Supporting our communities

Runnymede Environment Champions

As a Council, we are committed to supporting and working with our communities to create a borough where everyone can take part in environmental action, fostering a healthier, greener, and more sustainable Runnymede for the future. This is a key principle of our adopted Climate Change Strategy and ‘Supporting our Communities’ is a central theme of our Climate Change Action Plan

Action ID 8.5 of our Climate Change Action Plan states that we will “Explore the benefits of developing a community Environment Champions network to help drive delivery of climate change actions and support community action on climate change and environmental protection across the borough”. 

As part of our Climate Change Communications Plan 2025/26, approved at Corporate Management Committee on 20 March 2025, we proposed the development of two Environment Champion Networks in Runnymede: one external community network and one internal staff network. Both networks are to be created with the aim of promoting more environmentally conscious communities, expanding and improving knowledge transfer within networks, and supporting the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities. The community network will also improve engagement with communities on environmental action, contributions to the development of Council strategies, and extend the reach of Council initiatives. 

An Environment Champion is defined as “A passionate change maker with the ability to drive local environmental action, inspire others as a positive environmental ambassador, and connect with peers to create a healthy and sustainable local environment”. 

Within the 2025/26 financial year, our objectives are to recruit champions for both networks and host the first meetings of both networks. Beyond this financial year, we will continue quarterly meeting with the network and refine the working of the group to inspire action, promote knowledge transfer, and create positive environmental change in our communities. 

If you are interested in becoming a Runnymede Community Environment Champion, please visit our ‘Become a Runnymede Environment Champion' page to find out how you can apply.