Bringing the network together

21 June 2010

Over fifty people attended the bi-annual gathering which covers London, the South East and the East of England.

Alongside updates on our Food Chain and Get Serious About CO2 campaigns these was also lots of local group led content.

Lightning talks

Following an update on what the General Election means for Friends of the Earth we had a series of short presentations from local group members from all around the Greater South East.

Topics for the five minute long Lightning Talks included:

• Talking to your local mosque
• How to attract people to your meetings and keep them coming back
• Campaigning against supermarkets
• Working with your local council

Sharing our successes

There was also a networking session in the afternoon where staff and activists could share experiences, skills and success stories from their campaigning. The variety of topics included:

• Campaign plans for 2011
• Engaging with and influencing your council
• MARINET
• International climate change negotiations

Developing skills

Whilst the talks were happening we also ran three skills-based workshops for activists to use media in their campaigns and practice media interviews.

There was also a session looking at how local groups attract and retain new members. 

Counting the cost

We ended the day on a high by taking a group photo in support of our Tar Sands campaign.

Alongside Fair Pensions we're calling for the development of tar sands for oil to be stopped. Take action now.

Find your local group

There are local Friends of the Earth groups all over the country. Discover how you can get involved at a grassroots level.

Come to Conference

Local Groups Conference takes place every year and is a great opportunity to link up with like minded people and get inspired. Find out more.