Environment

Winner

Lauren King

‘Taking on Tarmageddon’- People & Planet

Lauren and seven other young people went to Alberta in Canada earlier this year to work alongside Canadian First Nation activists campaigning against tar sands oil extraction. Through documentaries, presentations and blogging they hope to increase awareness of the danger of tar sands and the needs of the First Nations. Lauren is supporting UK People and Planet groups to lobby universities to become ‘Tar Sands Free’.

Finalists

Hanna Thomas

‘East London Green Jobs Alliance’- The Otesha Project UK

The East London Green Jobs Alliance is a coalition of trade unions, NGOs, community based organisations and green businesses working together to create green and decent jobs for East London citizens – especially for the young and unemployed. Through a progressive campaign, Hanna hopes to demonstrate the potential of the green economy for tackling issues of social justice and also ensure that green jobs remain securely on the government agenda.

Robert Holtom

‘Eradicating Ecocide’

Robert is working with Polly Higgins, the environmental rights lawyer who is spearheading the campaign, to have Ecocide recognised as the fifth Crime Against Peace in the UN – punishable by the International Criminal Court. This would ensure that large-scale environmental destruction is rendered illegal, thereby radically changing the rules of the game. In Robert’s view, criminalising Ecocide is a key element in helping the world transition into a sustainable future.

Award Judges

Jessica Brown

Jessica joined the Tellus Mater Foundation in October 2008 to support James Arbib in the design and development of a strategic grants programme. She is responsible for management of Tellus Mater's grant portfolio, and works in partnership with grant recipients to develop innovative and high impact projects.

She has experience with the UK third sector and finance for social innovation, having worked at the New Economics Foundation for many years, where she was Head of Access to Finance. In this capacity she led a team to carry out research and policy advocacy and authored a number of reports on social and environmental issues including microfinance, community development and investment in social and community enterprises.

Jessica has experience working with small and early stage enterprises as a development consultant for Opportunity International, a microfinance network, and prior to this worked for several years at Merrill Lynch investment banking in both London and New York. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and a member of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

Jon Cracknell

Jon is the Director of the JMG Foundation, which funds environmental campaigns. He has been actively involved with the U.S. Environmental Grant Makers Association for twelve years and serves on the EGA Board.

In 2003, Jon assisted in setting up the Environmental Funders Network in the UK and is a part of the steering committee. Additionally, Jon has co-authored four detailed reports analysing environmental grant-making patterns and the sources of income for environmental groups in the UK.

Blake Lee-Harwood

Blake joined the SMK Board in May 2010 and is a life-long campaigner who has worked for a wide variety of organisations dedicated to social change on a broad range of campaign issues over the past 20 years.

He has a wealth of media, communications and campaigns experience gained at Friends of the Earth, Voluntary Services Overseas, RSPB and Greenpeace UK.

Since 2007 Blake has worked as an advisor and mentor on campaign strategy and implementation with a variety of clients. He has worked with a range of corporate clients to develop their CSR and Communications strategies and currently advises Asda/Walmart on ecological sustainability and labour standards. Blake has also been a Climate Change consultant and advisor working with the Foreign & Commonwealth office and DfID on respective strategy and campaign development around climate change.