Meet Amity: helping people in Manchester to level up their climate action
Katie and Maria have been working with volunteers, community groups and organisations across Manchester to help them level up their climate action as part of In Our Nature. Together, this dynamic duo help people to zoom out, take a minute to appreciate where they are and help them to grow their projects and reach their goals. We caught up with Katie and Maria to ask them about how they got started and the new tools they’ve created to help more people in Manchester take climate action…
How did Amity get started?
At Amity we support people to understand what’s behind their human experience better, gain a fresh perspective of themselves and others and connect with new energy so they can volunteer feeling they can have more impact more easily. We offer personal development for community volunteers who might be feeling like they can’t get things started, find themselves a bit stuck or that their group isn’t gelling quite as they’d like. We got started after our own (challenging) volunteering experiences and realised we could bring our training in supporting groups and individuals to working with people making a difference in their communities.
How does Amity support climate action groups in Manchester?
There will be a time soon when those who have been doing what they can to tackle climate change will be called upon as wayshowers to others - climate action groups are at the forefront of the most vital action - what they are doing now precedes large-scale change as the way humanity relates to our beautiful planet is transformed. We deliver various group and 1:1 programmes for people volunteering in this space. For climate action volunteers we work with people on the type of leader they want to be (even if they don’t yet think of themselves as a leader), or we support them to know inspired action, to get a feel for what’s possible - that they can have the impact they really want now, and into the future.
What’s your favourite thing about working with these groups?
We’ve met some truly amazing people along the way and are constantly inspired by the brilliance of people who are committed to their communities. We love the fact that we get to work with people from all walks of life. It’s a beautiful thing to get to see people awaken greater possibility through their heart and hope for their community and our climate.
What would be your advice to groups who are trying to do something positive in their local community?
Truly, all action starts within each individual and that if you want to create change know that it starts and ends within - it’s worth taking some time to understand yourself and know where you are coming from. Then, know that there will be ups and downs along the way - How we navigate the ups and downs of trying to do something positive in our local community is key - our work at Amity is not about eliminating the downs (they’ll happen) but about understanding more about what we all, as humans, have going for us, psychologically speaking - that can really help when the going gets tough. And, of course, join the In Our Nature Learning Hub for content that will help you understand more about that!
Tell us about Amity’s learning hub
Taking a moment for yourself as a climate volunteer might not feel easy, but it can do wonders – not only for yourself but for those around you too. The In Our Nature Learning Hub is an invitation to slow down, spend some time with yourself, and get a fresh perspective so that you can bring your best to your community and our planet. You can get bite-sized answers to common questions, book a 1:1 call with Amity to get unstuck, or go deeper with content in our Conscious Community Library.
