Engaging communities with EverGreen

Our EverGreen project is designed to enable community groups, such as housing association residents, to make a positive contribution to the future of the environment.

EverGreen takes our EcoTeams' concept and applies it to specific community groups. EcoTeams is an effective programme that has been running for a number of years. Easy and fun, it unites people who want to come together to learn about the environment and how to easily change their lives for the better.

The first EverGreen project was a partnership between Global Action Plan and Hanover housing association, in the London Borough of Hackney.

Hanover manages 29 retirement and extra care supported living schemes across Hackney for 850 tenants of pensionable age.

Watch our video about EverGreen in Hackney

Getting involved

The project was set up thanks to requests from resident board members, who wanted to be able to do something for the environment through sociable activities.

We set up training workshops for Hanover staff and Sheltered Housing Officers. We used these to chat through the potential benefits and challenges and shape the perfect project for their residents.

Discussing the issues

We talked to residents and gathered them into EcoTeams. They met, had fun and talked about a range of environmental issues and what they could do:

Water
Waste
Energy
Shopping
Transport

The programme led to measured environmental improvements, but it also achieved a whole lot more. There were clear social benefit for everyone who took part, which we and the residents were more than happy to see.

Read our case study about the Evergreen project in Hackney.

If you think your organisation would be interested in getting involved in a project similar to EverGreen, please contact Nick Martin directly at Global Action Plan nick.martin@globalactionplan.org.uk.

For more information about EcoTeams visit the EcoTeams website.