Events
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Emma Bearman, founder of Playful Anywhere, a Leeds-based Community Interest Company working with communities to transform their relationship with place and space. Emma describes play as a "Trojan horse" - a powerful tool that opens up deeper conversations about how communities
Empowering Young Voices: How Smart School Council Transforms Children into Changemakers What if children as young as four could identify problems in their school and take meaningful action to solve them? Smart School Council is revolutionising how we think about student voice and democratic participation in education, proving that age
Reflections
“The doom-laden headlines of our times would seem to indicate there are two futures on offer. In one, an Orwellian authoritarianism prevails. Fearful in the face of compounding crises — climate, plagues, poverty, hunger — people accept the bargain of the “Strong Man”: their leader’s protection in return for unquestioning allegiance
Pol.is is a tool designed to facilitate large-scale, open-ended conversations while identifying areas of consensus. It enables groups, whether face-to-face or online, to engage people in active decision making and participatory processes in an inclusive and scalable way. The challenge: Traditional consultation and decision-making processes often fail to capture
Guides
An Alternative High Street is the vision of the Re-Action Collective. It is a space that champions repair, reuse, repurposing, sharing, and upskilling. It promotes a culture where caring for what we have and sharing it becomes the norm, rather than defaulting to buying new. Vibrant hubs of community interaction
Food
What if schools could become thriving community hubs that tackle food poverty, reduce waste, and strengthen social connections all at once?
Stories of Action
Through my interest in reducing waste at home, I came across an online directory of zero-waste initiatives. I had previously submitted new projects I’d discovered, so when I read about the party kit concept, it made sense to suggest party kit could be added to this directory.
The art of finding your people to take collective action
What if every child's voice mattered in school decisions, not just the loudest ones? This article explores how Smart School Councils work, why more schools and communities need this approach, and how you can take action to bring democratic education to your area. Building a citizen future in
Just Stop Oil have hung up their hi-vis. After years of relentless action, the government has finally agreed to stop issuing new oil and gas licenses in the UK. Whatever you think of their approach, this is a monumental shift - one that wouldn’t have happened without sustained pressure
In a world grappling with climate change, inequality, and social injustice, more people than ever are looking for ways to make a difference. At the same time, others are frozen in inaction, fearing that what they have to offer isn’t enough to make meaningful change. Let’s take the
OR WHY WE NEED TO USE THE NEXT 19 YEARS VERY WISELY. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’ve got a complicated relationship with astrology. Bear with me on this one. On the one hand, my logical, rational and Westernly-educated brain thinks that it’s all nonsense, and
#CitizenFriday is an anti-Black Friday campaign that began in October 2023. Companies use sales events like Black Friday to manipulate people into buying things they don’t need (or even want). This annual overconsumption frenzy has a high toll on our mental health and the health of our planet too.
In the fabric of my youth, one resounding question echoed: “Can I play outside?” Those were joyful days of boundless exploration, where even the most inconspicuous treasures—a backyard stick or drifting leaves—beckoned with the promise of adventure. Nestled within a rural community, I was blessed by the nurturing
I’ve been told more than once that it’s hard to get young people interested in nature or climate change. That they’re always on their phones - disconnected, disinterested. But honestly? I think we’re asking the wrong questions - and placing the blame in the wrong place.
This is a story from the heart of the Alps – a place where ski lifts reach the highest peaks, and shopping and DJs have replaced nature. Here, real estate has become the capital, displacing the original communities. You don’t need to look hard to witness how the glitz and
I’ve spent the last 20 years of my career designing functional clothing – mostly for the outdoor industry. More recently I’ve also been working in education; helping upcoming generations of designers get to grips with designing for function and purpose. I’ve learned a lot and seen many changes
Founded by outdoor enthusiasts to meet a need, many outdoor businesses came from humble beginnings. Yvon Chouinard founded Patagonia after teaching himself blacksmithing to make climbing pitons for himself and his friends that would leave no trace on the rocks he climbed. Doug Tompkins, founder of The North Face was
THE BACKGROUND TO THE #CITIZENFRIDAY CAMPAIGN Re-Action’s anti Black Friday #CitizenFriday campaign would never have come to life if the founders of Re-Action, Gavin and Heather, hadn’t read Jon Alexander’s book Citizens: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us. Jon’s theory is that
WHY I QUIT MY JOB TO SAVE THE WORLD BY SIMON DONOVAN They say "worse things happen at sea," but watching Seaspiracy on Netflix in the spring of 2021 made me realise just how dire the state of the fishing industry really was. Fishing clearly had critical sustainability