Class act: Dina Baird

28 October 2008

Dina Baird, 38, had no campaigning experience when she joined Friends of the Earth.

"I'd been a teacher so I'd covered climate change on the science syllabus," she says. "But I'd never done any activism."

"My first experience was when I joined Friends of the Earth's local group in Warrington. The Big Ask was the first campaign I was involved with."

Fast-moving

Dina quickly got into campaigning for a Climate Change Law.

She reckons the support of Friends of the Earth's local groups network helped turn her passion for the environment into effective action.

You really do feel like you're part of a huge movement

Dina Baird, Big Ask Campaigner

"It was really easy for us to get involved," Dina says. "We had lots of instruction - and support from other groups."

Inspirational

Dina became co-ordinator for the Warrington Friends of the Earth local group. Together they lobbied MPs, ran events around the city and helped schoolchildren get involved.

Dina says seeing support for the Big Ask spread across the country was inspiring.

"Because of the number of people you don't feel you're struggling on your own. You're part of a huge movement."

"That gives you the confidence to do things that you maybe wouldn't have done."

Proud

Today Dina visits schools on behalf of Friends of the Earth alongside her regular work in sixth-form education.

How does she feel now that the UK is about to get the world's first Climate Change Law?

"I'm really proud. When I was teaching the children used to ask me why the Government wasn't doing anything about climate change. Now I can say something is being done."