 Aims and Objectives
Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. Our philosophy is this: Enjoy life without compromising the ability of others to enjoy theirs. To do this we need people to help people Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. ‘Sustainability’ is about doing these five things in socially and environmentally responsible ways. We aim to show the way towards fulfilling, meaningful and enjoyable lives. We operate locally in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire and internationally through our truly global network of linked communities. Locally we hold events run by our members for the members, internationally we hold Footstep conferences and send people on Global Ventures to support the Community Capacity Building projects we have linked to. We aim to provide opportunities for people to Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give in enjoyable, fulfilling and authentic ways as we believe that this is crucial to our very real need to lower the environmental impacts of human behaviour. Structure Global Footsteps is a membership organisation run by a committed team of volunteers, it has one paid member of staff, Dr. Morgan Phillips. Morgan joined Global Footsteps in 2005 and was instrumental in the successful running of our two most recent international youth environment conferences, Footsteps 10 and 11. On completing his PhD in Environmental Education Morgan was appointed Director of Global Footsteps in March 2009 and now overseas the activities of the entire charity. Morgan is keen to work with our membership to design and run activities in keeping with the charities objectives, he recognises that strong environmental education and action does not always need to mention 'the environment' and this is reflected in the events organised and hosted by the charity. 'FootSteps' FootSteps is the home of Global Footsteps and can be found in Cheltenham town centre on Portland Street. As well as being the hub for our activities it is also set to become a valuable and affordable space to be used by organisations in need of meeting and event space. FootSteps is currently undergoing major renovations as we aim to achieve our goal of creating a working example of a sustainable building. Despite these renovations the building is still operating in a 'business as usual' way as a shop selling fairtrade foods, environmentally responsible products and handmade crafts from around the world. Very soon it will re-launch as a modern WiFi and Internet Cafe serving fairtrade coffee, tea and juice and a selection of organic and local snacks. History Global Footsteps began as the educational programme affiliated to The Rendezvous Society, a non-profit making British charity organisation (UK Registered Charity 293357). Although the charity is still officially called The Rendezvous Society, it has come to be widely known now as simply Global Footsteps. The Rendezvous society, the brainchild of Dennis Mitchell, was set up in 1985 with a mission to promote global citizenship through inter-cultural understanding. Dennis and other pioneering members travelled to Kisumu in Kenya and Sochi in Russia in an attempt to link people in those communities to the people of Gloucestershire at a grass roots level. As the charities ambitions grew, so too did its network of linked communities. Strong bonds have evolved as people, young and old, have come together through a series of Footstep conferences and Global Ventures. These connections continue to evolve today and are a major part of work. Membership Membership is open to anyone interested in getting involved or simply supporting what we do. By joining you will be the first to find out about our various events and activities, you can join as an individual, family, couple or organisation, to find out more visit our membership page.
|
