Life after 40

Joe Jenkins

05 April 2012

One of the distinguishing features I love most about Friends of the Earth is the way people are hard-wired into our approach to campaigning.

We are a genuine movement of people taking action at every level: nationally, in communities up and down the country, and on the global stage as part of an international federation.

For us it's about more than a quest for supporter numbers. At heart we believe that the best way to achieve our vision of a new, positive relationship between people and the planet will be the collective efforts of people - in government, in business, in communities.

So it's been fitting these past 12 months, as we've celebrated 40 years of Friends of the Earth, to shine a light on the amazing people who are Friends of the Earth.

Over the course of a year we've shared the stories of 40 individuals who have each found ways to make extraordinary things happen by joining together with others.

As I've followed these inspiring stories, I've been struck by the wide cross-section of society our supporters represent.

And yet despite their differences in age, gender, race and wealth, they all have in common the same commitment to a simple idea - that the wellbeing of people and the wellbeing of the planet go hand-in-hand, and only by taking action together can we safeguard the future of both.

Those 40 supporters have provided a snapshot of the many thousands who helped us achieve some amazing successes in our first 4 decades. But as our anniversary year draws to a close we know that now is not a time to rest on past achievements.

2012 has opened the next chapter in the story of Friends of the Earth at a time when there has never been a greater opportunity, or a greater need, to protect our planet and all life upon it.

As we have done throughout our history, we are renewing ourselves once again. We've updated our brand with new colours, typefaces and a bold new challenge to everyone to 'see things differently'.

And we've launched major new campaigns aiming to transform the way we use energy, reverse the devastating decline of the bee population and demonstrate that household products don't have to cost the earth. In doing these things we are setting out to achieve more impact than ever.

There are good reasons to feel daunted by the challenge ahead of us. But as the celebration of our anniversary has shown us, when people join together to take action, anything is possible.

Thank you to every individual and group that has been part of the action these past 40 years - and welcome everyone who is coming with us for the next 40.

It's going to be an exciting ride.

Joe Jenkins is Director of Fundraising, Communications and Activism at Friends of the Earth