Join Friends of the Earth free workshop to explore the shared drivers of social and environmental harm – and build local links across sectors to tackle them
Many voluntary and community sector organisations have a really good understanding of ‘multiple deprivation’ (i.e. how poverty, poor housing, insecure or low paid jobs and lack of access to services combine and impact on people) but less knowledge about how this links to our environment.
In this workshop, Friends of the Earth will think about what ‘multiple environmental deprivation’ might look like where you are, and how specific environmental issues, like contaminated land, water pollution or air quality, and issues in the built environment such as cold, damp and mouldy houses might be exacerbating other social problems.
The workshop will look at some exclusive Friends of the Earth data specific to your area, and run through some examples of how different communities have come together to tackle issues relevant to both people and the environment.
And Friends of the Earth will help attendees think about how they could work together in the future, and how they can use environmental data or arguments to support their existing work, like responding to consultations, taking legal action or chatting to the local authority.
Who is this for?
- Staff or volunteers in local voluntary and community sector groups - for example...
- Citizens Advice, law centres and other places that provide support or information for people who are struggling
- Local health and wellbeing services that tackle specific illnesses or help affected people
- Groups that offer support to, or challenge problems experienced by, specific communities - for example refugees, young people, or people of colour
- Housing providers who are responsible for supporting people who live in their homes and control community buildings/spaces
- Local campaigning groups set up in response to a particular local problem – maybe housing, safety, or even traffic
- YOU!
Why attend?
- Gain a better understanding of the links between the drivers of (and potential solutions to) environmental and social harms, giving you more tools to do your work
- Explore new data about environmental and social inequalities in your area, and find out about our new work mapping ‘multiple environmental deprivation’
- Benefit from improved links between organisations working on environmental and social inequalities (including the Friends of the Earth network), and find new areas of common concern
What to expect/agenda
9.30: Arrive and complete a base-line questionnaire
10.00: Session starts: Introduction to the session, aims & objectives
10.10: Icebreaker: The story of your name
10.20: Environmental justice – links to a healthy & unhealthy environment
10.30: Group activity – Healthy/unhealthy environment and links to your community
11.00: Break – time for a cuppa and snack
11.15: Find Someone Who -Ice-breaker/connector activity
11.20: Multiple Environmental Deprivation – what does it look like in your area? - Presentation of Manchester data followed by a group discussion
11.50: Environmental justice in action – case-studies of social change
12.00: Quick fire action planning
12.20: Additional resources available
12.25: Evaluation
12.30: Optional networking and action planning session
13.00: Close
Your hosts/facilitators
- Kierra Box, trade and environmental regulation campaigner
- Roisin Cavanagh, community partnerships lead