Organised by Friends of the Earth and supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, Earthmovers Awards recognise the inspiring work of local environmental groups in their communities.
From Cumbria to Croydon, get inspired by what these local groups have achieved.
West Midlands
Congratulations to Stourbridge Friends of the Earth for its climate justice work, Moorlands Climate Action for its commitment to climate action, Climate Matters Staffordshire for its partnership work, Warwick Climate Action for building an amazing mailing list and getting great media coverage and Herefordshire Friends of the Earth for its campaign to measure and reduce nitrate and phosphate pollution in the River Wye.
Stourbridge, West Midlands
Stourbridge Friends of the Earth raised the profile of the Mozambique liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and its impact on coastal communities in its local area, Dudley. The group did this by:
- engaging with their communities, local councillors and MPs
- hosting display stalls with information
- talking to the public at local community events
- holding demos outside the surgeries of 4 Dudley MPs and delivering letters of protest against the government's funding of the project
- holding a climate emergency vigil for the earth which attracted 100+ people.
As a result, the local community has a better understanding about the role the UK plays in overseas gas projects and how they impact people and planet.
East Midlands
Congratulations to Frack Free Mission for its brilliant campaigning which helped prevent fracking in Nottinghamshire, Harborough Climate Action for rapidly building its public profile as a dynamic local action group, and The Race Equality Centre (TREC) for its inspiring collaborative climate justice work with Leicester Friends of the Earth and other racially diverse community organisations.
Harborough Climate Action, East Midlands
In just over a year, Harborough Climate Action has established a dynamic group with a specific focus on climate awareness raising and activism. The group battled political indifference to the climate crisis in its town by communicating regularly on local and social media outlets.
Harborough Climate Action also run a sustained and ongoing campaign to urge its district council to take meaningful action on the climate emergency. This includes:
- a regular monthly column in their local paper
- persistent lobbying of key decision-makers
- producing and communicating their own attractively presented, positive vision of what strong climate action would look like in their area
- attending key council meetings.
North East
Congratulations to Climate Action Berwick & Borders for its work in the run-up to the UN climate conference (COP26), Alnwick Area Friends of the Earth for organising amazing events and Climate Action Newcastle for maintaining activity during lockdown.
Climate Action Newcastle, North East
Climate Action Newcastle did an amazing job maintaining high levels of campaign activity during lockdown.
The group was launched just a few months before the first lockdown and went on to design creative and engaging campaigns. They focussed on a variety of topics, such as helping to secure the closure of bridges to traffic and encouraging active travel.
It also worked with a local artist to highlight the links between the challenge of climate change and the plight of refugees.
North West
Congratulations to West Cumbria and North Lakes Friends of the Earth and Cumbria youth activists Isabella and Matilda Bridgman for their campaigning on the Whitehaven coal mine, Manchester Friends of the Earth for its local election work and generous collaboration, Save Oglet Shore and Greenbelt who successfully fought expansion plans at Liverpool John Lennon airport, Bury Climate Action for campaigning for Bury Council to adopt an ambitious Climate Action Plan and creating the Bury Climate Hub, and Sefton Climate Action for powerful campaigning on climate solutions and justice.
Cumbria Youth Climate Activists, North West
Isabella and Matilda Bridgman have both made huge contributions to fighting the climate crisis in Cumbria, not least to the campaign against the Whitehaven coal mine.
From leading on a survey of young people's future aspirations to platforming young people's views at the Cumbria Green Jobs Summit, Matilda and Isabella have helped shaped the conversation in Cumbria and won hearts and minds in the process.
South West
Congratulations to Bristol Climate Justice (COP26) Coalition for building a diverse coalition for climate justice and Plymouth Climate Action for helping to organise Plymouth's biggest climate mobilisation.
Climate Action Plymouth, South West
Climate Action Plymouth set up just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite the challenging times it has quickly become one of the most active and impactful groups in the south west.
The groups actions have included:
- printing books and reports
- working with its local council
- helping to organise Plymouth's biggest climate demonstration.
South East
Congratulations to Tunbridge Wells Friends of the Earth for its hustings event and TunWellsArt exhibition and Blackwater Valley Friends of the Earth for being such an active and organised group.
Blackwater Valley Friends of the Earth, South East
Blackwater Valley Friends of the Earth have consistently used its initiative to respond to really important issues in the battle to halt the climate and ecological crisis. Some of its work includes:
- highlighting the pollution issue from Farnborough Airport
- collaborating with other groups and organising an impressive election hustings campaign with candidate pledges
- responding positively to wider Friends of the Earth campaigns, including a request to write a letter to Michael Gove on the Cumbrian coal mine
- objecting to a development that would cut down 237 trees.
London
Congratulations to Croydon Climate Action for its great work on local elections, the UN climate conference and the Great Big Green Week, Barnet Friends of the Earth for its fantastic hustings and Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth for organising an amazing rally for the UN climate conference.
Croydon Climate Action, London
Croydon Climate Action brought tonnes of energy to its campaigning on the elections, the UN climate conference and its Great Big Green Week event.
The group ran a successful campaign around the local elections, getting all mayoral candidates signing up to their climate pledge. Group members did this by organising a hustings, writing to candidates and engaging lots of people in the community to take action.
Central and East
Norwich Friends of the Earth, Central and East
Norwich Friends of the Earth has grown rapidly from a couple of people to a really strong group with lots of members, regular meetings and an ambitious programme of work.
A highlight of the group's year was its Climate Action campaign, which centred around a petition calling for Norfolk Council to declare a climate emergency and adopt a strong plan. Using Action Network, the group secured around 5000 signatures, enough to force the debate at a council meeting.
