Ideas for getting your EcoTeam together

Being a part of something often has its benefits. Here are just some of the benefits of joining an EcoTeam that members have discussed.

Joining an EcoTeam

Meeting new people & neighbours
Offering support/receiving support
Good for the environment
Learn new skills
Introducing EcoTeams on your CV
Perfect partnership
Community bonding
Career contacts/networking
Saving the planet!
Doing something altruistic
Positive attitude – changing attitude
Measuring /monitoring/results
Raise awareness
Save money
Reduce your carbon footprint
Social aspect
Influence others around you
Motivate and challenge yourselves
Measure your progress
Improve your local community
Competitive (if you want it to be!)
Keep informed
Share ideas

EcoTeamers have come up with a long list of ideas for getting people together. Any combination of just a few of these efforts should help you get an enthusiastic team on board.

Local events / media

Community radio (for example local, hospital or school radio)
Community / church newsletters
Other newsletters (online or offline)
Council magazines
Leaflets & business cards
Local papers & free newspapers
Posters in local shops / coffee bars
Health food & charity shops
Library notice boards
Places of worship (churches / faith groups)
Airport / tube / bus stations
Farmers markets
Box schemes
Allotments
Festivals, school fêtes & county fairs
Transition town meetings
“Big Lunch” style events
Sports matches, sports clubs & groups (anything from the premier league to local tennis/squash clubs)
Music gigs, concerts & promotional events
Choirs
Exercise groups
University Freshers’ Fairs
Women’s Environmental Network
Classified ad websites, such as Gumtree and Loot
Local council & local authority (web pages / quick links)
Community websites
Facebook (use groups to leave messages to publicise)
Blogs
Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, Yahoo and other social networking sites

Local organisations

Neighbourhood Watch
Community Centres
Local government/council (housing / education / social services / schools / job centres)
Local businesses
Chambers of Commerce
Hospitals, clinics, GP surgeries
Citizens Advice Bureau
Membership organisations: Lions, Rotary, Round Table, Womens’ Institute
Conservation groups (Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace)
Political parties
Schools, Colleges, Universities & University of the Third Age (U3A)
Student Councils
Dance / music schools
Youth groups (Scouts, YMCA, Guides, & Youth Centres etc)
Army Cadets
British Legion
Libraries – book groups
Mother & toddler groups
Residents Associations – mailing lists
Parent Teacher Associations
Local shopkeepers associations
School gates – talk to people
Other environmental groups (email, go to meetings)
Transition Towns
Food markets, perhaps you could take a stall at a market?
Local cinemas (try to set up special screenings of environmental films such as The Age of Stupid & The Unbelievable Truth)
Allotment Societies
Adult Education classes
Charity groups such as Help the Aged
Cafés & Gyms
Cat / Dog rescue
Recycling Association
Wherever people volunteer
Organise a “green” drinks get-together in local pubs

People you know

Friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, students
Family / extended / intergenerational
Family: get together to discuss over food, wine, dinner
Neighbours: in flats, hallways, leaflets
Tenants Associations, Housing Associations
Student Unions (sustainability teams)
Workplace - talk to collegues, put a poster in the staff room, send an email invite
Social clubs / Yoga
Pubs / clubs
Creative messages using online groups
Explain benefits: tailor messages to specific groups using appropriate facts/visuals/financial statistics. Use inclusive language, no jargon.
Try to recruit potential recruiters