Transparency around money

Slí na Sinsear is rooted in a system of values, standards and ethics in regards to how this work is offered & shared, how people are treated, and the way in which we are contributing towards the creation of new systems of mutual aid & care, redistribution of wealth, transparency & access.

Where I’m coming from with it

My background: I am a person who comes from zero inherited wealth, a social housing background, with minimal support & a lot to work through just to be well - with everything I have having worked for and given to myself. As a result, I hold a lot of values around how this work needs to be shared, what reciprocity looks like, and I feel strongly about the idea and practice of wealth redistribution.

I know and have experienced the financial barriers that prevent this work being accessed by those who come from backgrounds of poverty/wealth inaccess.

I also know that If I ever want to have housing security, (I don’t at present), and continue to have my basic needs met - that I simply cannot work for free. I have nobody coming to save me, no rich relative offering any inheritance or otherwise. What I have done to scrape myself out of the gutters, out of the ashes time and time again, to accumulate the knowledge and learnings that I share with people is a miracle, and is extremely valuable.

So within this I hold the polarity, needing to charge what the work is worth, and also ensure I am not only working for the rich or those who have access to wealth, is a tricky yet (possible) road to walk.

How?

I have had some great learnings over the years and will continue to learn, get it wrong and sometimes also get it right, for the rest of my life! The way I’ve come to understand it is that not everybody will be able to access all of my different offerings, for a multitude of different reasons. Perhaps they are not a suitable fit, perhaps the content of the course isnt what they need, or that the distance is too far to travel for an event. Making everything free or giving away work isn’t necessarily making it suitable for everyone. And the work and effort that goes into it must be respected.

Types of work I offer:

Online courses
In-person events, retreats, & gatherings
Trainings in person & online
Funded events in person

Within the span of my offerings I ensure to include a variety of lower cost, sliding scale, higher priced & fully funded (free).

The way in which I price things always has in mind - ensuring that all those involved get paid fairly & well for their time & effort.
Ensuring that wealth can be redistributed fairly within the pricing system, i.e those who have less pay less, those who have more, pay more and subsidize those with concession.

The work I am engaged with in my own community (Killinarden Community Centre) in Tallaght is fully funded and therefor completely FREE to access - this is very important to me as this work is needed there more than anywhere, and those who live within this community generally would not have any excess income to afford the work & education.

I am only one person therefor unable to commit to ‘‘saving everyone’’ or providing services to everyone in need however my commitment is to bringing this work where it is needed the most, i.e in my own community, without any financial barriers.

In my work online and in-person I have always given discounts, made financial exceptions and have supported others in accessing my offerings outside of paying in money. This is something I will continue to do to the best of my ability whilst also honoring my own efforts, needs & capacity as a person.

I regularly donate money to causes that mean something to me; whether thats supporting friends in difficult times, land projects, or even strangers who I see are needing a hand. I believe in mutual aid, care and support in these times where capitalism has taken a hold of the world & hijacked our humanity.

The prices you see on courses, events and otherwise reflect the deep effort, commitment and devotion it requires to show up to this work every single day, to invest in trainings, to invest in community care & in ensuring that those who are involved in what I am a part of creating feel valued & are reciprocated fairly.

I will continue to explore this, to welcome continued learnings, and to have conversations around how we can ALL offer this work from a place of rooted integrity & ethics around financial transparency.