Skip to main content

Footpaths Leicester

Footpaths Leicester is a way for people to meet and support each other to reduce their personal carbon footprints. It offers a structured, supportive and fun environment in which people can work out what they want to change in your life to reduce your carbon footprint - and a community of like minded people to do it with. 

They provide a structure course of eight meetings with two facilitators and people to do it with. Beyond the course, Footpaths provide support to support people to continue on improving their personal carbon footprint, through one off events, workshops and get together.

How did I get involved with Footpaths Leicester?

I wanted to find out how grassroots organisation support people through change to facilitate the transition towards a sustainable system of consumption and production. It was after joining Transition Leicester and starting a Positive Money project to improve literacy about the money system that I eventually met with Zina Zelter, founder of Footpaths Leicester. 

What did I do with Footpaths Leicester?

I trained to become a facilitator for the Footpaths course, I delivered a eight course sessions. I also collaborated to design and deliver two money workshops. Finally, one of our biggest project was the Green Festival of Making and Mending which led to the creation of Leicester Fixers. I also carried out a survey at the festival for my doctoral thesis about the factors influencing prosumer repair propensity.

An important thing I did with Footpaths is work on reducing my carbon footprint. I reduced my meat, electricity and water consumption. I started growing my own food and take up on cycling. I also joining a bulk buying group to buy ethical food in bulk. A doctoral thesis by Fisher (2014) measuring the impacts of Footpaths course on personal carbon footprint demonstrated long term behaviour change in participants who continued making efforts in reducing their carbon footprint outside of the course setting. I can confirm that is true as I continue as of today to find ways to reduce my carbon footprint further.

It was a great experience to be part of Footpaths Leicester as I developed my skills both as a teacher and facilitator as well as a project manager

To Learn more about Footpaths Leicester

Their Facebook Page

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Horrid Airbnb Experience - Part 6

In part 5, M. confront B. who is half of the man we first met. He cries and he is ashamed of himself. He promises he won't drink no more. We decide to keep him one more night and to help him with his car the following day. The night comes. M. is called to visit his sister. I decide to go with him reluctantly.  As M. and I come out of the house. B. comes down the stairs and said that he is going for a walk. I do not trust him. M. said to me to not worry that he talked to him and everything will be fine. We arrive in front of her sister house. I decide to go back to the house as I am not feeling well. I go back to the house. No one yet. I can hear the clickety of the keys in the door. I decide to open it because I know B. is back. He looks at me, scared. In his a Tesco bag with a pack of 10 Stella Artois. I am horrified. I decide not to confront him. He goes upstairs to the bedroom. I call M.: ''Come back to the house NOW''

Home Energy, Footpaths Challenge - Monitoring Energy Consumption

According to the Energy Saving Trust you could find that your energy usage drops by between  five and 15%  in the first year of using an energy monitor, which could be a saving of £25 to £75 on a £500 bill. I am following the homework of the Footpaths book as promised in previous post ( here ).  I set myself to read my meters every week to monitor my energy consumption. It is tedious.  I tried twice to make it an habit. I fell miserably. Reading is not really the issue but accessing the meter might be the issue. I better put my shoes elsewhere and learn to squat.  I recognise that for changing you have to recognise first your pattern of behaviour.  The truth of the matter is that I do not know exactly how bad we behave in our household. Badly, most probably.  Example - I spent most of the day in my warm gown with a hat on. The heaters  were off. Then family came back home in the evening. I went to the kitchen to cook. I came out of the kitchen, go...

Get on the queue

It is 8.12am. in 18min, we will depart the station. The suitcases are in the trunk of the coach. We are now waiting to get ourselves on board. We are not in straight-line in front of the coach's closed doors. We are sheeps awaiting for the barrier to open to get to the next field where the grass is greener. This is desire for you. This is hope of getting a nice seat. Fear that you won't be seated next to the window. Petty goals.