So far, we’ve given around 58% of the Charity Pot funds to environmental and conservation organisations, which includes supporting community campaigns against new developments which threaten the local environment (like roads and housing developments), non-violent direct action groups, educational projects and the conservation of endangered species.
Here’s a run down of organisations we’ve supported, click on them if you want to read more!
NB. Those with stars have specific information about Lush’s support, the others are links to the organisation’s websites – more to come on those soon.
Earth Restoration Service (2009)
The campaign message is simple – we can all do something positive and play our part in the vital effort to restore the planet’s eco-systems. Yes governments, companies need to act, but let’s not waste time waiting for them. If enough of us get involved, a truly grass-roots movement will grow, and that will force the powers that be to listen. Put your hand up! Its not just about reducing your negative carbon footprint; its about what you can do for the earth with your hands.
Call to Real Action (2009)
“Call to Real Action” is the name of a 62 page document written by a diverse group of ‘concerned citizens.’ It contains a whole host of ideas about how the people of Manchester and their City Council can respond to climate change and was written in response to a report, “the Call to Action”, that the City Council commissioned and approved in January. Call to Real Action aim to help the Council make a really good plan for dealing with Climate Change, and then to implement that plan.
Stop Bristol Airport Expansion (2009)
The Stop Bristol Airport Expansion is an alliance of local enviromental groups and Parish Councils in North Somerset, Bristol and BANES, campainging against the expansion plans at Bristol Airport due to the massive environmental damage which will be caused if it goes ahead.
North West Transport Activists Roundtable (2009)
The North West Transport Activists Roundtable (NW TAR) is one of eight regional roundtables run under the auspices of the Campaign for Better Transport. They are an umbrella organisation whose purpose is to promote sustainable transport and sustainable land use to regional agencies and local authorities.
Purbeck Environment Action Team (2009)
PEAT is a group of like-minded individuals working towards sustainability in Purbeck, Dorset. They encourage “living lightly” and sharing the Earth’s resources fairly and have recently taken on the Transition Towns model.
Tenner Films (2009)
The aim of this project is to reveal the human story behind the complicated and often abstract subject of nuclear power, to meet the people whose lives are touched by the many different facets of this controversial energy source, to entertain, enlighten and, above all, spark debate and discussion.
Worcestershire Resource Exchange (2009)
Worcestershire Resource Exchange is a ‘scrapstore’ which collects clean and safe waste from a range of local industries and businesses, diverting it from landfill. This ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of low cost reclaimed material is then made available to members as a creative resource for projects.
Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (2009)
SELRAP is a volunteer campaign group whose aim is to campaign for the re-instatement of the Colne-Skipton line as a trans-pennine route, a part of the national network, linking the Aire Valley and Yorkshire to East Lancashire, Manchester, Preston and beyond.
* Climate Rush * (2009)
Climate Rush is inspired by the actions of the Suffragettes 100 years ago, who showed that peaceful civil disobedience could inspire positive change. They are a diverse group of women and men who are determined to raise awareness of the biggest threat facing humanity today – that of Climate Change.
Shift Magazine (2009)
The first issue of Shift Magazine was published in summer 2007 and there has since been a new issue every 4 months. It is currently edited in Manchester. The idea is to create a space for the exchange of radical ideas and strategies, though always with reference or direct relevance to organisation and ‘activism’.
Undercurrents (2009)
Undercurrents uses video to support environmental, social justice and animal rights direct action campaigners. They train activists to use video and the internet strategically as a tool to widen the understanding and effectiveness of their work and are currently building open source structures for campaigners to make maximum use of online videos.
* Environmental Justice Foundation * (2009)
EJF makes a direct link between the need for environmental security and the defence of basic human rights. They empower those people who suffer most from environmental abuses to find peaceful ways of preventing them. Working with grassroots organisations in some of the world’s poorest countries, EJF cuts through political and commercial agendas to reach those people who so often lack a voice for their concerns.
Environmental Law Centre Scotland (2009)
A not for profit law centre specialising in environmental law. It aims to help community groups, individuals and the voluntary sector to protect the environment through understanding and utilising the law by providing advice, advocacy, training, updates and research.
* Otesha Project * (2009)
A new organisation aiming to tackle big issues like climate change, injustice and poverty in creative ways, starting with our own lives and actions, to build a community of people who are all doing the same thing, to inspire others to take practical environmental actions, and to have a bit of fun at the same time.
Kingskerswell Alliance (2009)
A group fighting the Kingskerswell bypass, which will run through a historical site of Kingskerswell, Devon, splitting the village in two and destroying the tranquillity of Kerswell Down and nearby woodlands.
* Borough of Poole School Environment Award (2008 & 2009) *
A Poole Borough Council projects which encourages school children, and the wider community, to be more environmentally responsible.
Protect our Woodland (2007 & 2009)
This group in 2002 to stop a development of over 1,000 buildings that will destroy Ancient Woodland, a historic droveway, 125 hectares of Greenfield’s and will generate an unsustainable increase in traffic that will add significantly to greenhouse emissions.
Birmingham Friends of the Earth (2008 & 2009)
The Birmingham local group of national campaigning organisation Friends of the Earth.
Dorset Scrap Stores (2008)
A Scrapstore which collects materials donated by industry, commerce and individuals and makes them available to the community as a valuable, low cost resource.
Friends of Homerton Station (2008)
The Friends of Homerton Station project aims to establish and maintain a wildflower meadow on the embankments of Homerton station.
Films 4 Conservation (2008)
Film makers who specialise in making conservation documentaries in Indonesia, including the impacts of palm oil.
Guerilla Gardening (2008)
“Guerrilla Gardening” is the act of taking an abandoned piece of land and growing crops or plants. This organisation is the global hub for those who cultivate land as guerrilla gardeners. Let’s fight the filth with forks and flowers.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (2008)
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organisation with a mission to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
* Borders Scrap Stores * (2008)
By collecting and redistributing materials from household and industrial waste and offering training in their re-use, Borders Scrap Store aims to improve the range and quality of art and craft provision while raising awareness of recycling issues.
* Butterfly Conservation * (2008)
This Dorset based charity works to save butterflies, moths and their habitats. Butterfly Conservation has raised awareness of the extent of butterfly declines and created widespread acceptance that action needs to be taken.
* Birdlife International * (2007 & 2008)
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.
Transport 2000 (now Campaign for Better Transport) (2007)
Since 1973 this charity has been helping to create transport policies and programmes that give people better lives. They work nationally and locally, collectively and as individuals, through high-level lobbying and strong public campaigning.
* Seeds for Change * (2007)
Seeds for Change is a non-profit co-op providing training and resources to grassroots campaigners and to NGOs, Co-ops and other organisations in the social sector.
Road Block (2007)
An alliance of groups and individuals campaigning against road-building projects (now a project of the Campaign for Better Transport, see above).
* Plane Stupid * (2007)
Aviation is the fastest growing cause of climate change and the expansion of airports is wiping established communities off the map. Plane Stupid is a network of groups taking action against airport expansion and aviation’s climate impact.
* Transport Solutions for Lancaster & Morecambe * (2007)
This group opposes the proposed Heysham M6 Link (formerly known as the Northern Bypass) in the Lancaster district. The road will not effectively address local traffic congestion whilst destroying Green Belt land and affecting two County Biological Heritage Sites.
South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth (2007)
The local Friends of the Earth group for the South Bedfordshire region campaigning on issues such as climate change, renewable energy, palm oil and sustainable transport.
Stop Harlow North (2007)
This group is dedicated to positively and actively opposing proposals by Ropemaker Properties Limited and its associated landowners to create a major development north of Harlow consisting of 25,000 new houses which will destroy Green Belt land. (2007)
* Bristol Friends of the Earth *(2007)
Bristol Friends of the Earth is an active local group of the international environmental organisation Friends of the Earth. We supported their campaign against airport expansion at Bristol airport.
* Sumatran Orangutan Society * (2007)
SOS is dedicated to the conservation of the critically endangered Sumatran orangutans and their forest home. They raise awareness of the threats facing wild orangutans as well as working on the ground with local communities living alongside orangutan habitat.
No Third Runway Action Group (2007)
NoTRAG is a residents’ organisation which is opposed to the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport, which will destroy Sipson Village, part of Harmondsworth and will reduce the size of Harlington. More than 700 homes will be lost.
Road Sense (2007)
Road Sense is opposing the Aberdeen by-pass proposal on the grounds that there is no substantive evidence that this road would significantly help the growing congestion problem in the area, the local economy, or the environment.
* Save The Valley * (2007)
We supported this group’s campaign against plans for a road which would have cut right across the Valley of the Wear, in the middle of the Durham city, destroying ancient woodland. They won the case!
Stop Luton Airport Plan (SLAP) (2007)
This group opposes London Luton Airport’s plans for expansion which threatens 30 hectares or irreplaceable ancient woodland. The plans include a new 3km long runway, to pave the way for a three-fold increase in passenger numbers within the next 10 years – from 7.5 million a year to 23.5 million by 2015.
* Swindon Climate Action Network * (2007)
This group of people from across Swindon raise awareness of the impact of climate change and help the people of Swindon to reduce their personal carbon emissions and get involved in local and national campaigns.
* Campaign Against the Levels Motorway (CALM) * (2007)
The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) is proposing to build a new 24km toll motorway through the spectacular wildlife habitat of the Gwent Levels in SE Wales. CALM campaigns against this development. Update from July 2009; WAG has finally abandoned the plans – victory!!
* Marine Conservation Society * (2007)
UK charity dedicated to caring for our seas, shores and wildlife. We supported their vital turtle conservation programme.
* Dinedor Hill Action * (2007)
This community group formed to campaign against a new road and housing development near Hereford which threatened to destroy an area of beautiful countryside. With the help of Lush, they stopped the housing development!
Derby HEART (2007)
Derby HEART (Heritage and Environmental Association for Residents & Traders) has been set up for people who share concerns about Derby City Council’s plans to build major new roads in the centre of the City.
Waste Watch (2007)
Waste Watch is a UK environmental charity working to change the way people use the world’s natural resources.
Norwich and Norfolk Transportation Action Group (2007)
Norwich and Norfolk Transport Action Group (NNTAG) is an umbrella organisation for transport groups in Norfolk.
BRING ME A SHRUBBERY
A resident from a Durham village is urging his neighbours to green up their Front Street. Dave Bainbridge from Witton Gilbert was inspired by the planting on the main road at Croxdale that gives the place such a nice green look and has greened up his part of Front Street by placing potted trees and plants in front of his own house.
The village used to have a lot of green areas on Front Street but in these cash strapped times the council has sold most of these off for housing to give the place a hard paved look, more greenery and trees in the old part of the village would be very welcome.
In the words of Monty Python’s Knights that say Ni Dave is urging his neighbours to ‘bring me a shrubbery’
Guerrilla Gardeners would be most welcome but they will need to employ lightning attacks using potted plants as there is little green space to actually plant anything in.