Who is Global Action Plan?
Founded in 1993, Global Action Plan is a charity that works with and inspires people all over the UK - at home, at work and in their communities - to change their behaviour and contribute positively towards society and the environment. Global Action Plan believes we can all make small changes which together have a big impact on the things that matter.
The Global Action Plan team has helped hundreds of thousands of people across all sections of society to cut their carbon footprint by tackling issues such as energy and waste. The focus is on creative, engaging and fun projects that inspire sustained, positive environmental changes.
Here are a few examples:
Action at School
"We can all do something to help," Pupil, Cardinal Wiseman RC School
At the Cardinal Wiseman RC School in Ealing, Global Action Plan has been working with a team of 26 students and staff to tackle rubbish, cut paper use and boost recycling through their Action at School waste programme.
The "Wiseman Waste Team" developed an action plan and awareness campaign for their school, including implementing school-wide paper recycling, designing posters, running school assemblies, writing articles for the school newsletter and running a popular ‘Green Handed Award' for teachers.
Students also performed a song and a play to support the ‘Bin the Rats' campaign in Southall for a pre-election citizens meeting. Action at School has been the catalyst for a major commitment to change in the school and the team has reduced Cardinal Wiseman RC School's waste by an impressive 77%, diverting 31 tonnes of waste from landfill each year.
Case study: EverGreen (in the community)
"EverGreen is the best resident engagement project that I have been involved in." Gavin Cansfield, Chief Executive, Hanover in Hackney
EverGreen is a community environmental project working with 900 elderly housing association tenants living in Hackney, East London. Global Action Plan is helping residents to explore issues such as climate change and waste management, and to take part in practical activities such as composting, growing fruit and vegetables, intergenerational exchange events with local school children, creative projects and social enterprises where scrap and end of line materials are used.
As well as saving 34 tonnes of CO2 over the first year, EverGreen has helped to reduce social isolation amongst residents and to empower them to take action in their own lives. One resident says: "I feel that people are mixing more now because they have something in common.
I'm also enjoying growing a vast amount of veg!" You can learn more about the project from the perspective of Hanover residents and staff by viewing Global Action Plan's short video at www.globalactionplan.org.uk/communityhousing.aspx.
Case study: EcoTeams (households)
"I think that it has really changed our lives in terms of our everyday living." EcoTeam member, National Federation of Women's Institutes
EcoTeams is Global Action Plan's flagship project and helps households to work together to reduce their impact on the environment.
Global Action Plan recently ran EcoTeams with over 900 households through the National Federation of Women's Institutes, helping members to explore issues and take personal action around waste, shopping & food, energy, water and travel.
Over 120 WI members were trained by Global Action Plan to help support other households through a structured programme of topics over several months.
Households managed to cut their direct carbon emissions through electricity and heating by an average of 15% as well as making savings on water consumption (14%) and waste (22%).
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