-oxford-rustybicycles-coordinators@googlegroups.com
Millicents
Millicents started as a group of friends. It later expanded (friends of friends), but has now shrunk again! We’d welcome new members. We are still an active group and most recently have been helping organise ‘greenwashing’ outreach before COP26. Most of us live in East Oxford or Headington.
Contact: MIllicentsXRO@protonmail.com
Earth Meditators
We are an affiliated group of meditation practitioners, which has care of our planet and all its people, living creatures and natural resources at its core.
Contact: timstead67@gmail.com
Swallows
We are a group based in West Oxford and local villages including Cumnor, Farmoor, Eynsham, Long Hanborough, Church Hanborough and Freeland. We are a lively group and regularly do banner drops, have done some local Heading For Extinction Talks and do litter picks as a form of outreach. We meet regularly, recently on zoom, but are trying to move to meeting in person, usually in Eynsham, but it does vary.
Contact: xroxfordswallows@gmail.com
Next meeting: Tuesday, 12th October, 7:30PM
Working Groups
Actions
Actions are at the heart of what XR does – wanting to take action on the climate crisis was the reason a lot of us got involved, and XR’s bold, inventive, nonviolent actions are how we have an impact in the world. In Oxford, Affinity Groups will often organise actions independently, but actions will generally have greater impact with more people involved, which is where the Action Working Group, or Circle, comes in. At the moment we’re formed of representatives from each of the Oxford Affinity Groups, but we very much welcome other interested individuals. We meet once a month, on the last Wednesday of the month to share news of AG actions past and to come, and to hammer out the details of larger, Oxford-wide actions.
Contact: xroxfordactions@gmail.com
Next meeting: Wednesday 29 September, 7:30-9:00PM
Drummers
- Inspired by Brazilian Carnival music, XR samba bands bring rousing rhythms and an atmosphere of celebration to Extinction Rebellion. There are XR samba bands all over the UK and we all learn the same rhythms and breaks so that we can easily join together at bigger actions. Get inspired at https://twitter.com/xrsambauk
- In Oxford we are the XR Oxford Drummers. Everyone is welcome to play along and we are always looking for new members. No musical background is necessary; we are all still learning. We usually have spare instruments for newcomers so do get in touch if you are interested and come along to a rehearsal or action to get started.
- We rehearse once a week in locations in and around Oxford – we expect that we will be very busy between now and COP 26 and need as many rebel drummers as possible! 🙂
Contact: xroxforddrummers@gmail.com
Arts
Arts work under Actions, and we try to make creations appropriate to the coming Actions. We screen print flags, paint and collage banners, block print T-shirts, patches and bags, make badges and print postcards. More lately we have made a large turtle and an even larger scarlet tiger moth that can be carried with 3 poles. We have had stalls at the open market which help to draw people in and collect donations. Pre-Covid we had badges available in Broad Canvas and Indigo shops, and we could start this up again.
We can support any group with help and/or materials. We can lend out a range of blocks and equipment for printing. We have two badge making machines for making large and small badges.
Contact: xroxfordarts@gmail.com
Media & Messaging
We manage internal and external communications for XR Oxford. This means liasing with the press to publicise actions, distributing our announcements across all our channels (email, Facebook, Telegram, and more). We also provide IT support to the group and manage this website.
Contact: xroxfordcomms@gmail.com
Next meeting: Monday 11th October, 7:30PM
Red Rebels Brigade
A meditative protest performance group, welcome to anyone. The vivid colour of the costumes symbolises the blood shared by all species. The performance is concerned with emanating emotion through specific poses (love, hope and grief, to name just a few), and, as such, we hold a space for the feelings of humanity at this time. See our Facebook group for more. Our members come from all parts of Oxford, and also Abingdon. We are open to new members – you would be invited to come along to meetings, socials, and rehearsals, supported to make your costume, and then buddied up with an experienced Red for your first outing. The group is open to adults, of all genders, and all types of backgrounds. No prior performance or meditation experience necessary. If you would like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to us.
Contact: karinegroves@yahoo.co.uk
Police Liaison
This is not a Working Group as such, but there are only two people trained as police liaison in Oxford: we need more. Every action XR takes should have a police liaison to talk to the police and act as a shield between demonstrating rebels and the police. At the moment, with only two of us, we can’t achieve that. Online training is offered by XR South East run by two former police officers who keep us up-to-date on police tactics.
Please do get in touch if you are interested in doing police liaison, locally and/or nationally or if you would like to ask me more about the role.
Contact: hazeldawe5@gmail.com