The Enrich the Earth campaign, developed by Sizzle, has been running for around 15 months. For me, it has been a crash-course in learning about an entirely new sector. Through this insight, my view of gardening and growing has changed. My previous view was that it was a wholesome activity delivering some environmental and health benefits. But when I have dug deeper behind the headlines, I have realised that the picture is not quite as rosy…

I have spent 35 years creating and running three charitable organisations. There’s always one constant question: Are we making a difference and how can we demonstrate our impact? You would have thought after all that time and with Hubbub twice winning a Charity of the Year award, I would have the answer. I don’t.

Soil is the source of 95% of our food and holds about three times as much carbon as the atmosphere. The UK’s soil stores the equivalent of 80 years of annual greenhouse gas emissions. So, where is our strategy to protect it?

This month a multi-national company and an influential public body asked me to review their forthcoming sustainability strategies. They are both at the leading-edge of the sustainability debate, so it was interesting to compare their thinking and to reflect on how strategies are evolving. It struck me that both organisations have realised that significant change is essential but is made increasingly more complex by environmental and political uncertainty. Given this recognition, I was surprised about what was missing: neither organisation felt like they have truly grasped the scale of new thinking required.

For the voluntary sector, the purpose of the organisation should be core. The question we face in the sector is: how do we best deliver on our purpose, often with limited resource? Our approach to making change often includes campaigning or localised grassroots activities. However, there is a third option: catalysing and collaborating.

Based on my years of experience developing projects like Leeds by Experience and the Community Fridge Network, this article explores the longterm potential of collaborative networks with a shared vision.

Will the political picture in the UK help or hinder positive environmental change? Here are my five key thoughts for the year ahead.

As my start up journey continues, I reflect on the key difference in work patterns from my previous role and outline five essential things that need to be in place in order to create systemic change at scale.