The problem

Climate and nature breakdown demand urgent and far-reaching action by government and communities alike. But the speed of change risks leaving people behind.

Society is increasingly increasingly divided and we need to strengthen our resilience and connection.

At the same time communities are full of creativity and collective action can be a powerful force for change.

What if…

We provide a catalyst for practical experiments to help navigate an uncertain future. These help equip Friends of the Earth and the wider movement with the mindset and tools to explore innovative solutions.

By identfying where a small intervention could make a big difference, we test and iterate and learn what works - and what doesn't.

 Successful experiments can serve as powerful examples to inspire people and influence decision-makers. 

What we do

We nurture a portfolio of community-led projects that help cut carbon emissions or help restore nature.

We bring flexibility and insight, pivot quickly and share what we learn - and where we fail.

We use futures tools and approaches to imagine alternatives and analyse trends and signals over a longer term horizon.

Working in partnership enables our small team to catalyse and scale up projects. Our established reputation enables us to draw on a wide knowledge base, bringing together diverse thinkers and decision-makers to develop innovative solutions.

How we work

We can be an ally, accomplice, amplifier or catalyst.

Through coaching and facilitating, workshops and design labs, seed funding to test prototypes on the ground, we bring people together to identify solutions to local environmental challenges.

We create spaces for imagination - so people can delve into their ideas and catalyse activity to bring them to life.

Our projects

We tell their stories to influence decision makers like councils or government. 

And make sure that new ideas are built with and for those least served by innovation, be it through practice, technology or financial mechanisms.

"It helped me to see that creativity can sit in this world and that it’s ok if I’m not a scientist or an IT whizz! This has allowed me to feel that I can still have things to offer and to develop a pilot that actually feels authentic to me and to the things I care about. That journey has also helped me to be more authentic with myself outside of the project". A participant in a recent design lab on Ai and community action.