CHANGE ICONS
We are delighted to introduce our five new CHANGE Festival Icons! Each of these inspirational individuals are following their passions and skills to create change in Coventry and beyond. Their stories remind us that we all have a unique role to play in imagining a better future.
Geeta Sarcar
Geeta, age 42, is committed to helping young people connect with the natural world through immersive experiences. She is Director of Development and Programmes at Wild Earth, based in Coventry.
“As the old saying goes, change is the only constant. I have created change in my life by adopting a daily mindfulness practice that has helped me pause and look at ways of responding to life as things change around me. It is important to be in tune with my core sense of self - where I’m able to choose paths and make informed decisions that affect every aspect of my life.
Nature is my biggest inspiration. It is the best conduit that promotes connection with self and everything around us. Being in touch with nature, the changing seasons and what that brings up within us, is so enriching in doing transformative work. Nature mirrors what is going on within us and on many occasions, inspires the change we need, if are in tune to observe it. Even during the dullest, most difficult days, being in tune with nature can help me pull myself out of the dark spaces and flood it with light.
Minimalism, simplicity and belonging – that is my vision for my future self. It strive towards this, and I know, at present, I am far from it. However, as long as I keep working towards it, and make conscious choices, it is certainly achievable. The sense of belonging is the sense of tribe. I see a future where there is more belonging and less loneliness, as connected and supportive beings.
Be kind to yourself. Pause. Breathe.”
Gabrielle Back
Gabrielle, in her late sixties, is an inspirational campaigner, artist and educator and has been leading creative environmental projects for decades.
“I create change by engaging young people and communities in my creative environmental projects that focus on serious environmental issues. Inspiring change through the creative arts.
I am inspired to rise up by our beautiful planet - with all it’s wonderful flora and fauna, iconic animal species and inspirational people. I am very concerned about the state of our world.
Action is needed and we all need to do our bit.
My vision is to see the world a better place, with many of the major problems solved - COVID ended, climate change under control, plastic pollution eliminated. People need to change their way of life and start living sustainably for the sake of our world.
My advice to my younger self would be to be more patient, and do far more things that please me and bring me joy, such as more art work and travelling.”
Bukumi
Bukumi, age 15, is a secondary school student in Coventry.
“I create change by encouraging others to think about the next generation.
I am inspired to rise up when I think about the future. When I think about the fact that, if we do not act now, we may lose this planet forever. Furthermore, I am motivated by the hope we can give to younger generations if we try and make a difference now.
For the future, I wish to make small consistent changes to better our planet. It is not always the big, infrequent, changes that have the most impact. If we all work together, and do little things often, it can all add up to big change. I strive to provide for my family and leave a good legacy for the next generation.
The advice I would give my younger self is to watch. To watch and see how things work slowly.
Sophie Williams
Sophie, age 29, is a pioneering community organiser from Coventry. She is the founding member of Hearsall Litterbusters.
“I create change through my litterpicking group ‘Hearsall Litterbusters’. We meet every Sunday at 11am to litterpick the Earlsdon, Chapelfields and Spon End areas of Coventry. Our focus is on building local community and making friends. Since August 2020 we have grown to 350 members, with 20-30 people attending each event.
I was inspired to form Hearsall Litterbusters following a difficult time with my own mental health. Wanting to turn things around and meet new people, it became obvious that many people in my area also felt isolated and wanted to make connections. We’ve become a real group of friends and look forward to attending each week. New attendees almost always return! The group has positively impacted people’s mental health and the area. Keeping things tidy is a real motivator for me, and I’m often told how the group has inspired others to litterpick their area. Having pride in where you live is incredibly important.
My vision is for community action to be more prevalent across Coventry and the UK as a whole: more litterpicking groups; more power in communities rather than governments and councils; and a safer, happier, and better connected city.
I would advise my younger self not to listen to negativity and to keep focusing on the good things in life! It’s far more important to look at how you can improve your surroundings and make things better. People are happier and more powerful when united.”
Tony McNally
Tony, age 77, is a tireless champion for sustainability throughout the West Midlands. He is the Managing Director of Climate Change Solutions based in Coventry.
“To quote Karl Marx “Men make their own history [change] but not in the circumstances of their own choosing”!
For many years, I have been motivated to join and support movements that engage people with a more equitable society and world - one that’s sustainably shared with all the other life forms that make up the unique biodiversity of our planet.
My ideal vision for the future, is a world where the super rich 10% are prevented from becoming even richer by exploiting the remaining 90% of people - this includes reducing their disproportionate control and ownership over natural resources. “There is enough in the world for everyone, but not everyone’s greed” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
If I could advise my younger self I would say “Emulate Greta Thunberg”! Instead of joining the army at 17, I wish I had read William Morris’s ‘News from Nowhere’ and Shoemaker’s ‘Small is Beautiful’, joined Friends of the Earth, WWF and CND to end war’s and win peace. I wish I could see the resources freed from fighting and channelled into clean, green energy for all, so that we would not have to face the present climate emergency.”
All photos by Toyin Dawudu.