The network
Fiona, Buckingham
"I am a mother of 2 and currently on maternity leave with my daughter, Lola. My son Ronnie is 3. I have always been environmentally conscious but in recent years I have taken a greater interest in sustainability, which led to the realisation that
individual actions alone are not enough and that I needed to do more. I've had plenty of time during those night-time feeds to learn more about the climate emergency, so when Mothers CAN popped up on my Facebook I knew it was something I wanted to get involved in.
I spoke to local friends and invited them to join me for a Zoom meeting with Mothers CAN. Since our first meeting we have been sharing green tips and articles and group members have made green changes in their own lives. One topic kept coming up - reusable nappies. We all agreed that it was pretty poor that Buckinghamshire Council does not offer a reusable nappy incentive scheme so this seemed a really good starting point for our group.
With help from Mothers CAN, we have written to the council's cabinet member for climate change and environment - he supports our initiative, so we're hoping for a positive result soon!
I think it's fair to say that most if not all our group members (me included) don't see ourselves as activists and feel a bit out of our comfort zone, but the support from Mothers CAN has enabled us to start with something we feel comfortable with, and we hope to keep going! I have attended the recent trainings which have really helped motivate and inspire me (I've learned something too!)
If anyone else is thinking about starting a group and wants to chat to someone who has done it, do get in touch. I'd love to chat with you."
Ofra, Newcastle
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Jessica, Leeds
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Sabrina, Wast Horsley
"I am currently on maternity leave with our second child, Savannah. Isaac our eldest is two and a half. We have just returned back to the UK after 8 years working abroad, most recently in California. We saw first-hand the devastating effect of climate change, with unprecedented fires ravaging so close to our home that rolling blackouts became frequent and on one day, the sky was a fierce bright red orange.
We couldn’t open the windows for days and had to wear masks to leave the house because the smoke was so bad. I just couldn’t see how I could ignore the reality anymore, particularly with such a young baby at home relying on us for everything - surely I could be doing more, I just didn't really know what.
Returning back to the UK I knew I wanted to get more involved. Even though Savannah was only two weeks old, I went along to an online Mothers CAN event. It was great to hear from others in the same situation – they were wanting a safe space to discuss and learn more, with the aim of having local impact.
I felt compelled to see if there were any mums near me who wanted to go on this journey of discovery together. I sent a message on our local mums WhatsApp group and to my delight there were! We contacted with Mothers CAN and had a great few meetings together.
We wanted to have some quick win projects to generate some motivational momentum, and have focused on getting LED lighting in the village as well as a local TerraCycle point. In spring we'd like to have a cycle to school day, a walking bus, and use the local library as a eco hub. We will also be supporting the council as they plan cycle path extensions.
It’s been wonderful finding other mums in the same situation who want to do more locally - I’m thrilled to have met them and feel like I’m starting to make a difference. I would encourage anyone thinking of setting up a group to please just take the step and do it - you’ll find more than you probably could hope for and have some fun at the same time!
Want to get mums together in your area?
Etc etc, host a meet page.