The journey so far ...
About Anne Barrett
I’ve always been a greenie. As a child it manifested as being an animal lover. As a teenager I became a vegetarian. I travelled a lot in my twenties learning about different countries and environments, then as a 30 something landed in university doing an environmental management degree. But I came out feeling qualified to do unpaid voluntary work as it seemed there weren’t many authentic job opportunities for people like me.
Having worked for a company organising tailor-made eco tourism style holidays in Central America while I was studying, I then spent a couple of years as a VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas) in The Gambia working as an eco tourism advisor.
Then marriage and parenting happened and I had to prioritise making money. I set up a business supporting small businesses. You can read about that business at annebarrett.co.uk. But I felt despondent about how little notice was being paid to the problems in our environment.
Oh how things have changed!
In 2019, thanks to XR (Extinction Rebellion), I realised that the tide had turned. So many more people standing up and insisting on change. And I started to think about how I could fit in with this new trajectory.
In 2020 I started my training as a Small Business Coach with the aim of supporting small business owners to adapt for net zero. You can see more about that here.
In 2024 things really took off! I attended a couple of Small99’s People, Planet, Pint meetups and learned about the Small99’s Action Box for carbon reduction planning workshops and about Climate Fresk workshops for explaining the causes and effects of climate change based on the science in the IPPC reports (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
I am now a facilitator for the Small99 Action box carbon reduction planning workshops, a Climate Fresk facilitator as well as the host for Lewisham People, Planet, Pint sustainability meetups.
And the glue that brought all this together, helping me to identify my reason for being, the changes I want to see, what the impacts could be, and how to get there is the Changemakers programme by Facework. The programme is for projects that are about doing something good in the world and not just for profit.
At the Changemakers Awards ceremony a representative of Lewisham Council approached me to offer some support to run carbon reduction workshops for local businesses. I’m so grateful!
And in the autumn of 2024 Climate Confidence was shortlist for a Mayor of Lewisham Business Award!
In the Best Green Business/Best Sustainable Business category.
And what a ceremony that was!
Plans for 2025 are to facilitate many more opportunities for learning what we can do about climate change, to encourage feelings of positivity and empowerment.
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