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Tackling worry through action - How do we know what things will have most impact?

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Tackling worry through action - How do we know what things will have most impact?

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Beyond Buying - Fashion Slow Down - Ditch Disposables

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Beyond Buying - Fashion Slow Down - Ditch Disposables

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Only buy what you need?
Buy things that are intended to be used multiple times and for a long time?
Can you avoid fast fashion?
Can you refuse products that cannot be reused?
Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle.

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Keep active - Share your ride - Go Cleaner

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Keep active - Share your ride - Go Cleaner

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Walking, cycling for your journeys
Pushing government and businesses for more sustainable and public transport routes
Opt for public and shared transport instead of driving
Swap to electric vehicles, cleaner fuels and shorter distances.

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Protein Swaps - Use all your food - Grow your own

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Protein Swaps - Use all your food - Grow your own

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Reduce/elimate meat and animal products, more plant based.
Get organic waste out of rubbish and landfills
Grow your food and connect to where it comes from
Think about food transport, packaging and food waste.

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Ethical investing - divestment - energy postive homes and buildings

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Ethical investing - divestment - energy postive homes and buildings

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Save energy and money by adapting homes, schools and buildings to be more efficient
Swap your financial institutions or where you put your money to sustainable options
Consider where you spend and invest to choose socially and environmentally responsible options.

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Enjoy the Journey - Stay Curious - Choose Experiences

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Enjoy the Journey - Stay Curious - Choose Experiences

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Stay local, when you go further choose better options
Keep learning, adventuring and being curious with an open mind.
Spend more time and resources on experiences that add value to your life.
Stay connected to nature.

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PROTEIN SWAPS

Reduce or eliminate meat and animal product consumption habits and adopt a more plant-based diet

USE ALL YOUR FOOD

Get organic waste out of trash heaps and landfills to reduce methane, improve soil fertility, and increase equitable access to fresh food

GROW YOUR OWN

Grow your own food and connect to where it comes from in order to save money and to reduce transport, packaging, and food waste

Reduce or eliminate meat and animal product consumption habits and adopt a more plant-based diet

1. Swap animal protein for more plant-based proteins

2. Diversify your diet and cook more at home

3. Eat what is seasonally available

4. Opt for locally produced foods, seek out local farmers and markets that offer sustainable produce

5. Talk with your friends and family about healthy and sustainable food options to encourage them to swap their diets too

6. Become an everyday/weekday vegetarian vegan or flexitarian

7. Try and have a rainbow of vegetables on your plate in every meal

WHY ARE PROTEIN SWAPS SO IMPORTANT?
Swapping meat-based meals for meals with proteins from other sources reduces negative environmental impacts AND is good for your health. The more vegetables you eat, the more nutrients and you get the better you can feel. Not everyone in the world can suddenly go vegan/vegetarian but everyone can reduce the amount of animal-based proteins that they buy and consume and this can have staggeringly positive impacts. By swapping to a more a vegetable-based diet, consciously being more selective in where your meat comes from or becoming a weekday vegetarian - these can all add up to shifts in the types of proteins on the market and the impact they have on the planet. The issues go well beyond cruelty to animals experience in factory farms. Global animal protein consumption is a huge issue especially as it relates to carbon emissions.

Get organic waste out of trash heaps and landfills to reduce methane, improve soil fertility, and increase equitable access to fresh food

1. Design your meals to use up the entire food product

2. Buy only what you can finish or save - don't waste food after all you paid for it. If you throw it away, you are tossing your money in the trash

3. When buying foods, avoid excessive packaging and take your own produce bags

4. Seek out "ugly" fruit and vegetables to give them a life in your meal

5. Manage how you store food to maximize freshness, such as using sealed containers in your fridge and pantry

6. Get (more) into canning, preserves, and freezing to extend food life

7. Make stock out of food scraps

8. Compost your food scraps

9. Share excess food to help ensure everyone has enough (there are many apps that help with this)

10. Find out what's available in your neighbourhood and advocate for communal composting and organic waste processing solutions

WHY IS USING ALL YOUR FOOD SO IMPORTANT?
Soils need nutrients to produce healthy and delicious food, but globally, we remove plants from land and then throw the waste materials into big holes or giant heaps where they mix with other household materials and microorganisms to produce unhealthy toxic leachates and methane (which is a 25x more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide emissions). Old food scraps and stale bread are not trash at all! They are filled with the building blocks of life - nutrients! Your body digests them when you eat it, but if you don't, then the soil could really use the nutrients. This in turn can reduce the need for (added) fertilizers and chemicals that often end up depleting the soil's health and productivity in the long run. So, by getting organics out of open dumps and landfills, we can reduce emissions into the air and toxins into the environment as well as give nutrients back to the soils to produce even more healthy and delicious plants!

Grow your own food and connect to where it comes from in order to save money and to reduce transport, packaging, and food waste

1. Farm, plant and grow whatever you can, wherever you can

2. Start or join an urban school or kitchen garden

3. Connect with your food: find out where your food comes from and how it is produced

4. Regrow vegetables like leeks, carrots, and beets in your house in a glass of water before discarding them

5. If you can't grow food yourself, support a local sustainable farmer or shop at farmers markets

6. Promote, develop, and support initiatives in your building, street, or community that increases your access to food-growing space

WHY IS GROWING YOUR OWN SO IMPORTANT?
By growing your own food, even if it only replaces a small amount of what you consume commercially, you can connect better to what you are eating, along with reduce impacts of packaging, transport, and food waste. Food waste is a significant issue, from the sum of the impacts of the resources used in creating the item, to the packaging and grocery bags needed to get them home, through to the waste from the supply chain and commercial expectations of what food should look like aesthetically. Access to land and time to garden is not the same for everyone, so if you can't grow your own, then consider finding local farmers and support them or join a farmers cooperative. There are so many added benefits to more small scale community agriculture, such as better food, air, and soil quality, pollinator plants for bees and other insects, and more nutrients in your diet!

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Swap animal protein for more plant-based proteins Diversify your diet and cook more at home Eat what is seasonally available Opt for locally produced foods, seek out local farmers and markets that offer sustainable produce Talk with your friends and family about healthy and sustainable food options to encourage them to swap their diets too Become an everyday/weekday vegetarian vegan or flexitarian Try and have a rainbow of vegetables on your plate in every meal Swapping meat-based meals for meals with proteins from other sources reduces negative environmental impacts AND is good for your health.

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BEYOND BUYING

Consider what you need and buy products that will last longer, be used multiple times, and are intended to be in use for as long as possible before being remanufactured or recycled

FASHION SLOW DOWN

Buy fewer amd better clothes, stay away from fast fashion that mass produces at the cost of environmental and human justice

DITCH DISPOSABLES

Refuse everyday products which cannot be reused

Consider what you need and buy products that will last longer, be used multiple times, and are intended to be in use for as long as possible before being remanufactured or recycled

1. Consider what you really need and what impacts these have on the planet before buying stuff; reduce what you buy

2. Continue or start sharing and swapping things like appliances, tools, clothes, talents, and services

3. For new purchases, look into how you can get what you need via a service or a product that lasts longer and has been made sustainably

4. Find things with extended warranties and that can be repaired, and then make sure you repair things

5. Buy beautiful second-hand things and find new homes for things you no longer want

6. For technologies and gadgets, use them longer, repair and donate them, and ensure you find a reliable recycler at the end of their life

7. Delete old emails and other files stored on the cloud (servers use heaps of energy)

8. Offer your technical skills and talents to extend product use, help others, and build a sense of community

9. Recommend and buy from companies that provide spare parts to repair, that offer take-back services, or that use recycled materials in production

WHY IS MOVING BEYOND BUYING SO IMPORTANT?
The circular economy is all about meeting our needs better with less stuff - hence the things we buy and use in our daily lives have more value and last longer, reduce disposability, and maximize material recapture. In some parts of the world, this is already a way of life. While we wait for all producers of goods and services to adopt this new approach, consumers of all walks of life can be more conscious of what they need, what they are buying, and how they value the things that fill our lives. Increasing the usable life by repairing, sharing, reselling, and reducing helps reduce the need for new goods. If you can, invest in goods with longer warranties and design durability, and find companies that offer buyback and repair schemes for their products along with swapping and sharing things you need.

Buy fewer and better clothes, stay away from fast fashion that mass produces at the cost of environmental and human justice.

1. Use your consumer power to buy better clothes and to increase the availability of more sustainable fashion options

2. Celebrate being unique - buy vintage, redesign old clothes, create a core basic or 'capsule' wardrobe, AND be bold in your fashion choices

3. Think long-term: buy quality clothes that last and take care of them. Today's new pieces are tomorrow's vintage treasures

4. Give your clothes a second chance: share, reuse, repair, recycle, sell, and donate high-quality fashion for second- hand use

5. Ask brands about how best to take care of their clothes, how they produce and source, and how they are committed to sustainability

6. Let brands know when you are not happy with their practices and help encourage them to move towards sustainable production

WHY is a FASHION SLOW DOWN IS SO IMPORTANT?
Fashion is a hyper-fast industry, and in fact is the second most polluting industry worldwide. It impacts nearly everyone on the planet in some way. We all wear clothes, not only for functionality, but also to express a certain style and identity. The fast fashion phenomenon exacerbates labour conditions and product quality pushed by brands to make inventory on a weekly basis. You can avoid contributing to this by breaking the vicious cycle perpetuated by constantly changing clothes by finding responsible brands that support the betterment of workers and the environment, or by buying second hand. In becoming a conscious and responsible consumer through the power of your decision making, you will help the environment and society in significant ways.

Refuse everyday products which cannot be reused

1. Swap daily disposables such as straws, bags, coffee cups, take-out food containers, forks, razors, and sanitary products for reusable alternatives; you will save money in the long run

2. Continue or start to buy at bulk food stores and bring your own containers and bags to take products home in

3. Carry your own vessel for water and hot drinks

4. Rethink food storage to eliminate plastic baggies and wrap. You can swap to reusable containers and beeswax wraps

5. Clean greener- from toothpaste to household cleaning products, there are alternative and often cheaper ways of getting things clean, such as baking soda and vinegar

6. Replace disposable hygiene products with reusable ones, such as swapping pads & tampons for the menstrual cups and moon pads

7. Consider ways to refill products like cleaning and household liquids in bulk to reduce packaging

8. Use your consumer power where you shop, eat, and work to voice the change you want to see and reduce disposability from our lives!

WHY DITCHING DISPOSABLES IS SO IMPORTANT?
All over the world, our daily lives are overwhelmed with single-use products and plastics, from packaging to beverage cups and bags. Things that can easily be reusable are now destined for the dump. Disposable products are not just hazardous for the environment but also costly to remove and hard to recycle. By ditching disposables in whatever way you can, you are supporting the global movement to go #zerowaste and sending signals to producers and stores that we don't want plastic in our oceans and littering our streets. From personal beverage containers to shopping in bulk and even making your own cleaning products, there are hundreds of micro actions you can take to support the global trend towards a post disposable future.

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Consider what you really need and what impacts these have on the planet before buying stuff; reduce what you buy Continue or start sharing and swapping things like appliances, tools, clothes, talents, and services For new purchases, look into how you can get what you need via a service or

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KEEP ACTIVE

Keep or take up walking and cycling to work and advocate for your government and local businesses to provide more sustainable and safer public transport options

SHARE YOUR RIDE

Continue or opt for public and shared transport instead of driving, and advocate for more options

GO CLEANER

Swap to options like electric vehicles, cleaner fuels, and fewer kilometers to reduce your transport footprint

Keep or take up walking and cycling to work and advocate for your government and local businesses to provide more sustainable and safer public transport options

1. Swap short drives for walks or bike rides (or learn to rollerblade, skateboard, or scooter if you want a cooler way to get around)

2. Give your productivity and personal wellness a boost by walking or cycling instead of taking short personal car rides

3. Engage with green space and support urban conservation projects in your community by using public nature spaces for moving around, like using bike paths

4. Pre-check and choose routes for walkability, give yourself extra time and get exercise, increase your health and wellness, and reduce your transport impact

5. Start a group of people commuting to work at the same time to make a walking or bike bus if safety is of concern

6. Support local government initiatives to introduce better urban design, walkable cities, and mass public transport systems

WHY IS KEEPING ACTIVE SO IMPORTANT?
Using your body to get around is great for a variety of reasons; it's cheap, clean, and good for your health, and its implementation often increases road safety. By just cycling to work, you reduce your chance of cancer by 45% and cardiovascular disease by 46%. In many places around the world, walking and cycling are the norm, but more can be done to enhance infrastructure. Introducing sidewalks in a city can reduce serious traffic injuries by 25%. Personal car transportation contributes huge impacts to air pollution and to your carbon footprint, so whenever you can, swap your car rides to human-powered transport options to help reduce these stats and to encourage a shift in the way we design cities and move around them.

Swap to options like electric vehicles, cleaner fuels, and fewer kilometers to reduce your transport footprint

1. Explore all the options available to you for getting around, and find which ones have the least impact

2. Adjust your routes so that you are going the least distance

3. Swap short distance drives for alternative modes of transport

4. Look for and ask about flexible working options to reduce your commute, such as working from home, video conferencing, or later start times

5. See if there are leasing services where you can give an electric car or bike a try

6. Swap your fossil fuel car to an electric one

7. Use cleaner fuel when you can

8. Support government or business initiatives that provide alternative fuel and cleaner transport options for your community

WHY IS GOING CLEANER SO IMPORTANT?
We all have to get places, and the impact we each have on climate change and air pollution is directly attributed to our transport choices. You can opt to drive less, share your ride, and swap to electric. Added benefits of reducing your car dependence is cost and time savings, along with better air quality, lower noise, and less congestion issues. Globally we are seeing a rise in electric vehicle use and charging stations, so now is a great time to find ways of swapping to electric. Try a car out through a leasing or car share service to see how easy electric can be.

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Swap short drives for walks or bike rides (or learn to rollerblade, skateboard, or scooter if you want a cooler way to get around) Give your productivity and personal wellness a boost by walking or cycling instead of taking short personal car rides Engage with green space and support urban

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ETHICAL INVESTING

Use your principles to guide investing and consider socially and environmentally responsible options

DIVESTMENT

Actively swap your financial institutions or services to more sustainable options

ENERGY POSITIVE HOMES

Enhance your comfort, save energy and money by adapting your home and your habits to be more efficient

Use your principles to guide investing and consider socially and environmentally responsible options

1. Spend time and money on things that have positive impacts

2. Decide on your priority social and environmental issues and invest accordingly

3. Ask your bank about their sustainable investment policy, and if they don't have one, then swap banks

4. Speak up and voice your preference for sustainable investments - look at long-term drivers that affect company performance

5. Invest in goods and services produced in sustainable ways

6. Never invest in products made from endangered wildlife

7. Invest in a diversified portfolio (don't put all your eggs in one basket)

8. Put savings in responsible stocks and investments, including pensions and banks

9. Pay taxes to help build your community

10. Advance your family financial skills and financial management to avoid going into or to start to get out of debt

WHY IS ETHICAL INVESTING SO IMPORTANT?
If you're not investing responsibly, you're investing irresponsibly. Everything we spend money on has an impact on people and the planet, so when you are deciding on big or small purchases of products, services, and investments, you can influence the types of goods and services you want to see more in the future. You have the power as an individual to choose what your money supports (and what not to support); this goes for both the purchase of goods and services as well as your investments in stocks and bonds. Investing in the future is not just about what stocks you may purchase but also about the companies you invest in every time you consume something. Opting for financial planning that considers your economic impacts and where you make ethically motivated choices can support both your family and your community. Choosing to invest a bit more in locally produced goods and services can have really strong positive economic outcomes as it injects cash into your local community.

Actively swap your financial institutions or services to more sustainable options

1. Move your money; ask your bank how they invest your money. If it is in fossil fuels or other unsustainable industries (such as weapons, tobacco, etc.), then move banks and tell your bank why you did

2. If you have a retirement fund, you could be inadvertently investing in unsustainable industries. If so, ask your fund manager to move to a more responsible fund

3. For investments in stocks, bonds, and funds, you can avoid investing in companies you believe are harmful and choose to invest in those that support more sustainable efforts

4. Swap your energy provider to a non fossil fuel based provider or support collective or community-run wind and solar farms

5. Divest from fossil fuel or unethical companies

WHY IS DIVESTMENT SO IMPORTANT?
Divestment is when people move away from industries and commercial activities that are unsustainable and instead choose investments, banks, energy providers, and other companies that are supporting renewable options, sustainable consumption and production, and industry development. As more and more people do this, it sends a message to companies to consider their business models and actions to support renewable energy, sustainable technologies, and more responsible products.

Enhance your comfort, save energy and money by adapting your home and your habits to be more efficient

1. Find ways to save on your energy bill via do-it-yourself or professional audit of energy used/saved/lost in your home, and make simple changes

2. Regulate home temperatures better by adding verandas, green roofs, high inertia walls, and bio-based insulation

3. Adapt to the season: stay comfortable and save energy (wear a sweater, draw blinds in summer)

4. Take simple steps: seal windows and doorsteps, avoid thermic bridges, install double glass glazing, use LED bulbs, invest in high inertia radiators

5. Change habits: open the curtains for natural light, close shades in hot climates, cover pans when boiling, spend less time in shower, compost organics

6. Produce your own energy: install a small-scale solar installation to power your home

7. Collect rainwater and reuse it for gardening, toilets, and washing machines

8. Use appliances as intended; consider buying more energy and water-efficient appliances when replaced

9. Compare available energy providers and choose a more sustainable one (renewable energy).

WHY IS HAVING AN ENERGY POSITIVE HOME SO IMPORTANT?
Sustainable constructive modes, appliances, and behaviors at home can dramatically reduce emissions and promote climate change mitigation. Energy efficiency and renewables can save you a lot of money, generate utility savings over time, and increase the value of your property. Making your home more sustainable can also help support the local economy and can increase your level of comfort by enhancing the quality of your life. Swapping to renewable energy supply by changing the energy providers is another step towards sustainable energy, but most of the savings can be attained through small technical interventions into the home to ensure it is well insulated against hot and cold weather.

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Spend time and money on things that have positive impacts Decide on your priority social and environmental issues and invest accordingly Ask your bank about their sustainable investment policy, and if they don't have one, then swap banks Speak up and voice your preference for sustainable investments - look at

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ENJOY THE JOURNEY

Staying local can reduce your carbon footprint, help local economies, and can be more cost effective. When you do go the distance, stay longer and choose better products

STAY CURIOUS

Embrace a life of constant learning, adventure, and curiosity, and keep an open mind

CHOOSE EXPERIENCES

Consider spending more time and resources on the experiences that add value to your life

Staying local can reduce your carbon footprint, help local economies, and can be more cost effective. When you do go the distance, stay longer and choose better products AND SERVICES

1. Research and ensure your tourist purchases and activities have a positive impact wherever you go

2. Consider vacations close to home and see the things that other people travel to your community to see

3. Travel slowly and take time to discover by taking the train/bus or cycling and walking

4. Visit fewer places but stay longer in each

5. Take direct flights and consider staying close to venues to reduce travel time and carbon emissions

6. Experience the real: eat and stay local, embrace diverse cultures, experience what the terrain has to offer (run, bike, hike), and help local economies

7. Refuse disposable plastics and other single-use items and minimize your visit's impacts

8. Collect memories from your trip that leave footprints in the sand, not on the planet - be mindful and proactive about the impacts of your fun times

9. Research and stay in sustainable hotels and accommodation services

WHY IS ENJOYING THE JOURNEY SO IMPORTANT?
Being a conscious and ethical traveler has positive impacts for the communities you are visiting and for your personal well being. When traveling, do your research to ensure you are contributing to the local economy in proactive ways, supporting the enhancement of local culture, and ensuring that your carbon footprint is the lowest it can be. Opting for a vacation near to your home and preferably in nature can be rewarding for your health, relaxation, the local economy, the environment, and of course your wallet! Many emerging economies depend on tourism revenues, small island development states in particular. If you travel for sun and surf, opt to stay longer, eat local, ditch disposables, and be proactive in your footprint.

Embrace a life of constant learning, adventure, and curiosity, and keep an open mind

1. Adopt a lifelong learning approach to keep your mind thirsty and active

2. Seek out and support new ideas to make the world a better place

3. Learn from nature and see where it fits in with your life

4. Discover more about the systems that sustain us - like where your food comes from - and make more informed choices

5. Choose technologies and apps that make it easier for you to live more sustainably

6. Foster an open and independent mindset

7. Be future-focused and stay positive about how to contribute to a better world

8. Learn new things through formal and informal education

WHY IS STAYING CURIOUS SO IMPORTANT?
Learning, curiosity, discovery, wonderment - whatever you want to call it, life is made more valuable through the addition of new knowledge, ideas, and actions. By embracing a curiosity mindset, you can experience all sorts of lifelong benefits, from more flexibility in work opportunities through to setting a better example for our kids and communities.

Consider spending more time and resources on the experiences that add value to your life

1. Engage in experiences and services that add value to your life

2. Find ways to spend time with people that you care about and make you laugh

3. Spend more time connecting with nature and natural spaces

4. Opt for active recreational choices for increased health and well being (sports, games, and outdoor activities)

5. Find daily ways to relax, and take time out to reduce stress and anxiety

6. Give yourself (more) digital detox time and embrace analog experiences

7. Pursue purpose and passions, not possessions

8. Consider the impact of our recreational activities, and find ways to increase the positive impact

WHY IS CHOOSING EXPERIENCES SO IMPORTANT?
We are a sum of our experiences. Our identity is not defined by our possessions, but is actually an accumulation of the places we've been, lessons we've learned, people we have interacted with, and the experiences we've had (good and bad!). Buying something new may not be a life-changing event, but the experiences we lock into our memories through the daily act of living helps create who we are. There is lots of new science behind the power and importance of spending time in nature and the benefits that an active life has on your longevity and overall well being.

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Research and ensure your tourist purchases and activities have a positive impact wherever you go Consider vacations close to home and see the things that other people travel to your community to see Travel slowly and take time to discover by taking the train/bus or cycling and walking Visit fewer

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Activate everyday lifestyle changes for sustainable living with the UN Environment Program and UnSchools Anatomy of Action free toolkit

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Have fun together
Meet new people
Develop group and team work skills
Learn how to work to a deadline
Develop leadership skills for climate change
Be cooperative and supportive
Learn new environmental and climate knowledge and skills
Practice speaking, listening and writing skills
Learn how to create and edit videos
Write content for a website
Be change makers for our planet.

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Throughout this project you will choose a theme to take action on and we will support you to create:

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Throughout this project you will choose a theme to take action on and we will support you to create:

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Short video/vlogs:  These will explain what you are doing and taking action on.  They might include hints and tips for others or myth busting.  They need to be accurate and factual and should be suitable for sharing on a website or social media.

Case Study:  This will explain what you have done and how.  it can also include information gathered about what people have done elsewhere in the UK or globally on this theme that are inspiring.  It could be written, a video or photo documentary or audio podcast style.

Content:  This will be information for a website on how to take action on this theme.

Links: Where can people go to find out more? Take action? Join groups or organisations to help them on this theme?

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Changemakers Who Change Business As We Know It

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Changemakers Who Change Business As We Know It

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In my work, I help changemakers develop and express their true voice, create a compelling brand storytelling strategy, and increase their impact. But what is a changemaker?

The word changemaker is a term used in the social innovation space as our world is moving from the traditional profit-driven business model to an economy that increasingly combines profit and purpose.

To a large extent, we can thank millennials for turning our understanding of doing good and doing business on its head and demanding that the two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Social change is no longer exclusive to non-profit and government funded initiatives that are working on furthering a specific cause. A global wave of social innovation and social entrepreneurship is changing the way we do business and how we approach social change in general.

I view a changemaker as someone who is deeply passionate about solving a particular issue or a problem for the purpose of the greater good. A changemaker often is a highly empathetic and idealistic person who is passionately working on a hopeful mission, no matter how difficult the obstacles or circumstances.

Changemakers are visionaries and innovators. They believe that there are better ways of tackling our current problems. They are looking for new perspectives and solutions to known issues that will benefit our communities and our planet.

Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs, defines a changemaker in their publication More than Simply "Doing Good:" Defining Changemaker as follows:

"A changemaker is is someone who is taking creative action to solve a social problem. Thus, whether sparking a global movement or stopping a classroom bully, a founder of a social enterprise, or an employee of a multinational company, every changemaker is intentional about solving a social problem, motivated to act, and creative."

I like how Ashoka includes everyone in their definition as changemaking is not just exclusive to a privileged few. It's enough if one person makes a difference in another person's life. Change can happen on a personal level.

Change can happen to a group of people or in a community. In fact, that's how change most often occurs. To create change on a global level takes a lot of smaller change initiatives to gain momentum over a long period of time.

To be a changemaker all you need to start is passion, creativity, and a voice.

Two changemakers in particular have inspired me in the past few months.

Greta Thunberg

One is the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. In August 2018, she initiated the School Strike For Climate movement, which you can join and follow under the hashtag #FridaysForFuture. In December the same year, Greta spoke at the United Nations Climate Change conference to denounce world leaders for their inaction when it comes to addressing the global climate emergency.

In a recent conversation between US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Great Thunberg, which was published in The Guardian, Greta said this when asked about her role as a changemaker:

"The most common criticism I get is that I'm being manipulated and you shouldn't use children in political ways, because that is abuse, and I can't think for myself and so on. And I think that is so annoying! I'm also allowed to have a say - why shouldn't I be able to form my own opinion and try to change people's minds?"

Dr. Muhammad Yunus

The other inspiring changemaker I want to mention here is Professor Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, economist, and civil society leader. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for establishing the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. His work is fueled by the belief that credit is a fundamental human right.

I met Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the Global Social Business Summit 2018

His latest book "A World Of Three Zeros", Yunus declares it's time to admit that the capitalist engine has failed most people. He offers his vision of a new economic system that can save humankind and the planet. His new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emisions is truly the idea sprung of a mind of a changemaker.

"Our collective blocked mind prevents us from seeing the forces that are pushing us toward inevitable social explosion. Our efforts should be directed toward unblocking our minds. We must challenge the existing paradigms that led the world into this problem [of wealth concentration]." ~Dr. Muhammad Yunus

Here are just a few change-making entrepreneurs who I have worked with:

Michelle N. Moore

Michelle N. Moore is the founder of MindEQuity in Canada, a consultancy that helps organizations cultivate uniquely human traits in a world where machines will soon outperform us. You can read more about my work with MindEQuity in this case study.

Annette Husmann

Annette Husmann created Greenpicks in Germany. Her online marketplace sells upcycled and eco-friendly products. I helped Annette define her verbal brand strategy and communicate the core ideas and values of her new venture.

Avdeep Bahra

Avdeep Bahra is the founder of Inner Healing in Canada where she guides people from loneliness to connection by healing trauma and emotional suppression. I helped Avdeep discover her own true voice and what's truly important to her work as a coach and healer.

Tony Egdell

Tony Edgell is a spiritual coach based in the United States who inspires people to heal and let go of their past beliefs and stories in order to awaken the hero within. I helped Tony articulate his own story - from suppressed past beliefs to a free soul. Today, Tony is on a mission to serve others find healing and peace within.

Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald

Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald is a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine with a thriving practice in Santa Monica, California. I helped Dr. Patricia get clear on her brand voice and share her teachings and experience in an authentic and approachable way that reflects her passion for whole person healing, her professionalism and her kindness.

As entrepreneurs we have the incredible opportunity to help unblock our minds and create ways to do business and life that impacts our communities in a positive way.

As a brand storyteller, I'm passionate about helping solopreneurs and organizations rethink their approach to business and embrace a purpose-driven perspective that will put the wellbeing of the people we serve at the center of our ventures.

As a social entrepreneur or personal coach / consultant, you don't have to build a global movement to affect positive change. It truly starts with building the foundations of your brand story on your own experience as well as your personal motivations and vision for the world.

My mission is to help you express your true voice and embrace the changemaker in yourself! Rebel on!

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Changemakers Who Change Business As We Know It

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In my work, I help changemakers develop and express their true voice, create a compelling brand storytelling strategy, and increase their impact. But what is a changemaker? The word changemaker is a term used in the social innovation space as our world is moving from the traditional profit-driven business model to an economy that increasingly combines profit and purpose.

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Towards the end of the project we'd like to celebrate what your project has achieved and share it with others.  This will be in June/July time.  Have a think together about what you might like to do and let us know.  Some ideas include:

*  Coming as a group to County Hall in Matlock (HQ of Derbyshire County Council) to present what your group has done to the other groups and Council Members and Council Climate Change staff

*  Having an online celebration with the different groups to show and share what we have done.

*  Doing an event at your school or site location to showcase to local people and the rest of your community what you have done.

*  Making a video to share and celebrate what you have done that we can share on our website.

What would suit you best?

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Tree planting and creating a tree nursery

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Tree planting and creating a tree nursery

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Reduce the single use plastic in schools or similar places.

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Potential idea for the theme of "stuff":
A massive clothes swap to encourage young people to use second hand clothing and decrease fast fashion.

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Encourage people to drive less and walk more. 

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Encourage people to drive less and walk more. 

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Data and Evidence Gathering - Project Plan

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Data and Evidence Gathering - Project Plan

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Project Plan - Data and evidence gathering and reporting

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Communication with School Leaders - Project Plan

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Communication with School Leaders - Project Plan

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Project Plan - Communication and negotiation

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Communication Strategy/ Advertising Campaign - Project Plan

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Communication Strategy/ Advertising Campaign - Project Plan

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Project Plan - Communication strategy and advertising campaign