changing Places - HOW COUNCILS CAN TAKE THE JUMP
Taking the Jump - trying the Six Shifts - as an individual is fantastic. As a family, school or workplace, it’s even better. But how about in our wider neighbourhoods? Imagine a whole mosaic of local businesses, schools, sports clubs, faith groups and more, all coming together to make the Six Shifts a visible, joyful and contagious lifestyle. That’s when change really starts to pick up speed, moving from a trickle to a river to an unstoppable tide.
Councils can lead the way
Supported by local authorities, this vision can take off faster than you think. Take the Jump are talking to councils up and down the country who are already on the front foot when it comes to climate action - ready to make change a tangible reality rippling out into the wider community.
Waltham Forest, Kent, Watford, Thanet, Westminster, Kingston, Staffordshire, Stroud and others - these are all among the councils currently looking at various ways to be involved with Take the Jump.
Councils like these and so many more often have ambitious climate targets - net zero by 2030 or 2035. They know the stakes are high: many of their communities are already experiencing floods and storms that affect local homes and businesses. They care passionately and want to get this right. But when it comes to a really important piece of the jigsaw - communicating vital changes in everyday habits - things can get sensitive. The last thing councils want to do is alienate, shame or offend local people.
This is where Take the Jump can help, bringing in communication tools that are joyful, vibrant, inclusive and non-shaming. These tools are also part of a wider approach to change that seeks to create self-sustaining momentum after 18 months of set-up, outreach and community activation.
Here’s a recording of a recent webinar hosted by Take the Jump exploring how we are working with local authorities to drive impact.
Steps to lasting change
“The programme basically works over four phases,” says Tom Bailey, one of the Take the Jump team. “After a kick-off phase in which we really get to know the Council and how we can work together, we move into a period of outreach, which is basically meeting community leaders from local groups - listening, sharing, talking, building relationships. Lots of coffees, lots of meetings...all as face to face as possible, which is definitely the most powerful way to build trust and understanding.
“Then, we move on to activation - where we support these community representatives to share the story with their community through fun, inspiring events, such as clothes swaps, plant-based picnics or repair cafes.
“The final stage - where change really starts to bed in - is when we reach beyond these first ripples of action to the wider community. By this point, you’ve got genuine, broad-based transformation well underway: a process that eventually gathers speed on its own and needs no further hand-holding.”
So what does this actually look like in practice? In practice, it’s a very flexible model, with Councils welcome to jump in at any point depending on their needs, budgets and where they already are on their journey
Party time in Chingford - Partnership with Waltham Forest Council
For example, Waltham Forest wanted to jump straight in at the activation phase. So Take the Jump partnered with the Council and production company Showponies to host a six-day community event in an empty property on Chingford High Street - a pop-up Party for the Planet. Each day we focused on a different shift, with local groups coming to present their work. Local people dropped in throughout the event for a cuppa and a chat, to explore the interactive games and installations, and find out about the SIx Shifts in a creative, fun and playful atmosphere.
The outcome was truly fantastic. Over 40% of people who came along had never engaged with climate action before and 89% said they felt more likely to take action after coming to the event.
Here’s a video showing an example of how Take the Jump and Waltham Forest Council partnered to inspire and activate the people of Chingford:
Kent’s inside-out approach
But you don’t have to start with such a public-facing event. In contrast, Kent County Council went down a different route in their first steps with Take the Jump. Because of budgetary constraints, they decided first to engage council teams internally, with overwhelmingly positive results.
“Three of us first took an Ambassador Training with Take the Jump, before sharing the campaign with Environmental Champions from council teams as diverse as Adult Social Care and Active Kent & Medway”, says Laura Taylor, Engagement & Behaviour Change Team Leader at Kent County Council.
“We invited these colleagues to a workshop which was a huge hit - we got amazing feedback afterwards. Then we moved on to a series of internal events focusing on different shifts. We asked a mobile bike mechanic to offer bike repairs in our cafe area and later shared plant-based cakes in our staff kitchen, which kindled a lot of interest in just how indulgent and delicious plant-based food can be. In another event, we focused on holidaying in the UK, giving out postcards showcasing our favourite British holiday destinations.
“We’ve also had a clothes swap as a way to start conversations around Dress Retro and the impact of fashion on our climate. Mocktails helped glam up the event and bring even more people in!
“Backed up by a Take the Jump channel on our Council intranet, these events have sparked so many conversations, positive interest and visibility. For us, it’s been really worth sharing the campaign internally before we reach out beyond the Council to libraries, sports clubs, schools and other community groups. We know that there’s a whole world out there of people who feel overwhelmed by the climate crisis - and will jump at the chance to take actions that are proven to work, communicated with joy and supported by strong local networks.”
If you work at a Council and want to know more about Take the Jump, we’re happy to chat any time - contact us at team@takethejump.org
