Local Groups Conference 2011

This year's local groups conference was not only a celebration of the last forty years, but also an opportunity to plan for the next forty years. In September local group members from all over the country, and the world, converged on Nottingham for three days of talks, workshops and training sessions, and of course a huge party complete with a 40th birthday cake! Four Cheltenham FoE members travelled up to conference this year, which we think is a record.

Amazingly, it's an in incredible 40 years since Friends of the Earth set off on the path that's led to them becoming one of the biggest environmental organisations in the world. In 1971 the first campaign highlighted the problems caused by the introduction of nonreturnable pop bottles.

The beginnings of Cheltenham FoE are lost in the mists of time, but we think that around 1975 the organisation was formed, and has been in existence ever since. If anyone has any memories or pictures of the group in it's early years please bring them along to a meeting and share them with us; we would be very interested to learn more about our history.