A story of hopefulness for me is the charity Earth percent which was set up to unleash the power of music in service of the planet. They do this in a monetary way and in a community based way. Earth percent is engaged at all levels of the music industry, from artists all the way up to their management and production companies. Earth Percent help the industry to find innovative mechanisms to give back to the planet whether it's giving a cut of your touring income or choosing the earth to be a co-writer on a song and therefore earning a percentage of royalties. Earth Percent are here for the innovation and for the systemic change.

I love the work of PEM (People Empowering People) who seek to be a bridge between the council, institutions and charities; enabling local residents the opportunity to showcase the wealth of talent that exists within the community, and creating opportunities for local people to initiate and develop solutions to local issues.

The person who's inspiring me most at the minute is Nadia Schick from right to Roam who are doing an incredible work around land justice and fighting for the right to roam, to access land. Nadia understands that it's bigger than that, it's about the right access of land and who owns that land, the money in that land and how the richest people hold it. it's not just about land, it's the metaphor for all things.

Farm Africa are my story of hopefuless. They are revitalising African agriculture and breaking the mould which has often inhibited development. They like Comaco are working to support and improve the livelihoods of small holder farmers, and at the same time protect the environment. The problems that these farmers face are all too familiar with the lack of training, technology, finance, a vulnerability to climate change and poor links to markets. This is what Farm Africa is changing by empowering and engaging with local rural communities.

I relate to the work of clover hogan and what her and her team are doing. She creates a lot of work and makes a lot of content on social media around the issue of eco anxiety which is so important. I really respect the work and heart of the younger generation coming through who are having a voice like this and putting it out there.

My hopeful story starts In 2014 when I shared a conference stage with the amazing James Partridge, the founder of changing faces which is the world's foremost charity, championing the cause of those who look different. James himself suffered horrendous burns to his face and upper body in a car accident in his teens. I listened to James share that those with visible differences from trauma from congenital disorders from skin disease are often amongst the most vulnerable in our society, facing a daily grind of exclusion, harrassment and challenge in all areas of their lives from struggling to find meaningful employment and relationships. Outside the NHS, Changing Faces currently provides the UK's only free counselling and well being service for children, young people and adults with skin disease who need appearance related mental health and well being support. James died in 2020, but his legacy lives on in changing faces.

Wangari Maath is inspiring to me as the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize and the founder of the Green Belt Movement. She was the first woman to have a PhD in Kenya, but her heart was always in politics. She thought that she wanted to build a movement for democracy but then she was challenged by the fact that many of the people were illiterate and she couldn't talk to them about democracy and politics and all these concepts. She focussed her energy instead to peoples passion and reality around restoring nature and taking care of seedlings and trees and restoring rivers in response to brutal development. This was the start of the Green Belt Movement.

So my story for Hope is about a young person I currently work with who suffers from agoraphobia which is a fear of leaving a space such as your home. I began working with him and slowly over time I've been able to enter the house and take him outside for a walk. Over time he also started interacting with local clubs and with their friends for the first time in three and a half years. But the real hope is that this guy has taken his fascination in nature, and the environment and is starting a business creating biodegradable round circular seed bombs that contains wildflower seeds that when thrown down pops open and hopefully increases the amount of wildflowers in our communities. This guy gives me so much hope!