It takes ordinary people, using our extraordinary gifts of passion and purpose to make things happen.
A change activist doesn’t need to have supernatural strength, or be outstandingly beautiful, or have an IQ off the wall. They simply need to be someone who is willing to take action outside his or her comfort zone. And that can be you.
A year or so ago, I was your typical shy and insecure teenage girl. I could hardly answer the phone without getting hot and flustered. Oh, how things have changed!
Last summer I was bored out of mind and needed something to distract myself from work and exam results. So I went to my local volunteer centre and was lucky enough to get on the steering group of a newly set up environmental youth volunteering project. Getting thrown into the deep end as the PR officer, I hardly had time for cowardice or fear, as I was too busy writing press releases, creating publicity material and chairing our weekly meetings.
A few months later, and with the encouragement of my project co-ordinator, I applied to become a ‘Climateer’ for the National Trust’s You Me and The Climate (YOMAC) project, which brings young people from across Britain to act together on CO2. Attending week long residentials with inspiring people I had never met before made me realise that I had found my place in the world, and I was hungry for more!
In Spring 2009, I became a member of the UK Young Climate Coalition (UKYCC), which unites young people for a just and clean future. My role within their Outreach Team is to get people talking about the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December and to recruit people for their various teams.
As if this wasn’t all enough, I then applied to UNICEF’s Big Climate Callout – a competition for 14 to 17 year olds to become delegates at the Children’s Climate Forum in Copenhagen – and was successful.
Now, I know it seems like I’m just showing off but I’m not, I promise. All I wanted to prove to you is that a small action can have the biggest impact on your life. Little did I know 12 months ago, when I was walking into the dingy volunteer centre that I would be representing Britain’s children at an international climate conference. So seize every opportunity and don’t be scared.
‘Ask what matters in your heart. Point that passionate purpose at the icy walls of fear in your life and I promise, they’ll melt away.’
Satchmo Paige
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting some more information on the campaigns that I’m involved in and some tips I’ve learnt from some old (and young) owls.
Smiles and daisies x
