sUStain: transforming climate concerns into Active Hope
sUStain is a pioneering climate anxiety project, which provides support for adults and young people, in partnership with UEA, the Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA) and other partners.
First piloted in 2019, we now offer a range of support around climate distress (such as eco-anxiety and climate grief and many other feelings about our changing world). These emphasise our connection to each other (the “us” in sUStain) which is crucial in helping us face this enormous global challenge .
We offer:
- One-off workshops and creative awareness events exploring these approaches to normalise these concerns.
- Monthly 'Climate Cafe' drop ins co facilitated by UEA students where feelings and thoughts can be shared
- A 6 week programme based on mindfulness and elements of the Active Hope approach (following the best-selling book Active Hope: How to face the mess we are in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power by Resilience expert Chris Johnstone and eco-philosopher Joanna Macy). This course has recently been evaluated by the University of Bath.
- There are also opportunities for group participants to be mentored to continue run their own Active Hope book groups – we hope to offer this again in future.
What is Active Hope? The Active Hope element of this approach, is radical in that it does not require us to feel hopeful to take action, or paradoxically, to focus on the outcome. This frees us to try new, creative ways to resolve issues. We can use gratitude, mindfulness and a whole range of resilience practices to resource us to do this.
We are currently working proactively with students at UEA and residents in North Norfolk directly affected by climate change thanks to funding from our fundraising efforts.
We are also able to offer our activities in collaboration with various partners in Norwich and across Norfolk and Waveney. Over the last year these have included The Sainsbury Centre, Norwich Theatre, First Light Festival, The Natural History Museum, Anglia Ruskin University as well as sessions for Cambridge City Council and Natural England. Please do contact us for further information.
Get involved with the project as a volunteer!
There will be more exciting opportunities available for students at UEA to volunteer with this project.
We are looking for student volunteers to take an active role in steering the sUStain project, co-designing workshops and helping to run climate anxiety cafes. Research has shown that giving yourself agency within climate anxiety can improve your own wellbeing, as well as benefiting others you are supporting. And there are also opportunities to continue aspects of the project into the future.
For more information about the project and opportunities available please download the link below.