The long weekend

The world of the active supporter unit lurches between peaks and more peaks. The essential challenge is that various big intensive projects loom out of the mist, just as you're trying to push a campaign forward.

When there's a lull one has just enough time to put an ASU project together for another project to appear on the horizon guaranteeing that you're trying to juggle several big balls at once. If I was a wiser man I'd learn to enjoy the lulls...

The current burn started with a set of activities at the Airplot in Sipson, and a huge thank you to the volunteers involved on a wet and drizzly day.

Then the campaign really kicked in with tree planting events in Hounslow and then all over the country on Saturday 21^st November, mobilising 100's of active supporters, politicians, school children, celebrities, vicars, other local groups and a wide spectrum of civil society. All to say no to the third runway at Heathrow.

Needless to say on exactly the same day the Rainbow Warrior arrived in London on the Copenhagen tour, and so a different set of 60+ volunteers helped out with two equally wet open boat days at West India Dock. Guiding the public on tours of the ship, talking to people about our campaigns, and promoting The Wave, stewarding the event and all in all contributing to a very successful weekend. Again a huge thank you to everyone involved.

Finally after a rough passage across the Bay of Biscay, the crew fancied some R&R and so another set of volunteers took over the night watches on the ship. I reckon this is a unique way to have a real close look at every nook and cranny of the Rainbow Warrior, to meet and eat with the crew, to sleep on board and to get as close to the heart and soul of Greenpeace as possible. The crew also really appreciated the break, so again a thank you to everyone involved.

So perhaps a lull, at least from the London end. There's open boat days in Edinburgh tomorrow, more tree planting events planned, and personally I'm heading to sea at least as far as Oslo, and hopefully to Copenhagen.

We live in interesting times, and we couldn't have done any of the above without the support of the passionate network of volunteers who make Greenpeace such a special organisation to be involved in. A heartfelt thank you, to you all.....

Richard