Dear Readers

I thought I would use this month’s newsletter to say thank you to all of you who have met with me over recent months to discuss your sustainability journeys and/or how you can positively influence others’ sustainability journeys. Not only is it thoroughly heartening to hear, but it has been particularly useful of late, where I have been able to feed this back in various strategic circles. 

In my role as One City Environment Board member, for example, I was asked by the mayor to contribute any thoughts on the topics he should be raising at COP27. Recent conversations with our community of changemakers helped me formulate my response. This month also saw my 6 monthly catch up with a representative from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS); a useful meeting to better understand the direction being taken by the government and to feed back on how things are going for our business network. Indeed, BEIS are keen to hear from any organisations within our community who are doing good stuff sustainability-wise whom they could highlight as a case study of good practice. If this is of interest, please get in touch.

You may have also heard me on the radio this month, sharing thoughts around what organisations, communities and individuals can do in the face of the climate and ecological emergencies. A huge thank you to BCFM for giving me a platform to get the message out to a more diverse audience, sharing suggested sustainability actions and ensuring everyone understands the urgency and is on board with the required changes. 

Readers, please keep letting me know about how things are going for your organisation strategically so I am able to feed this into the various sustainability boards I sit on and discuss where appropriate. In fact, if you are a small business and would like to join me welcoming Green Party Co-Leader, Carla Denyer at the Gloucester Road Hub next week, please get in touch. Carla would like to highlight the work and value of Bristol small businesses as part of small business Saturday on the 26^th November so let me know if you are keen to meet with her to discuss how your company is doing. 

One of the biggest ways in which Future Leap can influence sustainable change in the region is through their Festival of Sustainable Business. We are absolutely delighted with the engagement thus far for the 2023 Festival with nine of the sponsorship packages already filled. As such, last week saw myself and our Events Manager interviewing for an Events Officer to support the delivery of these larger events and we look forward to welcoming the successful candidate to the Future Leap family in the coming weeks. If you would like to be involved in the Festival, there are still sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available. See here for details. 

And the Future Leap team is continuing to grow as we welcomed Felix, Lucy and Laurie to the team as our wonderful interns this month. Felix is supporting our Membership team and Lucy and Laurie are supporting our communications and marketing activities. Please do say hi to them if you meet them in the hubs, it is great to have them on board! 

Looking forward to hopefully seeing some of you at our Festive Network Drinks on 8^th December, free to Network members and co-workers. Do make sure to RSVP if you haven’t already. 

So, thank you to everyone who is pushing forwards with their sustainability agendas. Keep telling me how it is going and what is needed to move even faster on our shared sustainability journeys. 

Very best wishes to you all. 

Katherine Piper

Director of Partnerships & Sustainability at Future Leap