Browse our resources We've put together some resources to help you take climate, environmental and community action. Choose an option from the menu below or view all of our resources. View all resourcesCampaign topic guidesIn-person campaigningStart or build a groupWork on a Climate Action PlanCampaigning onlineCommunity dataPolicies, guidelines, and downloadsFeatured resources Filter In-person campaigning Protest guidance: know your rights This guide equips you with information about protest law, police powers and your rights and responsibilities when planning or attending a protest. How to have persuasive conversations Having persuasive conversations with people in our communities is vital for shifting thinking and moving people to take specific action. This guide will help you to have more effective, engaging conversations. Run a stall Running a stall is one of the core activities of any local action group, so get our top tips. Share responsibility for running your group Successful groups are those where responsibilities are shared and members take on different tasks based on their skills or interest. Local events risk assessment template Download and complete our template risk assessment when organising any events or activities. Kale Yeah! Kitchens Putting sustainability on the menu Kale Yeah! Kitchens is a sustainability scheme designed for university and workplace canteens, which will help reduce consumption of meat and increase plant-based meals on your menus. Find out how to launch your own scheme. Ask the expert Book a session with an expert Working on an environment campaign and need some help? Book a session with one of our subject experts and experienced campaigners who can help answer your questions or give you advice on how to develop your campaigns. Policing and power: know your rights for protests and demos Learn how to keep yourself safe when protesting or attending a demonstration. This handy guide covers planning actions, police power and your rights. Start or build a group Resources to help you start or build an inclusive and active group How to campaign with young people Young people are key to building a brighter future. Find out how to collaborate with youth activists and how to welcome them into your group. Share responsibility for running your group Successful groups are those where responsibilities are shared and members take on different tasks based on their skills or interest. Local action groups FAQ Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about local action groups. Support for you and your group An overview of the training and support available to local action groups and activists in our network. Set ground rules Make sure that meetings are efficient and respectful by encouraging your group to agree on some simple ground rules. Create a safer space Find out how to make your group and its activities safer spaces. Recruit volunteers to your group Is your local action group missing volunteers with specific skills, such as a social media whiz or a photographer? Reach out and attract new people to your group by downloading, editing and sharing our volunteer template forms. Resilience and eco anxiety Building resilience as individuals and within our groups is key to making our activism sustainable. Find out more about how we can look after ourselves and each other as we fight for a just and healthy planet. Group resources order form Need t-shirts, leaflets or props? See what's in stock and place an order for free. How to take good photos and videos Photos are a great way to encourage people to take notice of your campaign, and the work of your group. This guide gives you handy tips on how to take effective photos with your smartphone. Anti-racism and the environment movement Fighting injustice and oppression is key to solving shared global problems. Find out why we must embed anti-racist practices into our climate campaigns. Your guide to climate justice Climate justice has become the rallying cry for much of the environmental movement. But what is it and how do we make sure it's central to our campaigning? Access resources, explainers and reading lists from the team behind Climate Action groups. What's climate justice? Climate justice has become a popular term at protests and strikes. But what does it mean, how is it a "green" issue and why are we focusing on it now? Read our explainer and make sure you're embedding climate justice into campaigning and activism in your local area. How to welcome new members to your group How do you make sure newcomers to your group come back? Read our ideas on creating a welcoming environment – they may well come in handy in your workplace too. Building local alliances In this guide we'll explain how to find potential allies to work with on your campaigns, and tips and tools for how to go about building those relationships. Our campaigning will be stronger and more impactful the more we collaborate. Big wins come when diverse groups of people come together to build power. Race and climate reading list How do race and climate interlink? Why should racial equality be at the heart of the climate movement? If you're struggling to answer these questions, or you'd simply like to learn more about justice issues, then this reading list is for you. How to hold great meetings Running smooth, productive meetings with an inclusive culture is vital to healthy groups. Have a look at our tips for how to do this. 10 ways to improve your time management Campaigning for a better, fairer world takes time. For many climate activists, there’s so much to do, but life often gets in the way. Check out these tips to manage your time more effectively. How to get media coverage Media outlets like local radio stations, television and newspapers can be an incredibly powerful tool to help spread the word about your campaign goals and successes, and even influence decision makers. Find out how to use the media to promote campaigns, handle requests from journalists, and become an effective spokesperson. Coronavirus messaging: a guide for local action groups We’re living in unprecedented times. While we want to continue as much as possible to campaign on climate, we must be sensitive in how we do that – and how we communicate it. 4 ways to support your community in times of crisis During times of crisis, it's natural to want to do your part to help. Check out 4 ways you can help your community, which our groups learnt from the coronavirus pandemic but can be used in any time of emergency. Register and join a local action group Welcome! We’re so excited that you want to be part of the local action group network. Apply for funding Apply for a grant from the local action group or partnerships fund to support the development of your group or its campaigning activities or development of a long term partnership. Kick-start local climate action Can't find a group near you? Why not set up your own? We'll be there to help you every step of the way. Recruit new people to your group Securing action on local causes that matter most to you means building a strong and visible profile in your community. Find out why bigger is better when it comes to growing the grassroots movement, and what your group can do to recruit new members. Top tips for organisers Coordinating a group and organising its activities may sound daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Here are our top tips for local action group organisers to seamlessly coordinate a thriving group. Lobbying. What's it all about? There are different ways you can lobby decision-makers, and you'll often need a combination of methods. Climate action messaging Use our messaging guidelines to help you reach out to people to talk about climate change and your local action group. A beginner's guide to social media Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can be a powerful tool for campaigning. Here are some guidelines on using these platforms to help boost your campaigns and grow your follower base. Hold your first campaigning event Whether online or in person, making a difference in the places where we live is the most powerful way we can respond to the climate and ecological emergency. Read our guidance on how to host your first campaigning event event. Campaign topic guides Planet over Profit MP letter template A template letter for groups in the Planet over Profit campaign to send to their MPs. How to celebrate Refugee Week Find out why Refugee Week is important and how to take part as a local action group. Latest news on the Heathy Environment project Having a healthy environment shouldn’t be a privilege, yet many people live in unhealthy environments. Friends of the Earth is working on a project to ensure that justice is at the heart of our work, to fight for a healthy environment for all. Nature is under threat The government is planning to rewrite thousands of laws that protect people and the environment across the UK, through the Retained EU Law (REUL) Act. Find out what you can do to stop the government’s attack on nature. Kale Yeah! Kitchens Putting sustainability on the menu Kale Yeah! Kitchens is a sustainability scheme designed for university and workplace canteens, which will help reduce consumption of meat and increase plant-based meals on your menus. Find out how to launch your own scheme. Our campaign to stop deforestation and human rights abuses Deforestation and human rights abuses like land grabbing are all too common in corporate supply chains. Find out more about how you and your group can hold companies to account for damage they cause. Why we should campaign on international causes Members from our network share why showing solidarity with international causes is vital to our fight for people and planet. Why solidarity matters We often hear the word solidarity, but what is it and why does it matter when it comes to environmental justice campaigning? Read below to find out more. Gender justice and dismantling patriarchy A look at Friends of the Earth International's position on gender justice and dismantling patriarchy. Human rights defenders A look at Friends of the Earth International's work on human rights defenders. Food sovereignty A look at the work our groups and Friends of the Earth International do on food sovereignty. Economic justice and resisting neoliberalism Find out what Friends of the Earth International and our network are doing to campaign for economic justice and resist neoliberalism. Forests and biodiversity Find out what Friends of the Earth International and our network are doing to campaign for forests and biodiversity. How to talk about flooding This guide will provide you with some key messaging and resources to talk about flooding across the UK. Policing and power: know your rights for protests and demos Learn how to keep yourself safe when protesting or attending a demonstration. This handy guide covers planning actions, police power and your rights. How to campaign for more tree cover in your area You can help protect the climate and restore nature by increasing tree cover in your area. This guide explains how to get your council to grow more trees in your neck of the woods. Work on a Climate Action Plan All the plans, templates and guidance to secure a Climate Action Plan for your area 8 lessons learned from councils leading the way on climate Sandra Bell, Senior Sustainability Analyst, shares 8 keys to success for councils that want to act on climate. The keys were taken from 40+ case studies of councils acting on everything from transport to habitat protection. Climate Action Plan for schools and colleges Download our free Climate Action Plan for schools and colleges to access 50 ways students and teachers can make their community more climate friendly. How to campaign on the council elections In May 2023 we have an opportunity to ensure councils across England, no matter their political party, take climate breakdown seriously and commit to making our towns and cities greener and fairer for everyone. Guide to meeting your electoral candidates We need to meet and secure commitments from electoral candidates ahead of the council in May. Discover how to lobby your candidates to take urgent action on climate and nature. Climate Action Plan for Northern Ireland councils Our 40-point Climate Action Plan to help councils in Northern Ireland tackle the climate and nature emergency. Climate Action Plan for Wales Wales is at a critical crossroads. But if the Welsh Government adopts our Climate Action Plan, it has a real chance to combat climate and ecological breakdown, and build a fairer society for the Welsh population. Read the plan. Understanding how your council works Approaching your council for the first time can be confusing. But you don’t need to be an expert to work with your council – often it’s simply knowing the right person to contact. This guide will help you get your head around how your council works and who you need to speak to. How to get media coverage Media outlets like local radio stations, television and newspapers can be an incredibly powerful tool to help spread the word about your campaign goals and successes, and even influence decision makers. Find out how to use the media to promote campaigns, handle requests from journalists, and become an effective spokesperson. Climate Action Plans for metro mayors Metro mayors are the leaders of combined authorities and can have significant powers within a region. Find out how metro mayors came about and what they can do to act on climate and protect the most vulnerable in our communities. Affordability, co-benefits and carbon saving: the top Climate Actions for councils There are many actions your council can take to tackle climate breakdown. But which actions pack the biggest punch in terms of impact? Climate Action Plan for Parish and Town Councils Parish and town councils may not be as powerful as local authorities but they can “do their bit” in addressing the climate and nature emergency and be a force for change. Climate Action Plan for councils A step-by-step climate action plan you can develop with your local authority to tackle the climate and nature emergencies and coronavirus recovery. Win an ambitious Climate Action Plan for councils We urgently need councils to turn their climate emergency declarations into concrete action by adopting and implementing a Climate Action Plan. That's why we've created this guide to help you campaign for an ambitious Climate Action Plan in your area. Guides to topics within the Climate Action Plan for councils Climate Action Plan for councils explained. Get your council to adopt a Climate Action Plan Councils up and down the country have made commitments to take climate action. Local communities must play a part in making sure they deliver on these commitments. Find out what part your council can play and how you can work with them to help tackle the climate crisis. Lobbying. What's it all about? There are different ways you can lobby decision-makers, and you'll often need a combination of methods. How local councils are acting on climate Learn from tried and tested initiatives helping local authorities tackle the climate crisis. Campaigning online Guides to help communicate your campaign How to build and manage your website Having a website is important in today's digital world. Find out everything you need to know if your local action group wants to create and manage its own website. Keep your email list interested Growing an active email list is a great way to build a relationship with people who've already shown an interest in your group. Write an effective email Email is a great way to reach a lot of people at the same time and promote your group’s work. But persuading people to take action after reading an email takes work. Friends of the Earth brand guidelines View our brand guidelines, including how to use brand colours, fonts and logos. Learn about best accessibility and photography practice. Welcome webinar event Come along to this introductory session to learn more about our local action group network, campaigns and how you can get involved. Plan a great action Learn how to creative with your campaigning to boost your profile and influence local decision-makers. Dirty pensions: is your council funding the climate crisis? Despite over 75% of local councils declaring a climate emergency, billions of pounds are still invested in planet-wrecking projects through local government pension funds. Action Network: campaign online A digital campaign platform to support your local campaigning and promote your group. Create a digital petition Petitions can be a great way to spread ideas and build support for change. The best petitions follow a simple formula designed to help the reader quickly understand why taking action will make a difference. 4 top tips to make a successful event booking page Creating a successful booking page and promoting it is essential when organising an event. Whether it’s a social gathering, workshop or demonstration, a great events page can help ensure your event is a success, and even help boost your mailing list. Here’s how to make the best possible event booking page. Ask the expert Book a session with an expert Working on an environment campaign and need some help? Book a session with one of our subject experts and experienced campaigners who can help answer your questions or give you advice on how to develop your campaigns. How to take good photos and videos Photos are a great way to encourage people to take notice of your campaign, and the work of your group. This guide gives you handy tips on how to take effective photos with your smartphone. Creating images with Canva Guidance and templates for you to create images for your campaign. How to facilitate an online meeting Facilitating meetings online is a new experience for many people. So, we’ve put together some tips to help you run an effective and inclusive meeting online. 7 tips for online meetings A simple guide to get the most from your video conference calls. How to campaign at home during the coronavirus pandemic The most important thing you can do right now is to keep yourselves and your communities safe through the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting the best from Zoom Zoom is a video conferencing tool that's great for taking your meetings and events online. Tools to help you campaign online We’ve gathered a list of the best free tools to help you shift your efforts online anytime. A beginner's guide to social media Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can be a powerful tool for campaigning. Here are some guidelines on using these platforms to help boost your campaigns and grow your follower base. Community data Bespoke tools, legal guides and data to support campaigning in your community Near you Understanding how your area is performing on key climate issues is an important step to figuring out the changes needed in your community. How to campaign for more tree cover in your area You can help protect the climate and restore nature by increasing tree cover in your area. This guide explains how to get your council to grow more trees in your neck of the woods. Woodland opportunity mapping by local authority - full dataset Woodland opportunity mapping by local authority - full dataset Policies, guidelines, and downloads How to update your local action group page We provide a page for every local action group on our website. Here’s how to update the content on your group’s page. Friends of the Earth brand guidelines View our brand guidelines, including how to use brand colours, fonts and logos. Learn about best accessibility and photography practice. Local events risk assessment template Download and complete our template risk assessment when organising any events or activities. Public and Products Liability insurance certificate Download Friends of the Earth's Public and Products Liability insurance certificate. Employers' Liability insurance certificate Download Friends of the Earth's Employers' Liability insurance certificate. Policies, support and grants This hub includes all the important administrative documents, processes, and support for Friends of the Earth local action groups. It’ll help your group with creating a constitution, refer to the local action group charter and advice on financial management and grants. Fundraising guidance Our top tips for raising money effectively while complying with fundraising regulations. GDPR guidance This page outlines guidance for Friends of the Earth groups on how to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including actions that groups need to take, and where to seek advice. Friends of the Earth safeguarding policy Friends of the Earth safeguarding policy and child protection policy. Designed for use for Friends of the Earth staff but it can be used as a basis to inform the development of groups' own safeguarding policy. Safeguarding guidance At Friends of the Earth we believe that everyone has the right to live free from abuse of any kind, and that everyone should feel safe when participating in group activities. We all have a legal responsibility to do everything we can to keep children and vulnerable adults safe and to report any concerns we have about their welfare. Political impartiality guidance This guidance is to help Friends of the Earth local action groups understand political party impartiality, and how it might affect their campaigning activity. Template email to welcome new councillors Template email to all newly elected councillors. You will need to tailor this email to your local context depending on whether your council already has a Climate Action Plan and how much progress they have made on this. Anti-racism and the environment movement Fighting injustice and oppression is key to solving shared global problems. Find out why we must embed anti-racist practices into our climate campaigns. Template letter to the leader of the council Template email to request a meeting with the newly elected Leader of the Council/Councillor responsible for the Environment. You will need to tailor this email to your local context depending on whether your council already has a Climate Action Plan and how much progress they have made on this. Template email to new councillors Template email to all newly elected councillors. You will need to tailor this email to your local context depending on whether your council already has a Climate Action Plan and how much progress they have made on this. Cover photo for social media option 2 Download this cover image to use on your group's social media channels. Cover photo for social media option 1 Download this banner photo to use on your group's social media channels. Profile picture for social media option 2 Download this profile picture to use for your group's social media channels. Profile picture for social media option 1 Download this profile picture to use on your group's social media channels. Event risk assessment form This risk assessment should be completed by groups organising any events or activities. Environmental Impact Assessment Do you find Environmental Impact Assessments confusing? If so, this guide will help you understand how they work and how to engage in the process. Coronavirus guidance Our recommendations regarding coronavirus and resources to support you during this time. We will continue to monitor government advice on the subject and will review and update this page accordingly. Please do check back regularly. Green and fair recovery policies We need government to lead a green and fair recovery plan following the coronavirus pandemic. Download the policies behind Friends of the Earth's proposed plan. Template email to invite MP's to meet An email template you can use to invite MP's to meet. Template press release (general) A general template press release to share your group's achievement or news with media. Coronavirus messaging: a guide for local action groups We’re living in unprecedented times. While we want to continue as much as possible to campaign on climate, we must be sensitive in how we do that – and how we communicate it. Our values Together we will campaign for Climate Action according to these values. We are... Insurance and your group's finances This guidance will help you manage your group finances and insurance. How to double tree cover in your area: briefing for councillors Trees help to protect the climate, improve air quality, support more wildlife, reduce flood risk and improve people’s wellbeing. This briefing, compiled by Friends of the Earth's Trees campaigning team, details how councils can access land and money to double local tree cover. Template agenda for meeting a councillor about a Climate Action Plan Template agenda for meeting a councillor about a Climate Action Plan. Template email to request a meeting with the council Use our template email to request a meeting about climate change with your council. Downloadable materials for your campaign Download materials to use for your climate campaigning. Policies and guidance These policies and guidance documents will help you navigate any data or legal-related concerns you might have. All registered local groups are expected to adhere to these policies. Climate action messaging Use our messaging guidelines to help you reach out to people to talk about climate change and your local action group. Featured resources What's climate justice? Climate justice has become a popular term at protests and strikes. But what does it mean, how is it a "green" issue and why are we focusing on it now? Read our explainer and make sure you're embedding climate justice into campaigning and activism in your local area. How local councils are acting on climate Learn from tried and tested initiatives helping local authorities tackle the climate crisis. A beginner's guide to social media Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can be a powerful tool for campaigning. Here are some guidelines on using these platforms to help boost your campaigns and grow your follower base.
