Welcome to the FAQ – frequently asked questions for the get active sections of the Greenpeace website. We hope that these pages will help you understand more about what Greenpeace supporters and volunteers do, why they do it, how they help Greenpeace win campaigns and how you can get involved.
For more general information about Greenpeace please also visit the about us section, and the general FAQ.
If you have a question about getting active with Greenpeace, that is not covered here, then please email us and we’ll do everything we can to help.
The next step is up to you. Please read on, find out more, and then get involved. Join your local webgroup, email the local coordinator, go to the next network meeting and volunteer to help out with the next event.
What do you mean get active?
What is an active supporter?
What do active supporters do?
What can I do, if I’m under 18?
What is campaigning and public outreach?
What is community fundraising?
What is a local group or network?
What is a webgroup?
How to find the nearest local network?
There isn’t a network near me – what can I do?
What is a non geographical network?
What is a network coordinator?
What is a key activist?
What training is available?
What is the outreach team?
Who’s who?
How do I keep in touch?
How do I create a username?
How do I leave a webgroup?
How do I change my email settings?
What do you mean 'not in our name'?
I want to get active but live elsewhere
What do you mean by get active?
Getting active with Greenpeace involves becoming an active supporter and volunteering some of your time to support Greenpeace.
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What is an active supporter?
Active supporters are people who volunteer about once a month (or more) to carry out specific tasks in order to help meet Greenpeace’s objectives. The passion, enthusiasm and integrity of active supporters makes them invaluable.
Active supporters are usually part of a local network which has one or more designated coordinators and key activists who have taken on specific responsibilities. The outreach team at Greenpeace’s headquarters delegates projects and tasks to the network coordinators and synchronises activities across the country.
Collectively active supporters form a national active supporters network (ASN)
What do active supporters do?
Greenpeace regularly invites active supporters to:
Some examples of non violent direct actions
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- Talk to people on the high street, at local fairs and festivals, asking them to support a specific element of Greenpeace’s work.
- Write letters and emails to politicians, companies and decisions makers and encourage others to do the same.
- Train as political lobbyists and meet decision makers face to face.
- Visit shops and supermarkets to demonstrate and encourage consumer support for Greenpeace’s work.
- Help at big festivals such as Glastonbury or Latitude.
- Train for non violent direct action (NVDA) and be ready to take NVDA for Greenpeace.
- Organise local community fundraising events.
Please watch this video to see why some active supporters got involved.
What can I do, if I’m under 18?
Due to the nature of Greenpeace’s campaign work, if you are under 18 then we’re afraid you cannot become an active supporter, or get active with a local network. However there are plenty of other ways you can support Greenpeace’s work.
If you are 16 or over, then you can invite a greenspeaker to present to your school / college / environmental society.
If you would like to organise a community fundraising event in your local area, then please download the guidelines here.
And of course you can campaign online with us, sending emails, contributing to our facebook page and website.
If you would like to do more, then people and planet specialise in working with students and young people.
What is campaigning and public outreach?
Dove campaign stall
Active supporters organised
dozens of campaign stalls to collect a photo petition to pressure Unilever to..... read more
Greenpeace active supporters regularly take part in, and organise campaign events. Often these events involve talking to the public and supporters, raising awareness and stimulating interest in both our campaigns and the organisation.
For example a stall on the high street collecting signatures or postcards, perhaps to an MP.
Greenpeace active supporters also take part in and organise public outreach events, to interact with, engage with, and involve the public and supporters in both the organisation and our campaigns.
For example publicising and inviting people to a film showing of a 'A time comes'.
What is community fundraising?
Greenpeace active supporters organise occasional fundraising events, donating the proceeds to the central organisation. Other Greenpeace supporters also organise fundraising events as part of our community fundraising program.
For example organising a fundraising gig, a pub collection or a book sale.
To find out more please download a copy of our community fundraising guide.
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What is a local group or a network?
Local networks are typically formed around a core of six to eight people who meet on a monthly basis to plan activities. Others within the network keep in touch with coordinators to participate in these events. There is often more than one network coordinator and sometimes other key activists take on specific roles within the network.
A network plans its activities – which are always varied around its members skills, availability and directions from the outreach team regarding Greenpeace’s work. There are 60-70 active local networks in the UK.
Greenpeace encourages active supporters to think of themselves as part of a flexible local network, as opposed to a formal local group. This allows individuals with specific skills, or interests to get active, without necessarily being part of the core group, attending every monthly meeting or event.
Greenpeace encourages individual supporters to organise events to support the organisation, and to take part in specific campaigning activities (usually online). The Greenpeace Outreach team works to develop new networks in strategic areas, and if you would like in to form an 'official' new Greenpeace network then there is a process you need to follow.
Please do not start describing yourself as a Greenpeace group or network (e.g. Southdown Greenpeace) without following this process, and without the ok from the central organisation.
What is a webgroup?
Every Greenpeace local network has an associated webgroup. Joining a webgroup will allow the network to occasionally email you to invite you to events.
If you are active with a local network, then please ask your network coordinator to make you an author, and then please write the occasional blogpost.
A lively webgroup is the most effective way to attract other Greenpeace supporters to get in touch, to tell people what’s happening in the local area and to campaign with Greenpeace more effectively.
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How to find the nearest local network
Please type your postcode into the getactive page. Use the zoom keys to find your local network. Click on the purple symbol, and then either the name of the network (to find out more) or the "join our group" button.
You can also find a complete list of local networks at the bottom of any getactive page or webgroup.
There isn’t a network near me – what can I do?
Please visit the what you can do section.
If you would like to receive the getactive e-newsletter, then either join the nearest webgroup you can find or join the Greenpeace webgroup.
What is a non geographical network?
Greenpeace supporters can join non geographical networks. These networks are listed in the “Others” section at the bottom of any getactive page or webgroup.
Some networks are associated with campaign projects (e.g. peace & disarmament), activities (e.g. community fundraising) or skills (e.g. greenspeakers or political lobbying). Some networks are password protected, and/or read only.
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What is a network coordinator?
Network coordinators plan and encourage participation in events, motivating local people to get active. Because each network is different, the specifics of the coordinator’s role can vary, but it always includes:
- Attracting new people
- Retaining active people
- Developing strong lines of communication within the network and with the Greenpeace outreach team
- Organising events and activities
- Creating a friendly, interesting environment
Network coordinators can expect:
- An initial induction, regular one-to-ones by telephone and periodic reviews with the network developer.
- Meeting opportunities with the network developer, other network coordinators and other key activists.
- Support to develop new and existing active supporter networks.
Reasonable expenses can be reimbursed.
What is a key activist?
Key activists are active supporters who take on individual roles within networks and develop skills through experience and training. All of these roles fall under the key activists umbrella:
- Network coordinators – the hub of the network
- Network activists – organise events
- Content / community managers – manage and update the network’s Greenpeace webgroup and online community
- Treasurers – manage fundraising accounts for networks
- NVDA, SCT & Pol-Lob trainers – run regular training workshops two to three times per year
- Greenspeakers – deliver Greenpeace presentations to different groups of people
- Legal supporters – volunteer with the action team supporting activists on Greenpeace non violent direct actions
- Regional activity coordinators – organise specific projects under guidance from the outreach team at Greenpeace
- Project developers – build capacity through organising skillshares and starting new networks
What training is available?
Greenpeace organises regular opportunities for active supporters to gain new skills including:
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- Street communications training (SCT) – a one day workshop suitable for anyone, run by volunteer trainers 10 to 12 times a year at various locations across the country.
- Political lobbying training (Pol-Lob) – a one day workshop suitable for individuals, as well as active supporters within a local network. Run by volunteers 10 to 15 times a year.
- Non violent direct action training (NVDA) – a one day workshop for people who are available during the week and willing to take certain risks for Greenpeace. Run by volunteers 4-6 times a year, for local networks across the country.
- Regional skillshares – exchanging skills and experiences depending on the needs of a network or area.
- Blogging, online organising and community management skills – a training program is currently being developed.
- National key activists skillshares – An annual 1-2 day event covering a range of different skills for network coordinators and other key activists, by invitation from Greenpeace or network coordinators (details vary)
- Climbing, boat, legal and presentation skills – regular training programs are available for longer term Greenpeace volunteers.
What is the outreach team?
The outreach team synchronises and supports the networks that deliver Greenpeace’s work locally, and supports the more specific roles of key activists and the wider active supporter community. The outreach team participates in the planning stages of campaigns, especially for those elements involving active supporters.
Who’s who?
Within the outreach team are two network developers and a manager.
- Tim Copley – Tim manages the outreach team and the wider active supporter network. Tim is involved in the strategy, planning and implementation of Greenpeace’s work.
- Rachael King – Rachael is the network developer for London, the East of England, the Southeast and Scotland. She also oversees the greenspeakers programme.
- Malcolm Carroll – Malcolm is the network developer for the South West, Wales, the Midlands, the North of England and Northern Ireland. He also oversees the SCT programme.
Network developers work closely with local network coordinators and other key activists, focused on strategic areas. They develop new networks, support existing networks and deliver various projects and activities.
Outside the outreach team are a number of staff working with volunteers and active supporters.
- Richard Martin – Richard works in the web team, developing online activists, online to offline projects and the online presence of local networks. He also oversees the Pol-Lob training program and the ‘blogging, online organising and community management skills’ programme.
- Emily Hall - Emily works in the actions unit overseeing activist recruitment, development and more specialist training, as well as the legal support programme.
- Jo Melzack – Jo is a Rhizome consultant working with the actions unit, overseeing the NVDA training program.
- Issy Griffin – Issy works within the fundraising team, helping individual Greenpeace supporters organise community fundraising events.
- Lisa Cave – Lisa works within the information team, coordinating resource pack mailings, information requests and other oddities.
How do I keep in touch?
The outreach team spreads information, opportunities and news through the networks in several different ways.
- Getactive e-newsletter – recent events and forthcoming activities, set in the wider context of Greenpeace’s work. Emailed monthly to everyone who has joined a webgroup. If you do one thing please join a webgroup.
- Network coordinators news – a succinct monthly overview of ongoing work and how Greenpeace is asking people to help, distributed via the key activists webgroup and by post to network coordinators.
- Key activists webgroup – a password protected webgroup, including a low volume eclectic mix of press releases, job opportunities, news, bulletins, briefings, blog updates and oddities, accessible only by invitation from the Outreach team.
- Key Activist Quaterly - a new email newsletter for all key activists, currently a work in progress.
- Campaign briefings – an overview of the work specifics, what people and networks can do, a Q&A factsheet, often a press release template and a short guide to the briefing itself.
- Resource packs – various campaign specific components such as leaflets, postcards, DVDs, banners, flags, reports, stickers, letters, stamps, t-shirts, posters etc.
- Other support, such as training opportunities and skillshares are available for all active supporters.
Greenpeace also sends out regular e-bulletins, which are more general than the specifics of the Getactive e-newsletter, and if you would like to keep in touch with our work, please register here.
How do I create a username?
To join a Greenpeace webgroup, you need to create a Greenpeace username. If you click on “Join our group” on the page of any webgroup, then you will be taken to a registration form.
Alternatively you can register here or if you have lost your details you can request a reminder / reset by entering either your email address or your username here.
How do I leave a webgroup?
Please login to the website using your username and password – you can request a reminder / reset using your email address if you have lost either.
Once logged in, visit your "account page" and click on "my groups". Click on "leave group", next to the webgroup you want to leave, and then click again to confirm.
How do I change my email settings?
Please login to the website using your username and password – you can request a reminder / reset using your email address if you have lost either.
Once logged in, to change the email address we send emails to click on “My account”. To change the way you receive emails click on “Contact Details”.
- If you click ‘yes I’m happy for Greenpeace to email me’ – then we will email you regular e-bulletins.
- If you click ‘receive comment follow-up notification e-emails’ – you will receive an email everytime someone responds to one of your comments.
What do you mean ‘not in our name’?
Greenpeace campaigns are planned centrally, focus on international issues, and there is limited scope for active supporters to design their own campaigns. This gives the organisation strength, in that we all campaign together, but can be a little frustrating sometimes.
Active supporters gain skills, experience and contacts through their involvement with local networks, and sometimes go on to campaign outside of the Greenpeace name. Occasionally local networks split meetings into a Greenpeace half, and a ‘not Greenpeace’ half.
This ‘not in our name’ campaigning can be as effective, we can’t do everything, and various successful campaigning organisations have evolved out of the active supporter network. So if you think we’re missing something, or you’d like to do something different, then please organise your own events without the Greenpeace name. For example campaiging against the expansion of a local airport.
I want to get active but live elsewhere
Greenpeace UK only works with active supporters and volunteers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
If you live in a country with a Greenpeace office, then they will probably have their own volunteer program, which is likely to be very different to the above.
If you live in a country without a Greenpeace office, which includes the Republic of Ireland, the opportunities to volunteer are more limited. Please visit the Greenpeace International website and help us campaign online.
If you live in a British dependency (or similar), including the Channel Islands, then again the opportunities to volunteer are limited. Please either get involved in our community fundraising programme or help us campaign online.
Read more about how you can get involved with Greenpeace on the getactive page, the lobbying network page, or if you'd like to recieve the e-get active newsletter then please join our webgroup.
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