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Guest editorial

Doug Bourn and Deborah McCahon, pp. 3-5

2025 is the centenary of Woodcraft Folk, the co-operative movement’s children’s and young people’s organisation. Throughout its history the Woodcraft Folk has had a strong relationship with the consumer co-operative movement and, as the first co-educational youth movement and having a distinctive philosophy based around education for social change, it  has played a major role in promoting a progressive approach to informal learning by children and young people. While articles about the organisation have featured in past issues and other journals concerned with youth and socialist movements, this is the first time the Woodcraft Folk has been the focus of a special issue of any journal. This special issue celebrates the past and the present - from the contribution of some of its leading figures, to its contribution to gender equality and putting co-operation into practice.

 Introduction to the Woodcraft Folk

Deborah McCahon, pp. 7-9

Peer reviewed papers

 â€˜Here is the story of Brown Eagle’: Basil Rawson, Shefstanthing, and the Woodcraft Folk. 

Christopher Olewicz, pp. 10-21

 â€˜A frank and free comradeship between the sexes’: The Woodcraft Folk and the second wave of feminism

Rich Palser, pp. 22-34

 Co-operative learning: The distinctive contribution of the Woodcraft Folk. 

Douglas Bourn, pp. 35-46

Short articles and think pieces (editorial review)

 Peer Action Collective: How Woodcraft Folk fosters moral courage through transformative learning experiences. 

Saheli Nath, pp. 47-53

 Venturer Camp 2023: A co-operative approach to youth residentials. 

Thomas Boxall, pp. 54-58

 Woodcraft Folk impact case studies.  

Grace Dobbie, pp. 59-64

 Young people’s stories.

Lauren Karstadt, pp. 65-69

 Five peelers, 5,000 potatoes: How collaborative cooking and eating in the Woodcraft Folk is building co-operation from the ground up.  

Anna Blewett, pp. 70-72 

 Teddy Bear Hospitals: A novel approach to encourage physical and mental health activities for Woodcraft Folk children. 

Abigail Cole, Oke Obiuwevbi, and Sham Kattan, pp. 73-74