Birmingham
friends of the earth Newsletter, Summer 2018
Home Matters Also Inside
7 Warehouse Cafe Update
A Birmingham art trail honors climate refugees
8 I Left My Heart in Alison Street
10 Help Wanted: Check that Attic!
Contents Campaigns Digest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Warehouse News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Warehouse Cafe Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 I Left My Heart in Alison Street. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Help Wanted: Check that Attic!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Climate Change Knows No Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Home Matters Art Trail Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Don’t Lose Your Bottle: Campaign Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Campaigning During Election Season. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Stalls Season 2018 is Here!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Forest Gardens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Climate, Meditation, and Spirituality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Yoga with Aldo in the New Look Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Diary Dates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Cover photo by ivanovgood / Pixabay.
2
Campaigns Digest By Libby Harris
It has been an exciting time at The Warehouse. There have been a lot of developments both with campaigns and the refurbishment of the building. The Warehouse Cafe moved downstairs at the beginning of April (you can read all about it in Vee’s article) and at the end of April our lift went operational. This is a huge milestone for us as it’s the first time in our 41 years that the first floor is accessible for those with mobility issues. I’m pleased to say that our ‘Home Matters’ art competition was a huge success and enabled us to engage with a lot of people and
organisations. Our ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ and ‘Don’t Lose Your Bottle’ campaigns have kept us busy with meetings with Councillors, MPs and running educational workshops. Air Pollution Since we handed our petition to Councillor Cotton back in March we have been working behind the scenes planning the next stage of the campaign. At the time of writing we are eagerly awaiting the council to open its consultation on Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone. If you are interested in getting involved with our air pollution campaign, please do get in touch and check out Molly’s article.
3
Energy and Climate Change The Climate Refugee campaign team have been busy over the last few months with our art competition. It has been a great opportunity for us to engage with people of all ages and we are looking forward to the Art Exhibition at The Warehouse on 9 June. The winning art pieces will be displayed in different places across Birmingham until the end of June. Please do take a look at the amazing work. For more info about the competition take a look at Alice’s article. Nature Digbeth Community Garden have had a busy spring cleaning and expanding their composting area as well as sowing seeds and planting bulbs. The garden opened its gates on Friday 6 April for the first Digbeth First Friday of the year and I’m pleased to say the evening was a success. In this issue we have a guest article from Andrew Whalton, project co-ordinator for Bordesley Green Forest Garden and founder of the Bioregion Birmingham think tank. Waste We were pleased with the 4
announcement from Michael Gove that there will be a consultation on a Deposit Return Scheme on plastic bottles. Whilst the waste team are eagerly awaiting this, they have sent a briefing to Birmingham City Councillors and MPs asking them to support a plastic Bottle Return Scheme. In response to the briefing we had a meeting with Councillor Lisa Trickett and Alan Bowley followed by a meeting with MP Andrew Mitchell. Take a look at Jodie’s article to find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved. How you can get involved We always welcome new people and there are many different ways you can get involved with our campaigns. Whether you have an hour or two to spare or a whole day, please get in touch or come along to any of our weekly Monday meetings (contact and meeting details on the diary page). Follow us on Twitter (@Bham_FOE) and Facebook (www.facebook. com/birminghamfoe) to keep up to date with our latest campaigns news. For more in-depth information on our campaigns take a look at our website (www. birminghamfoe.org.uk).
S U P P O R T We are the only organisation in Birmingham that campaigns on Air Quality, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Energy, Transport, Planning, Waste and Recycling.
You can help us to do this in a number of ways: Take part in our campaigns. Join us as a supporter. Make a donation. Or you could receive our email updates and decide what you want to do when you know us a bit better.
Whichever way you get involved, you are helping to make Birmingham green and sustainable!
For donations go to http://localgiving.com/birminghamfoe
5
Warehouse News By Richard Bickle
Since the last newsletter the building project has been moving towards its conclusion. It was a great moment to be able to invite Margaret and Jodie in to officially open the new lift back in April and I know the cafe and their customers have been enjoying making use of the new doors and windows that open straight on to Allison Street. The new meeting rooms have also had their first paying customers (despite not being completely finished yet) in the form of a group of sustainable construction students from Birmingham City University, the Birmingham Film
Illustration designed by Freepik.
6
Co-op and a group of staff from Friends of the Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland. Behind the scenes Ben, Rox and a varying team of volunteers have spent many weekends painting the newly refurbished spaces - and there’s still more to do! If you would like to help, please email ben@ birminghamfoe.org.uk As you know, the primary purpose of the Warehouse is to support Birmingham Friends of the Earth and its campaigns activities. We are particularly excited about hosting the launch of “Home Matters”, our climate refugee art exhibition on Saturday 9th June and our AGM on Monday 11th June. None of this work would have been possible without our members and supporters and their investment in our community share offer last year – so thank you and we look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks. We also have an open afternoon from 4pm onwards on the 11th June ahead of the AGM.
The Warehouse Cafe Update By Vee Styles
It’s been an exciting few months at the Warehouse Cafe! Over twelve months ago, when we first started talking about the possibility of the cafe moving from the first to the ground floor, most of us were doubtful it would ever happen. Several times over recent months, those doubts resurfaced with a vengeance! It hasn’t been an easy road, but it’s been worth it. The initial feeling among the team, way back in the first phases of planning, was excitement tinged with sadness – the first floor premises holds so much history for the cafe, as well as bags of character. We’ve only been around for five years, but there were so many holdovers from previous incarnations, such as the old blackboard, the rustic wooden tables and chairs, the old single pane windows – it all combined to give us a certain charm that’s impossible to recreate in a brand new space. But over the last couple of years we’ve had to modernise – the old mismatched tables had
to go in favour of a more modular approach, to enable the seating of the ever increasing amount of customers who came through our doors. We’ve had more and more enquiries about disabled access – a feature historically lacking in the building – and so many disappointed customers unable to reach us because of our steep and narrow stairs. Though our new space isn’t yet finished, so does lack some of the character that abounded in our upstairs room, it’s already proving a dream for the team. We’ve got Continued on page 19... 7
I Left My Heart in Alison Street By Roxanne Green
In April 2008 I came into the Warehouse to do a two-week placement with Birmingham Friends of the Earth as part of my degree. 10 years later I am still here, and I could never have imagined then what a profound impact this building, and this organisation, would have on me. When I arrived I had a lot of academic knowledge but had never worked in an office environment and had little experience of life outside of educational establishments. I used to longingly read articles about protests and
activism and wonder how I could be part of something like that. It was BFOE that opened those doors to me. I had no idea what on earth I was doing, but I was given opportunities to try things out, develop and challenge myself in a supportive environment. Over the years my confidence grew and I ended up spending seven years as campaigns coordinator. I was convinced I would make a mess of it and only agreed after being plied with a large quantity of homemade lemon and ginger wine! I am so grateful now for that wine otherwise I might have missed out on the best and most important thing I have ever done. The people I have met through BFOE have got to be some of my favourite human beings ever. Campaigners come and go over the years but I consider myself incredibly lucky to know so many amazing people, some of whom continue to astonish and inspire me even ten years on. I learned far more about effecting social change through late nights drinking cider in the Anchor than I
8
ever learned through four years of university education. This organisation shaped my life far more than I would have thought possible, to the extent that I cannot imagine where I would be without it. Through BFOE I have had three relationships, bought a house, protested in the Arctic Circle and on the streets of Paris. I have also made some of my best friends; people that are wise, brilliant, committed, make me laugh until I cry and that I would trust with my life.
This year is a pivotal one for us, as we reopen the doors to our bigger, better, more beautiful building. I hope and believe that many more people will come through our doors and be given the opportunity that I was, to find out who they are and what they can achieve. When I find myself horrified about the state of the world, the only thing that makes me feel better is being part of an organisation that is making things better. That’s why I’m looking forward to the next 10 years. 9
Help Wanted: Check that Attic! By Bernard Parry
Last Year’s 40th Anniversary celebration saw the launch of a BFoE Heritage Project in association with the Heritage Lottery Fund. As the project moves towards completion we are issuing this appeal. While most of us have been focused on the exciting transformation of our warehouse home, a small band of volunteers have been working on the heritage
project. They have been labouring in the archive at Birmingham Central Library, digging out information on the history of the past 40 years. Newsletters, minutes and photographs have been found covering the purchase of The Warehouse and the work of volunteers which made a derelict building usable. We have found information about the first green businesses which ran from the building, the many successful campaigns and much more. However, we need more material to display as part of The Warehouse relaunch and to add to the archive. Do you have any memorabilia, photographs or artefacts at home? If so would you consider a donation to add to the permanent record of Birmingham Friends of the Earth? For any donations of memorabilia please contact: heritage@ birminghamfoe.org.uk For further information see our Facebook page: Bfoe Heritage
10
LE
FRAGI LE
FRAGI
Illustrations designed by Freepik.
LE
FRAGI
11
Climate Change Knows No Borders
By Alice Grennan
Climate Refugees are people forced to leave their home because of natural disasters or conditions intensified by Climate Change, such as sea level rise or drought. This forced movement happens to 1 person every second and numbers are thought to dramatically increase in the years to come. 12
Our mission is to protect the rights of anyone that finds themselves in these circumstances. We are fighting for policies that are both humane and empowering, with the view to providing protection for the people who move. We are also working towards encouraging public acceptance and gaining support for the cause on a local, national and international level.
As I am sure you all know by now, in order to raise awareness of this issue we decided to hold an art competition with entries centred around the subject, in order to ignite conversation and attract local media. The competition was launched on 25th March and closed on the 11th May. The competition was open to all age groups and prizes given for three different age categories. As well as a prize, the winners had their winning pieces placed in various places around Birmingham, such as Birmingham Library, The REP theatre, The Electric Cinema and many other exciting venues. So far: • We have met with and collaborated with many different organisations such as Lush and Christian Aid, and we have held workshops with the Birmingham Library and refugee centres. • We have found 9 exciting locations to display our pieces. • We have made a webpage and have a strong social media presence, on both Facebook and Instagram. We have also
made an Eventbrite, with tickets for the art exhibition. • We have collaborated with primary schools across the city and provided lesson plans around the topic of climate refugees. • We held a fundraiser cake sale and a pub quiz.
Webpage www.birminghamfoe.org.uk/ homematters/ Instagram @home.matters If you are interested and want to get involved please email Libby at: libby@birminghamfoe.org.uk or Alice at: alice@birminghamfoe.org.uk
Illustration designed by Freepik.
13
Home Matters Art Trail Map 3
2
5
4
6
7
View winning pieces from 12th June –12th July. Our free art competition was open to all members of the public. We asked entrants to submit pieces of artwork in their preferred format that artistically expresses their connection with the subject matter. Our goal was to use a creative project to open up a serious conversation around the loss of home faced by climate refugees, encouraging participants to consider ‘What home means to me’. 14
1. The Warehouse 54-57 Allison St, B5 5TH 2. The Peace Hub 41 Bull St, B4 6AF 3. Urban Cafe 30 Church St, B3 2NP 4. Tilt 2 City Arcade, Union Street, B2 4TX 5. Library of Birmingham Centenary Square, Broad St, B1 2ND
1
6. The Birmingham Repertory Theater Centenary Square, Broad St, B1 2ND
8
7. The Electric Cinema 47-49 Station St, B5 4DY
9 If you walk the trail please do let us know by using the hashtag #walkinghomematterstrail We would love to see your snaps.
8. St. Martin in the Bullring Edgbaston St, B5 5BB 9. Cow Vintage Clothing 82-85 Digbeth, B5 6DY
Photo by ivanovgood / Pixabay. Map by OpenStreetMap.
15
Don’t Lose Your Bottle Campaign Update By Jodie Etheridge
For those of you who don’t know of this campaign, we are calling for a national Deposit Return Scheme on plastic bottles. The campaign is going well and starting to really take shape now. Over recent months our focus has been on building support from Councillors. With the help of others who work on this campaign, I put together a briefing for Councillors to inform them about
Illustration designed by rocketpixel / Freepik.
16
the campaign, ask them to sign our petition to Michael Gove asking for a plastic bottle ‘Deposit Return Scheme’ and to initiate a dialogue with them about this. We have had a really positive, supportive response from Councillors and have one meeting confirmed. Watch this space for feedback on that in the next newsletter! We have had the exciting news that the government is considering the idea of a Deposit Return Scheme for plastics and other materials and there will be a consultation on this later in the year. Although this is really positive, it’s important that we don’t become complacent as there is still a lot of work to be done to try to ensure the scheme is introduced. To continue our hard work, following the positive response from Councillors, we have sent a briefing to MPs and also have a meeting confirmed. An update
on this will be on the way in the next newsletter! We have also composed and sent out an email to local community groups and neighbourhood forums to ask for their support and also to encourage the development of a working relationship with them. We are hopeful that we will build some great relationships. We hope that building up support from Councillors, MPs and Community groups will help our petition to Michael Gove to carry more weight and enable us to show that many people of Birmingham
support a plastic bottle Deposit Return Scheme. If you haven’t done so already please sign our petition using this link: www.birminghamfoe.org.uk/ uncategorised/sign-our-petition-toclean-up-birmingham/ A massive thank you to everyone who has been working really hard on the campaign. I really appreciate your help and I couldn’t have got to where we are without you! If you would like to get involved or to receive campaign updates please email jodie@birminghamfoe.org.uk 17
Campaigning During Election Season Behind the Scenes By Molly Luke
It’s been a couple months since Councillor John Cotton handed our petition for a city wide Clean Air Zone to full council, and from the outside it may look like the air pollution campaign has gone a bit quiet. It’s true that in the run up to any local election, campaigning on local issues can be tricky. There is uncertainty surrounding which councillors will re-run and which new candidates will put themselves forward. Councillors can be reluctant to answer difficult
18
questions on controversial topics, and of course we have no idea what our council will look like after May 4th. The council won’t give us any clues as to what the Clean Air Zone might look like until after the election results are announced, so lobbying has inevitably come to a temporary pause. Despite this, the air pollution working group have been as busy as ever. When external drivers like local elections put a pause on campaigning, there is still a lot to be done to keep things ticking over and ensure that the group is
poised for action when things kick off again. With their September deadline just around the corner, Birmingham City Council don’t have much time left to finalise their plans for the Clean Air Zone, so we need to be ready to spring into action as soon as the elections results are announced. In addition to this, we have been thinking about how we can use Clean Air Day on 21st June to further our campaign objectives. Over the next couple of months we expect things to very busy as we react to the election results and build this into our campaign strategy, keep our eyes peeled for a possible public
consultation on the Clean Air Zone and finalise our action plan for Clean Air Day.
The Warehouse Cafe Update Continued from page 7...
We have so many plans to expand and energise our menu, and more kitchen space will help make that a reality.
more space behind the bar, so we aren’t stepping on each other quite so much, more floor space-making it possible for us to take more customers and larger parties as well as a kitchen that has tripled in size! This alone will allow us to develop our community outreach work not to mention easing the day to day efforts of our chefs.
There is never a better time to get involved with the air pollution campaign. Whether you are interested in policy and the council’s plans for the Clean Air Zone, or if arts and crafts are more your thing, and you would like to help build props for Clean Air Day. Either way, keep watching this space for details of how you can join a momentous push for change as Birmingham City Council plan our Clean Air Zone.
All in all, though the hard work isn’t over and we’ll be adding and changing much of the interior and layout over the next few months, the stress of the last year has completely paid off, and we can’t wait to show everyone what’s next for the Warehouse Cafe! 19
Stalls Season 2018 is Here! By Jodie Etheridge
I’m Jodie, stalls and events coordinator at Birmingham Friends of the Earth. Stalls season is here once again and we are very much looking forward to it! We have confirmed our attendance at some popular events we have been to before such as CoCoMad and Moseley Street Festival and we will also be attending some events that we haven’t done for a few years. Look out for updates on how these went in our next newsletter. I’m delighted and honoured to
20
have been asked to co-ordinate stalls and events for a second year. I am looking forward to using and building upon the skills I have developed in how to plan and oversee these as well as my experience of doing stalls myself. As we currently have four major, active campaigns I am keen for us to be strategic about which campaigns we promote at which stalls. With the help of others in the group, I will deciding which campaigns would be best promoted at which stalls based on
what type of event it is and who the attendees are likely to be. We hope this will enable us to focus and target our promotion effectively and avoid competing information. A working group will be formed to help make these decisions and other decisions about which stalls and events we should attend. Look out for an update on how they are getting on with these tasks! If you would like to be involved in the stalls working group or to volunteer on a stall please email me at
jodie@birminghamfoe.org.uk. Full training will be provided. I would encourage those who haven’t done stalls before to email me, even if it’s just to find out what doing a stall is like before you make a decision on whether it sounds like it’s for you. A massive thank you to everyone who has helped to plan or attended stalls so far this season. Onwards and upwards! Photo, left by Fotoworkshop4You / Pixabay. Illustration designed by Freepik.
21
Forest Gardens Food sovereignty for generations to come? By Andrew Walton
be used to help meet our needs.
In Britain, we import around 40% of our food. This means a nation that voted to leave the EU to take control of its affairs doesn’t have control of its food supply.
Forest gardens are comprised of mineral accumulating plants and nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs, creating a closed loop of fertility. This means that few, if any, external inputs are required to produce food each year – unlike most modern day agricultural practices. They also improve biodiversity increasing habitats.
This leaves us islanders on decidedly shaky ground. My think tank, ‘Bioregion Birmingham‘, has been calling on Birmingham City Council to use its green spaces for food growing initiatives instead of selling it to private developers. One of the most multi-functional ways we could provide food would be to create ‘forest gardens‘. A forest garden is a designed agronomic system based on trees, shrubs and perennial plants. These are mixed in such a way as to mimic the structure of a natural forest – the most stable and sustainable type of ecosystem in our climate. Only difference is we plant edible, medicinal and fibrous crops that can 22
Bordesley Green Forest Garden, a 1 acre site, will be a test bed for this theory. So far trees and shrubs have been planted, next herbs and groundcover will be added. In the next few years, we could be one of the largest urban food forests in the West Midlands. I recently worked out that the Council’s plan to sell 8 acres of land a year meant there were at least 32 acres of land available, Continued on page 25...
Climate, Meditation, & Spirituality Most of my life I did not notice the trees, the birds, the wind and the rain. However, spirituality, and my daily meditation routine, has brought me closer to my surroundings and the environment around me. To me they go hand in hand. I feel awake and alive to what is happening.
in leading by example, and putting action into words on how you lead your life. I believe from meditation and my spiritual attitude to life, I want and need to reduce my carbon footprint on the planet Earth. From being in a blank state you may get the answers yourself, and the signals can come to you on how to live naturally with the environment.
Meditation in its pure form, according to the Pantalji writings from India, is when your mind ideally ends up in a blank state not thinking or doing anything. To get to this state, a daily practice is recommended. I have been meditating for more than 10 years and feel more connected to the environment around me. I have also noticed a physical and mental change within me.
Overuse of technology and mobile phones have, to a certain extent, made us more isolated from people and the environment around us. A balance needs to be reached. I feel that my mind and body are more sensitive to the environment and the things I use because of meditation. I keep my mobile phone and technology use to a bare minimum and have become vegetarian and teetotal.
I got rid of my car more than 18 months ago, and travel everywhere by bike, walking or public transport. It hasn’t affected my work and in fact I feel happier, fitter and more connected to the people and the surroundings around me. I believe
In practical terms, I have reduced my consumption of all things, and keep my waste of things and food to a basic minimum.
By Sanjive Mahandru
To me, climate, environment and spirituality go together. 23
‘Yoga with Aldo’ in the New-Look Warehouse to work to their own level. Modifications and adjustments are encouraged, and you don’t have to be a contortionist to take part though it’s fine if you are! Please provide your own yoga mat if you can, and preferably a blanket and a cloth belt (though I will have a few spares). By Aldo Mussi
One of my yoga students said “If only every day could start or end like this!” I couldn’t agree more and so I’m glad to be starting a class in our new-look building. My classes are a generic ‘Hatha’ yoga style, the most widely taught form of yoga in the West. These classes offer students postures and movements to stretch and strengthen the body, to develop breath awareness, to relax and to meditate. It is non-competitive, suitable for people of all ages, and everyone is encouraged 24
The new meeting room, that so many volunteers have been working on, will be ready for classes starting on Monday 21st May. The classes run from 5.45pm– 7.15pm on Mondays. The Café may provide soup or other food, so that campaigners can be refreshed for their meeting at 7.30! Charges for the general public are £7 drop-in (or cheaper if booking a block in advance), and BFOE members get an extra £1 off. Activities range from being low impact to high demand – so be sure to consult your GP if you
have a medical condition which may be affected. About me: An old BFOE campaigner, I have been a teacher of various subjects for over 30 years, and have practiced yoga since 2005. I am qualified to teach with the British Wheel of Yoga (the officially recognised body). I am also a long distance runner – so can sympathise with people who have tight hamstrings!
For further info Please see/’Like’ my Facebook page ‘Yoga with Aldo’ www.facebook.com/ yogawithaldo/ or email me at aldomussi@hotmail.com, or phone on 07960 480999. I look forward to helping you with some yoga practice…
Yoga is not about touching your toes, but what you learn on the way down to touch your toes! Forest Gardens Continued from page 25... assuming this policy applied until 2020. By my calculations, based on the yields of a forest garden I visited in Scotland, we could produce around 190 tonnes of food each year on 32 acres of land managed as forest gardens. 190 tonnes! To put this into context, Sparkhill food bank has previoulsy reported having to provide a tonne of food each week – or 52 tonnes
a year. We could meet the needs of this food bank, only with healthier food, and have enough surplus to make such a scheme self-funding. To find out more look at our Facebook page: Bordesley Green Forest Garden. Andrew Walton is project co-ordinator for Bordesley Green Forest Garden and founder of the Bioregion Birmingham think tank.
25
Diary Dates Campaigns meetings Mondays 7:30pm 2 July 9 July 16 July 23 July 30 July 6 August
General Meeting Air pollution campaign planning Climate Refugee campaign planning Don’t Lose Your Bottle campaign planning CAZ Discussion Meeting General Meeting
These all take place at The Warehouse and are open to everyone whether or not you have been before. We have two types of meetings: 1. G eneral meeting: First Monday of the month and involves an update on each of our campaigns 2. A ction meeting: Skills share or interactive discussion or an activity which supports one of our campaigns. Please email info@birmimghamfoe.org. uk for up to date details. Our meetings are open to everyone whether or not you have been before.
26
BFoE events 13 September A Plastic Ocean - filming showing, 6:30pm at The Warehouse 15 September BFoE Heritage event, The Warehouse
Other events 7 July CoCo Mad! — Cotteridge Park 21-29 July Lunar Festival — Tanworth In Arden
Farmers’ markets Kings Heath 1st Saturday of the month 9am – 3:30pm Solihull 1st Friday of the month 9am – 5pm New Street 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month 10am – 4pm Sutton Coldfield 2nd Friday of the month 9am – 3pm Harborne 2nd Saturday of the month 9am – 2pm Birmingham University 4th Wednesday of the month 9am – 2pm Moseley Last Saturday of the month 9am – 3pm
Contact Us Friends of the Earth (Birmingham) The Warehouse 54-57 Allison Street Birmingham B5 5TH Tele: (0121) 6326909 Email: info@birminghamfoe.org.uk Web: www.birminghamfoe.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ birminghamfoe Twitter: @Bham_FOE Instagram: birminghamfoe Friends of the Earth is: • The largest international network of environmental groups in the world, represented in 72 countries. • One of the UK’s leading environmental pressure groups. • A unique network of campaigning local groups, working in more than 200 communities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. • Over 90% of its funds come from its supporters. Birmingham FoE: We campaign at a local level to effect environmental change (in ways which feed into national and international policy) through: • Lobbying • Education • Empowering others to take action • Participation and representation through public fora.
Contacts Campaigns Co-ordinators Poppy Buckingham & Molly Luke Campaigns Support Worker Libby Harris General Manager Richard Bickle Treasurer Margaret Lynch Air Pollution Poppy Buckingham Climate Change & Energy Molly Luke Economic Libby Harris Nature Mark Hawkins Planning Benjamin Mabbett Waste & Recycling John Newson’s Newsletter Editor Catherine Palgrave Newsletter Graphic Designer Shannon Lattin Website Editor Libby Harris Talks Libby Harris & others Administration and Facilities Offer Nasreen All enquires and callers welcome 27
Help Wanted We need more material to display as part of The Warehouse relaunch and to add to the archive. Do you have any memorability, photographs, or artefacts at home? If so would you please consider a donation to add to the permanent record of Birmingham Friends of the Earth? Contact: heritage@birminghamfoe.org.uk
LE
FRAGI
Birmingham
friends of the earth