Archived press release

25 years of local activism

10 April 1996

The London lollipop lady who discovered that her local playground was built on poisoned land, the Cumbrian farmer's daughter who's a thorn in the side of the nuclear industry and the 70 year-old computer lecturer who kept Cornwall nuclear-free; just three of Friends of the Earth's local group members who form the backbone of the organisation's unique nationwide network.

Friends of the Earth's network of nearly 250 [1] local groups stands alone amongst campaigning organisations. Over the last 25 years, thousands of otherwise ordinary people have made their mark on their communities with their commitment to environmental campaigning. To mark the organisation's 25th Anniversary [2] we are profiling some of these people...

Denise Vallance, 42, lives in Enfield, London. She's a lollipop lady by day,but by nights and weekends she's the mainstay of an on-going local campaign against contaminated land. Her campaign started out as a simple matter of stopping the compulsory purchase of a green area used as a playground by children, but she then found out that the land was toxic.She says of her campaigning activities;

" I care because I've got children and I want them to have a future."

Jill Perry, 39, lives in Cumbria. Born on a farm, a mother of two, she co-ordinates Friends of the Earth's high-profile campaign against Nirex's experimental nuclear dump at Sellafield. She says;

"Too many people think that they can't do anything in the face of the money and expertise of the polluters who want to poison the land. What we've done is show that ordinary local people's wishes must be taken into account and that we can get a good hearing, even in a dreadfully intimidating public inquiry ." [3]

[more...]

John Birkin, 70, lives in Truro and took over the running of the local group from his son & daughter over two decades ago. In the mid-Eighties he helped win the first ever battle against the then CEGB, who wanted to site a nuclear power station on the Cornwall coast. An anti-nuclear alliance, of which John was the spokesperson, stopped the plans in their tracks. He says;

"If you'd have told me 22 years ago that we could have sent the nuclear industry packing, I wouldn't have believed it. I guess it just goes to show what local people can achieve."

We have a dossier of dozens of similar stories from all over the country; of all sorts of people, of all sorts of ages and backgrounds. If you would like more information we can give you details and contact numbers to suit your programme or publication.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] 243 with the launch of our newest group in two weeks.

[2] This is just part of Friends of the Earth's 25th Anniversary, please contact us for details of the other initiatives taking place.

[3] Jill gave evidence to the long public enquiry on Nirex's proposed "Deep Rock Facility" at Sellafield. The inspector's report is due in October and the decision will be announced early in 1997.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust