In Our Nature | Impact Report | November 2022

Hubbub Impact Report November 2022

inspires action that’s and our vision is a world where everyone makes choices that are good for the We believe that this can be achieved through collaboration and creativity and we want to engage audiences beyond the ‘green bubble’, because everyone has a part to play.

As the scale of the climate crisis becomes ever more apparent, we are passionate about creating campaigns that deliver significant impact and that can be rapidly taken to scale. For ‘In Our Nature’ we partnered with Manchester City Council, Manchester Climate Change Agency as well as other local and national partners to create Manchester’s largest community climate programme. Our build a movement of people taking meaningful action ; one that is as diverse as the

‘In Our Nature’ places residents and communities at the heart of identifying solutions that respond to local needs and priorities, meeting people where they’re at, and it strives to make environmental action meaningful and accessible to everyone. We’ve been highlighting everyday action that fits with the priorities of Manchester’s varied communities; sharing inspiring stories from across the city, as well as setting up, supporting and amplifying community projects. We’ve also been sharing our learnings and insights, and aim to inform decisions of those building environmental movements such as local groups and authorities, academics, and policy makers in Manchester and beyond.

In Our Nature launched in May 2021 and has already delivered significant environmental and social impact in Manchester, the Hubbub led elements of this are set out in this report. We’ve trialed a range of positive, practical projects with the aim of inspiring wider change, including Manchester’s first community fridges, immersive installations and pop-up shops, and innovative urban greening projects.

We’ve supported local groups to bring their own innovative solutions to life through a series of small grants, and created a trusted city-wide climate campaign which can be used to underpin future climate communications in the city.

The role of nature

We have particularly focused on the role of nature as a ‘hook’ for climate action. Through a range of urban greening projects, we’ve been exploring how spending time in nature can help to catalyse planet-friendly actions in our daily lives.

We’ve commissioned research into the long-term effects of naturebased community projects on people’s behaviours in relation to climate change, and plan to share our findings with community groups, policy makers, and academics so that others can similarly use nature as hook for climate action.

This report summarises our key impact and learnings from the development phase of In Our Nature which has run from May 2021 – August 2022. The report focuses on the elements delivered by Hubbub rather than the activities delivered by the other project partners in the wider programme. It has been prepared with support from our independent evaluation partner The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC).

We’re running the project in partnership with a local coalition of organisations who are funded by the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund: Manchester City Council, Manchester Climate Change Agency and Partnership, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Amity CIC, Commonplace and our local delivery partner is Sow the City.

In Our Nature is funded by a number of grant funders - Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wates Family Enterprise Trust – as well as a coalition of corporate funders: the Co-op, Coca Cola GB, Danone UK & Ireland, JCDecaux, Suntory Beverage Food I&E and Tetra Pak.

What happens when we apply

Hubbub’s creative approach at a

In Our Nature is an ambitious programme that supports households and communities in Manchester to take positive action in response

Since we launched in May 2021, we have trialled a series of positive, creative approaches to achieve this aim. This report provides an overview of progress against the programme’s key

Inspire and enable households and communities to go a step further in their sustainability journey, regardless of where

Deliver community projects that can cut emissions and benefit people, with the aim of scaling them where possible;

Build an evidence-base of the most effective ways to engage communities on climate action at scale and share learnings far

To achieve this, in Manchester we have seen the value in running a city-wide communications campaign alongside delivering on-theground projects, with each element supporting the other:

A strong, recognisable brand and a city-wide communications campaign acting as an umbrella that ties In Our Nature together. Using online and offline communications channels, In Our Nature has become the trusted source for climate comms in the city, helping to share inspiring stories, amplify community projects to new audiences, and share easy tips to help people

Community-based impactful on-the-ground projects showcasing real-life examples of ‘what climate action looks like’, generating lots of content for the comms and a clear call to

Our approach

A roadmap for city-wide community engagement in climate action.

community outreach and creative consultations are accessible and inclusive and represent underserved communities.

Capacity building, upskilling local partners and connecting the dots – while rapidly testing and refining to learn quickly at low-cost.

Building a movement – Create a self-supporting forum for community groups to share learnings and experiences to ensure a long-term and ongoing legacy.

Delivering and supporting impactful community projects – Use insights to ensure projects respond to local needs and priorities and are built around proven behaviour change techniques, past experiences, and great design.

Share learnings and impact – Take time to share learnings and create open and accessible resources to scale impact, inform policy and help support community groups and organisations.

How can we engage people in climate action, climate action?

We’ve learnt that most people want to take action on climate change, but many are confused about where to start, concerned that change will be difficult and unsure about how to integrate

From listening to local community groups and residents we’ve found that, although sustainability may not be at the top of their agenda, residents in Manchester are very community-minded and want to improve their neighbourhoods, both socially and physically. Residents are looking for new ways to be part of a wider movement to meet new people, learn new skills and spend time together.

We use relevant, day-to-day topics such as football, music and to engage residents on everyday actions that can help the environment, to appeal to a range of communities, and to engage

To give people the tools they need to get started, we launched a city-wide communications campaign providing residents with practical tips, advice, and inspiration how to live greener in

Built a strong recognisable brand with over 5,000 social media

Created a range of content including social media cards, ‘HowTo’ videos, and infographics covering topics from food, fashion,

Distributed engaging print communications with practical actions including recipe cards, postcards, tips and hacks.

Teamed up with over 30 local groups, projects, and influencers to create Manchester-specific content, to show what is possible and inspire individuals to get involved in local initiatives.

Using football as a hook to get fans to make more sustainable food choices

We’ve found that a lot of people don’t resonate with the typical messaging and narrative surrounding sustainable diets and plant-based eating. We wanted to reach people beyond the usual suspects and engage underrepresented audiences - young men in particular. One way we could reach this audience and encourage them to make sustainable food choices? Through football.

When thinking about food in the context of football, the first image likely to come to mind is one of pies, burgers and chips: tasty, but not particularly healthy grub. We wanted to see how receptive football fans in Manchester would be to learning more about sustainable eating and giving it a go at home.

and impact

Manchester is Green was a three-week challenge that we ran on closed Facebook groups with Manchester-based City and United fans. Each week followed a different theme (Plant-Powered Eating, More Taste Less Waste, and Cooking from Scratch) and each week featured pro tips, cook-alongs, ask the expert sessions, weekly cooking challenges, and much more fun.

Key

Our approach learnings

• Football is a powerful hook for talking about environmental issues and food is an amazing way to bring people together

• Building a community of people with a common interest and encouraging them to share ideas and stories can organic, bottom-up change

• Teaching people about sustainability in one area (e.g. food), can inspire new environmentally positive behaviours in other areas (e.g. travel, energy, waste)

• Football clubs have a huge platform and opportunity to engage their fans in the themes this challenge focussed on: there is plenty of demand from fans for this!

Showing that money-saving and climate action goes hand in hand

Did you know the average household throws away £60 worth of good food away every month?

The cost of living is a growing concern for many Manchester residents. To help support residents, we designed and created an interactive installation that used everyone’s love for delicious food to share savvy tips on how to make food last longer, and save money and energy in the kitchen.

Using Sow the City’s Carbon Supermarket as inspiration, our “Ready, Steady, Save” installation has an interactive kitchen with games to help people understand the best way to store food, and simple tips to save energy whilst cooking. It also has a supermarket section to help shoppers identify seasonal fruit and veg, the difference between best before and use-by dates, and simple swaps to save money by switching to plant-based meals.

Ready Steady Save installation helped to spark vital discussions

Supporting local communities on climate action

We’ve worked closely with the Climate Change Neighbourhood Officers who engage residents across Manchester on climate change issues and deliver climate action on a local level. We learnt that they were finding it difficult to spark new conversations with residents about climate action.

In response, we came up with three ‘climate games’ inspired by nostalgic, recognisable games but with a climate-twist, including a Fortune Teller, a giant outdoor memory game and an action board, all highlighting key facts, inspiration and actions around climate change.

How can we use nature as a catalyst to empower communities to take climate

fifth highest level of green deprivation in the

. Residents in certain parts of the city have limited access to green spaces and there’s a need for more community gardens, growing spaces, and resources to connect people with nature.

nature as a catalyst

When it comes to access to nature and the physical and wellbeing benefits it brings, ethnic minority groups, low-income households

Throughout the In Our Nature programme, we’ve explored the role of nature in the response to the climate emergency, and how it can be used as an accessible and effective hook to engage people and start conversations about broader environmental issues.

We want to dispel the notion that one has to be a militant environmentalist to make a difference by showing that communities have an important role to play in taking climate action

Building on existing research and insights, we’ve worked hand-inhand with local communities to introduce a range of innovative, practical ways for residents to engage with nature and not only improve their health and wellbeing, but also create a stronger sense of community, build environmental awareness, and help

Through a range of urban greening activities we’ve utilised intergenerational learning, skill-sharing and intersecting topics like food, cooking, and mental health to help build environmental

Our

impact

Launched 7 urban greening projects, with high potential for

Key learnings

Connecting to nature doesn’t always mean gardening and

“One of the key objectives of Manchester’s Biodiversity strategy is to involve people creatively with nature. Hubbub’s playful approach and creative engagement methods are incredibly useful to help reach communities in cities and urban areas; they are dynamic, different, challenging and fun, and can really resonate with our citizens.”

Dave Barlow, Senior Policy Officer at Manchester City Council

Good things happen when people feel connected to nature

Using research to identify a link between nature and climate actionconnected to nature

Alongside the many benefits of nature, research shows that the more connected people feel to nature, the more likely they are to take part in everyday pro-environmental behaviours that help protect it.

While the relationship between nature and climate action is known, the best methods for community groups and organisations to facilitate this connection are still unclear.

To answer this question and test the theory in the real world, with support and funding from Wates Family Enterprise Trust, we have commissioned our research partner Chrysalis Research to explore the long-term effects of nature-based community projects on people’s attitudes and behaviours in relation to climate change.

The research project will work closely with community projects across Manchester to gather evidence, stories, and case studies to provide an accessible link between nature and climate action and help understand the most effective ways to use nature as a springboard for more sustainable lifestyles.

Through this research and our on-the-ground community projects we will also be exploring the different routes that make people feel connected to nature, such as sports, art, and culture, and how these varying approaches can facilitate the link to climate action.

We will create a practical and user-friendly framework and online resource toolkit which urban greening groups, community organisations, policy-makers, and academics can access and benefit from.

When we first visited Ossory Street Allotments in Moss Side, one half of the site was filled with lovingly cared for plots with in which owners have been growing fruit and vegetables for over 40 years. The other half was made up of abandoned and overgrown plots that no one wanted to use. We wanted to change that.

We worked with our delivery partner Sow the City with the aim of rejuvenating the overgrown space and restoring opportunities for local residents to grow food and learn from each other, as well as enjoy the benefits of having a community space.

To build a community of food growers at the space, we have been running workshops for students from Greenheys Adult Learning Centre. This has been an opportunity for them to practice their English skills while growing food, as well as improving their wellbeing and mental health

Over the past year, we have witnessed Ossory Street Allotments turn into a beautiful garden abundant with fruit, veg, plants and wildlife. We’ll keep welcoming more adult learners and continue improving the plot.

Engaging a new community with gardening

Last year, we launched ‘Greener, Wilder Homes’, a home-growing challenge aiming to bring people together to share skills, learn about the environment and make their neighbourhood a greener, healthier place to live.

We paired ten residents in Newton Heath, Manchester’s most deprived ward, with gardening experts in their community to transform their outdoor space. Alongside resources and support from Sow the City, they worked together to transform their space, building on their interests of growing food, improving their mental health and attracting wildlife. Many people taking part referred to the process as ‘catalytic’, mentioning how eager they were to do more for their community.

Since then, we have seen our ‘novice’ cohort become greenfingered experts and eager to share their knowledge. We’ve set up an online forum where Newton Heath residents can learn and share tips on growing at home, as well as follow their neighbour’s journeys into gardening.

existing community food growing project were undertaking in Manchester’s most

Using humour and design help us to engage residents about local wildlife

Using creative communications, we wanted to explore how we could highlight local Manchester wildlife across the City in a playful and accessible way. With support from the Wildlife Trust, RSPB and the Council’s Ecology team, we created 200 playful signs that were displayed in parks across the city.

The signs used wry humour to create local characters like Daphne the Dandelion and Taylor the Swift to engage new audiences with nature and encourage them to notice, celebrate and do their bit to protect local wildlife. We also turned the signs into printable assets that have been used for children’s workshops and shared across social media.

How can we help build a movement of people taking meaningful action

build a movement

Making sure everyone is included and heard

The environmental movement doesn’t have a great record of breaking out of its ‘green’ bubble, and there’s much work to be done to achieve our vision of a movement that includes everyone and represents the needs and views of the diverse communities of Manchester.

The In Our Nature programme puts residents and communities at the centre of identifying solutions that respond to local needs and priorities. Throughout the design and implementation of the programme we have involved residents and local stakeholders, building on their experience and expertise to develop a relevant and effective programme.

“[Hubbub] have taken the time to listen to our very specific needs and truly understand that whilst we all have the same goal of tackling the climate emergency, each ward has different priorities and has to adopt different approaches for it to fit in with their community.”

Hafsa Mekki, Resident and Founder of the Moss Side Eco Squad community group

Our impact

Following comprehensive consultation with over 1,000 residents and 52 partners, from local government, community groups, corporates, nature experts, and academic researchers, over the last 2 years we’ve gathered deep insights to help us understand the needs of local communities in Manchester.

We have:

• Created a recognisable brand with our online communications and an umbrella of innovative climate activities: from our recent polling 39% of residents in Manchester said they have seen or heard about In Our Nature.

• Worked with Commonplace to create an engaging online engagement hub, visited by more than 30,000 people to date with over 350 people making a contribution or responding, and over 500 people signing up to receive regular updates.

• Worked alongside key community members to implement an effective offline communications campaign including translated leaflets and posters alongside door knocking and presence at local events and community centres.

• Built the capacity of 11 grassroots community groups for them to reach new audiences and inspire people to take climate action, as well as build connections with other groups and unlock new funding opportunities.

• Kickstarted 7 community projects led by grassroots groups in Manchester; our funding is helping them deliver innovative climate projects responding to local needs.

Key learnings

• Language is important – Many people think that the environmental movement isn’t for them, and language is a big part of that. Tailoring our messaging to residents’ needs and using inclusive, simple wording that is also available in their native language, is important for residents to feel part of a wider movement.

• Community isn’t just about where you live – We’ve learnt that a lot of residents, particularly young people, don’t see community as the local area where they live in. They see it as a group of people with a shared interest and support network, which can be both physical and online. Examples of common communities included being a fan of a football team, being a member of a local sports club and engaging with an online Facebook group.

• Play to our strengths – We’ve learnt from our partners and stakeholders that our strengths are starting the right conversations, telling stories and connecting the dots. By collaborating with organisations and putting a spotlight on the amazing work across the city, we can catalyse wider change and create impact that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

• Use authentic storytelling – Sharing stories from trusted voices, role models and peers is key to help spread the word about the achievable everyday actions that residents can take and help make people feel part of a larger movement.

Supporting brilliant community-led ideas

Having consulted residents and local groups across Manchester, it became clear that there were lots of ambitious groups with ideas ready to be launched, that just needed a push to get off the ground. With that in mind, we launched a grant fund for community and urban greening projects.

Over the year we have seen these ideas come to life, tackling issues such as access to green spaces, fast fashion, and community inclusion.

We’ve learnt that the biggest impact for our grantees other than financial, were the benefits of coming under the In Our Nature umbrella – namely in reaching new audiences, feeling part of a bigger picture, and accessing the programme’s communication resources.

We helped fund:

• Stitched up – Walk-in-wardrobe

• Manchester Library of Things

• Future Directions – Good for you, good for the planet cookbook

• Mothers Against Violence – Play and grow

• Manchester Urban Diggers – Plot to plate

• Flowhesion Foundation – Garden of Love

• St Chad’s Primary School – Community garden

Juliet, Let’s Keep Growing

“For me, community climate action means looking at our surroundings with new eyes and identifying the changes we can make – and always linking this back to the wider global picture.”

Thank you