tEAm news #63 | 3.11.21
The clocks have changed and the autumn colours are here… welcome to this week’s Team News… with a more COP26 focus around the org.
“If working apart we are a force powerful to destabilise our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it...
In my lifetime I’ve witnessed a terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery.”
Dates
MOMENT OF PRAYER starts up from next Monday (08.11.21): a moment to pause, prayer, light candles for our work & team. All welcome!
Link here (Meeting ID: 708 452 7633 Passcode: empathy)TBC: Tue 9th – Wed 10 Nov & Fri 12 Nov: Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival workshops with Strange Face - Empathy Exercises. (Here’s their flyer)
‘COP 26’ - some of the focus for the Autumn will be around the UN Climate Change ‘Conference of Parties’ (aka ‘COP’) 26th gathering in Glasgow (31st October - 12th November). We are hoping to promote The High Life and take up of this new workshop around this time.
15.11.21: EA Board meeting
Christmas campaign on The Empathy Store - involving a few new products! (Stars and Syrian Veggie cook book)
TBC - a get-together pre Christmas
Updates from team members at COP26
Paul & Heather and EA Alumni, Sandy are in Glasgow this week for COP26. Both involved different things - they’ve been sending us some updates from the ground.
Paul has written a couple of blogs one on tackling Climate Anxiety (see beneath) and a more reflective piece here
You are invited! Sandy is leading Climate Dialogue series (over the coming 6 weeks over 3 Monday evenings) - she's invited the EA team along to attend. You can book up here
Heather has snapped a few pics around Glasgow from the prayer walk and scenes in the city as the world comes to Scotland. Thanks Heather for sharing!
‘Tackling climate anxiety in younger people’ - new Blog from Glasgow COP26 by Paul Williams.
Time Magazine features Vanessa Nakate on the front. She also features in The High Life… AND she took some time to give the Empathy Action team a special message!
ps- Vanessa is asking for help with a petition that she and Greta and others are looking for people to sign… if you would like to add your name, here’s the petition she is taking to the World Leaders this week.
The Warehouse Move
We’ve done it!
We finally completed the move from Tonbridge warehouse (courtesy of our friends at RefugEase - who really helped us out when our last warehouse in Tonbridge came to abrupt end) to the Barn in Penshurst (also courtesy of a farmer friend, Harry).
A special thanks to the impressive team (Rick & Sue, Glyn, Fitzy and Richard)… with some travelling from Orpington just to help with this move! (Also thanks to Colin and Janet with their recruiting efforts!)
We were also able to give Harry a little gift (he just had a baby girl 9 weeks ago) on behalf of us all and he shared:
“Guys thanks so much for the lovely flowers and presents you gave us!! So kind and very generous of you all. Hope the shed works out as you planned, looks like it’s storing a lot of stuff so far!!”
It certainly is… and thanks Harry, Esther and Eli!
Other News
Ben & Allison are preparing to welcome Barbra and Krishna from Activate Learning (Oxford) as they start their (remote) year placement with EA (They will be working on Thursdays & Fridays - until June 2022). Ben will be in Oxford on Thursday (and also popping in to see our friends at Headington)
Alison T and Alison D have been investigating how THL can be modified for Primary School use. We have an enquiry from Skinners Kent Academy (via EA Alumni, Angie Adams).
It’s looking less likely that we will be delivering the quite special programme that we’ve been working on with StrangeFace for the Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival next week. We had Trevor lined up and a few empathy exercises around how we treat those different to ourselves and more. The festival would like to try again if nothing comes back. Shame… but next time!
Can you help?
Know any leads for selling around 40 sample wedding dresses? If so, Angie would love to hear from you.
A room for a lodger. Between 7th Jan & 13th March, 2022 could you spare a room for Vanya to lodge whilst she volunteers with us (she’s recently arrived in the UK - just starting with OM in Birmingham). She’d love to stay with a family and is very willing to get stuck in (she loves cooking!). Can you help for these three months? If so, please get in touch with Ben.
The High Life trailer
One of the recipes from the new Syrian Spoon veggie cook book on pre-release from the Empathy Store!
