A lucky bit of rain led me to take shelter and meet Maureen before crossing the beautiful curves of the peak district. The best way I can think to describe the wide range of work that she has done over the years is to enable other people to fulfil themselves.

A protest march is a classic technique to show strong feelings. No matter how many other tactics are developed there’s still something uplifting about seeing people on the streets.

Meanwhile leases can enable fantastic projects to get off the ground in unused spaces. Normally a business or group has tenancy rights which enable them to keep renting a space, but when a landlord wants to develop a property they may be wary of allowing someone to occupy it who might then be difficult to remove. A meanwhile lease grants the tenant use of the space in the meantime before it is developed.

Young Friends of the Earth has a network of activists all over the world and sometimes starting a group in your local area just needs someone to volunteer…