Opportunities for Action

National Emergency Briefing (NEB) (posted 7 March 2026)

Roll out of 45 minute public information film for local screenings across the UK accompanied by facilitated discussion. NEB invites local groups to host screenings in community venues such as places of worship, village halls, or community centres. Organisers are supported with the film, guidance etc. To register interest or find out more about hosting the film with discussion, visit https://www.nebriefing.org/take-action or contact info@nebriefing.org. 

The Big Plastic Count (posted 5 March 2026)

Takes place from 9-15 March. For all the information on how to take part in the count check it out on the website The Big Plastic Count

'The Line We Crossed' (posted 5 March 2026)
A film about the deterioration in civil society rights to non-violent protest as experienced by British climate activists including Quaker Friends. London Quakers are screening the film on 23 March and a local screening can be organised if you contact the team at The Line We Crossed – Page75 Productions

Difficult Conversations re the Polycrisis (posted 19 February 2026)

In 'The Friend' 13 February 2026, Jane Banfield from New Zealand Yearly Meeting explains her vision and project for 'Peace Trolling'. Using non-violent communication research by Marshall Rosenberg she is using a SOFNR 'softener' style of engagement. Perhaps this method could be adapted and used for face-to-face as well as online difficult conversations about the polycrisis? If you are curious about becoming part of a collaborative Quaker group, or would like to try out Peace Trolling for yourself and build confidence trolling together, contact Jane at connectingcheerfully@gmail. com

These are the steps in the SOFNR method:

S: Slow - take time to breath deeply, using self-empathy to acknowledge personal feelings and what unsatisfied need may lie underneath... remind yourself that ... a comment is simply 'the best way at that moment that a person could find to meet their need'. 

O: Observe - seek to recognise the point the commenter is trying to articulate.

F/N: Feelings\Needs - look for the fundamental feelings and unsatisfied need(s) that might have led the (person) to say what they did.

R: Request - make one, if appropriate.

 

 

Open University Free Learning Opportunities re the Polycrisis (posted 22 January 2026)

Introducing Climate Psychology : facing the climate crisis endorsed by the Climate Psychology Alliance  Open Learn - Introducing Climate Psychology

and take the i-Attune test developed by the OU - a simple interactive test to help people better understand their own political views and behaviours. It is a short, anonymised coaching tool which aims to help people see their views in a different light and help them move towards constructive debate. (both parts sourced from 'OpenMinds' the OU alumni news magazine.

Veganuary - Quaker Vegans across the country and globally are proudly taking part in Veganuary. This is an opportunity to live adventurously by trying a Vegan lifestyle for the month of January. If you are at all “Vegan Curious” then join our WhatsApp community - a space to get support, ask questions and meet others who are starting out on a Vegan journey from a Quaker perspective. Email: clerk@qvw.org.uk for registering details.   

Quaker Vegan Witness (Posted 8 January 2026)

 

Climate and Nature Crisis - National Emergency Briefing (posted 8 January 2026)

On 27 November 2025, 10 UK leading experts briefed politicians, business leaders, leaders from culture, faith, sport and the media on the latest implications for health, food, natural security and the economy. There are 5 actions on the 'Take Action' page of their website https://www.nebriefing.org/take-action which you might like to respond to - all or in part. Of particular interest might be no.5 - signing up interest in screening the film of the Briefing that will be available in the Spring. It might be suitable for Local or Area Meetings, or other community settings.

 

Giving MPs a mandate for climate action (Posted 23 November 2025) Taken from Quake! Newsletter 20 Nov

Quakers in Britain's longstanding concern for climate justice and sustainability secured us an invitation to the launch of the Climate and Nature Crisis Caucus, a cross-party group of MPs and peers who champion joined-up action on climate and nature.

The Climate and Nature private members bill failed to clear its first parliamentary hurdle in January 2025 but secured a promise from government ministers to work with interested MPs to find a way forward.

The next opportunity to table a private members' bill on this is expected to be in the spring of 2026.

MPs repeatedly say “nobody raises this issue on the doorstep". So, a key message is to remove that excuse by making sure every MP gets a visit at their surgery at least twice a year from someone who cares about climate and nature: to say “thank you" if they are already active and to challenge if they are not.

Is this something you and others in your constituency can do? Reminder for 2026 diaries?

Climate Justice Coalition - Make Them Pay Petition (COP30 Action) Posted 14 November 2025

Faith for the Climate (an inter-faith group) are supporting the Climate Justice Coalition's petition 'Make Them Pay!'. 

They say 'Billionaires and polluting corporations are increasingly destroying lives and being rewarded with more vast wealth, while working people worldwide are left to pick up the pieces.  If we don’t fight back, we will pay for billionaires to get richer as the climate and public services collapse around us and our government is increasingly run in the interests of the super-rich.

We need real, transformative change. It’s time to make the super-rich and polluting corporations pay for a just transition from fossil fuels, for better public services, for all the destruction they have caused – in the global south and the UK. Will you sign the petition and tell Keir Starmer it’s time to Make Them Pay?'

If you wish to support this action, use this link to sign the petition Make Them Pay Petition Page

 

Greenpeace Petition - Don't Scrap the Windfall Tax (Posted 14 November 2025) 
Greenpeace think the Chancellor is looking to scrap the Windfall Tax on oil and gas companies. If you would like to sign their online petition, contact them via email for their link to do this: team.uk@act.greenpeace.org.uk

 

Climate Choir Movement (Posted 11 March 2024)

Jo Flanagan, a co-founder of the Climate Choir Movement, spoke at an online Quaker Arts Network event on Sunday evening, 10 March about the impact of the Climate Choir Movement in helping to change hearts and minds, and uplifting the spirits of the singer/protesters themselves. There are some clips of the choir on Youtube, one is included here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srfFnwIacYY and if you would like to be part of a Climate Choir visit their website https://www.climatechoirmovement.org

WhatsApp Group Invite (Posted 4 March 2024)

A group of around 200 Friends who are engaged in activism to prevent climate and environmental breakdown, communicate regularly and support each other via a WhatsApp group. To join up go to https://chat.whatsapp.com/JAMLlE6AcL1GC8jDRycy1u

 

Eco Retrofits - Judith Leary-Joyce, a London Quaker Friend, has produced a guide book to help anyone embarking on a project to retrofit their home. Judith is a long-time supporter of Friends of the Earth, and has campaigned for many years in support of the Quaker concern for sustainability of the Earth. 

The book is now stocked and available in the Friends House bookshop. It is also available via Awesome Books and World of Books. Monies raised from sales are going to Friends of the Earth.

In working to get the message about the importance and the benefits of retrofitting homes 'out there', Judith has also taken part in a Ted talk How you and your builder can save the planet 

Climate Fresk Workshops - were created in 2015 with the aim of raising public awareness about climate change. The workshop works in a game format and lasts about three hours, divided into three distinct phases. The first phase consists in discovering and linking the cards by cause-consequence relationships to create the 'Fresk', as explained in IPCC reports. The second phase is creative: the participants decorate the Fresk and choose a title. The last phase is a debrief enabling a discussion about players' feelings, positions, questions and both individual and collective solutions. (info source - Wikipedia) 

Harriet Martin requested a workshop for her U3A climate group in Birmingham, which Linda Murgatroyd was happy to facilitate. The event was open to the U3A group and anyone in the area who wished to participate. 

Harriet says 'the aim of the 'game' is for each team to place cards in order on the table, finding all the cause and effect relationships and drawing arrows between the cards to illustrate what climate change is all about... It takes at least one and a half hours to play the game and ideally another hour to discuss the groups' solutions. The ideal group size is probably 4-5, giving everyone a chance to explain their choices of where to place cards. It's important that you play the game before attempting to facilitate one... (it's) a very good way to help people grasp the intricacies of the causes and effects of climate change.

To request a Workshop, participate in a Workshop, train to facilitate a Workshop, go to https://climatefresk.org/