Outreach Outreach Training, Guidance and Research Outreach Workshops Growing the movement is a key task Join our workshops to learn how to use outreach skills to engage and inspire the public into action. You don't need any experience or skills to participate in the workshops. If you've done outreach before and want to brush up and refine your methods, then you're welcome to join too. Learn about different approaches for speaking with the public about the climate and ecological crisis: We look at research that tells us what messages seem to resonate better with different UK demographics. Share stories to inspire and counteract the 'business as usual' narratives that dominate in the media. Learn about the importance of listening and connecting with people. Online Workshops To empower you with knowledge, simple skills, and top tips you need to become an outreach hero and help our rebellion to flourish! Register for an online workshop Watch a recording of the workshop Book an in-person workshop We'd like to support local groups that would benefit from an injection of outreach energy to help them grow. We are mobilizing outreach volunteers to visit a local group for a day of outreach. We will also offer remote and in person outreach support for example, training for speaking with the public, flyer design etc. The idea is that on the day of outreach, we are inviting people to take part in an upcoming local event, this could be a social or an upcoming action. This is why we need local person/people who have the capacity to follow up and contact new sign ups once the ay of outreach is over. We can also offer advice on ways of doing these follow ups. Contact UK Outreach team via our Mattermost reception or by email actions.outreach@extinctionrebellion.uk. More guidance and support on the next page. Talking about the Crisis on the Street When Nonviolent Civil Disobedience has been most effective, it has taken place on a foundation of connected and organised communities. Actions are our primary way to get into the public eye but our actions alone are not enough. We need to use these actions to start conversations, to tell the truth and to open our arms to all who wish to join us. Talking to Passers By Part of our purpose as rebels is to Tell the Truth, so engaging with the general public during actions is vital. Some might be a bit annoyed with you/Extinction Rebellion, so it may be useful to have some de-escalation training under your belt, but most are simply curious! Aim To: • Listen to them. • Share the facts but don’t overwhelm them. • Shift their frustrations and anger from XR to the system as a whole. • Invite them to take a step with a small ask or an invitation (leaflets are great too!). Remember: • Introduce yourself, be open and honest. • It’s a conversation, after the first 2 mins listen more than you talk. • People rarely change their stance in a single moment, you are planting seeds! • If someone is looking for an argument just step back and “agree to disagree” – there are plenty of other people to talk to! • For more detailed advice and some answers to the difficult questions have a look at Talking about the Crisis on the Street and Responding to difficult questions and hostile encounters. 'ALLESHA' A : Ask a question. L : Listen. L : LISTEN twice as long as you usually do! We often want to interrupt and give facts too soon. E : Empathise. Say "I understand that you are concerned about..." or "You seem to be feeling a bit hopeless". S : Share your personal story of why you are involved. H : Hope. Talk about historical / current examples, e.g. Suffragettes, Gay rights, Civil Rights Movement / Acquittals of activists, successful prosecution of the government. A : Inviting them to ACT. Take them to the Sign-up / Info table. Ask them to join the mailing list, take a leaflet, come to this event, take a photo of the activity and share it on Social Media, etc. Better still, have a clipboard in your hand to sign up now for the mailing list and take their phone number. Start at the bottom of the ladder with simple actions. Street Outreach Skills HANDOUT with further linked resources The Crisis Quiz One way of starting conversations with people is by using the crisis quiz. Its short, and only takes a minute or two, but most people are surprised by the answers and want to know more. Starting Conversations Some examples of open questions: • What worries do you have about climate breakdown? • How do you feel about the future of our food security? • How well do you think Britain is prepared for the effects of Climate Breakdown? • Why do you think our government has spent millions on oil and gas bailouts? Bring the conversation to the fact that our government is negligent by not fulfilling its duty to the people. And then listen to the answers, really listen. Introduce the Demands and Citizen’s Assemblies – wouldn’t it be great to hear what people actually want? Mention France’s recent Citizen Assembly’s outcome, i.e. wanting to make Ecocide a crime under national and international law. If conversation moves to solutions, this is a great opportunity to invite them to a Community Assembly – we are trying to start the direct democracy process off in our local area! If people have experience of what real democracy looks and feels like, the closer we come to creating popular support for our 3rd demand. Small Asks At the end of each meaningful interaction ask people to do one thing to help (judge the right scale for the individual you’ve just spoken to) here are some examples: Sign up on extinctionrebellion.uk – Paper forms get lost, takes time to input and isn’t the most secure! If you're outreaching at a local action, point them to joinxr.uk/localgroupname, to sign up to their local group - for example joinxr.uk/birmingham. Check your local link works first! - more information about these sign up links here. Monthly Donation to help us. Bring a care package the next day! This could contain Food, tea or blankets! Come to our Community Assembly to have your voice heard. Check out your Local Group, here is their email address. Come join us on site! On-the-Ground Signposting & Recruiting Don’t be afraid to recruit people on site! People will often come along to check out an Action/Rebellion site if they are passing by, or if they are in a Local Group but haven’t taken a role and just want to help out. We don’t turn people away! Make sure they don’t move into arrestable positions without having done an NVDA training, but don’t hesitate to give them something to do. The best thing you can possibly do is be friendly and welcoming. Be someone they want to keep talking to. Have they signed up on Extinctionrebellion.uk? If they want to help in an ongoing capacity, point them towards the Volunteer Website at Volunteer.Extinctionrebellion.uk, introduce them to their Local Group, or introduce them to a working group on site. Make sure to have a list of things people can do to help out that require minimal instruction! For Example: Flyers – handing out or flyposting Sustenance – give out tea & snacks on site Talking to the Public – have 10 min trainings ready so they can learn and practice! Responding to difficult questions and hostile encounters Talking to people on the street can be difficult! As well as asking some questions you don't know the answer to, sometimes people can be angry towards activists/XR. This page should help you deal with these encounters more easily. Remember to BREATHE Breathe - ground yourself, look at the support around you Remember - the humanity of all, even those on the other side are human! Empathy - before education, empathise, be calm, drop their guard Ask first - is the other person ready to hear your view? Are they still angry? THE reason - remember why you are there, & ground yourself in that How to win a climate argument People are not rational. Confirmation bias and denial mean that people will argue ridiculous arguments even when presented with clear evidence because their defences are up. The key to success is dropping these defences. Being logical often doesn't help. Try these instead.... Ask how! - A basic grasp of something leads many of us to be believe we are experts. Instead of pushing more evidence at people listen to their argument and then ask them to go further into depth. They will eventually talk themselves to a point they realise they don't really know what they're talking about! Their defences will drop and they will be more receptive to reasoned argument. Alter their subjectivity - asking someone to step into someone else's shoes can remove the blinkering of blind political allegiance. Eg. 'I don't believe in climate change'.....'ok, well imagine you are a farmer living in Chenai right now, there are hundreds of ghost villages where the water has dried up due to failing monsoons and higher than average temperatures....how do you think that would alter your view about the impact of climate change' Reframing - climate denialist / conspiracy theorist / right wing politics / free market capitalist - all of these are inextricable. Using science of climate breakdown basically tells these people everything they believe is wrong. Reframing it to align with their own beliefs can be useful. Eg. 'there are some innovative breakthroughs in the green revolution that could lead to huge economic growth' Obviously this isn't necessarily in line with the actual solutions!! But it can drop defences as a start. Know the deception! - Again, through confirmation bias, people latch onto any bit of evidence to support their world view, no matter how ridiculous. If you are confident on the story and history of climate science, and can fill in how fake 'evidence' came into being, you can replace their false narrative with a more convincing and compellign alternative. Eg 'global warming is a hoax'.... Be calm - people arguing - particularly from a point of weak knowledge - are often overly aggressive and rude. Remain calm and kind, be empathetic, and they will usually calm down and start listening. It is much easier to win someone over by being empathetic and calm to lower their defenses. Common difficult questions What are you/we doing? We are part of an international movement which seeks to push the climate and ecological crisis to the top of the political agenda and minimise the impact of climate breakdown. Why are you disrupting normal people? It's not our intention to ruin anybody's day, but the government is allowing a few corporations to pollute our air, destroy our planet, and enganger our future. They have ignored us for years, and have left us no choice but to take to the streets What's your problem- in a nutshell? The United Nations has warned us that a global temperature rise above 1.5°C may trigger a series of events that cause climate change to be irreversible. This would threaten our water supply, our food supplies, and the air we breathe, as well as causing the death of millions of people. Currently, we sit at 1.1 degrees warming, and the government is not acting. The government is already commited to change / carbon neutrality / Labour will fix it The government is not meeting its own target. It's own Committee For Climate Change has said it falls far short of the necessary ambition, and has highlighted ministers fiddling carbon budgets. The UK's target falls short of the UN's warning that we must be carbon neutral by 2040. Despite these promises, the govt perseveres with airport expansion, subsidising fossil fuel companies, scrapping laws for carbon neutral housing etc. They are not acting in line with the emergency we face. It'll never work Analysis of historical movements - like the suffragettes, civil rights etc - show that non-violent protest has been hugely successful. In fact all movements that used peaceful protest alongside disruption, were successful in bringing system change by the time they had 3.5% of the population on the street. Climate FAQs Why does CO2 cause global warming? Solar radiation (which is short-wave radiation) from the sun is partly absorbed by earth's surface, and the rest is reflected as heat energy (which is long-wave radiation). CO2, as well as other greenhouse gases, act in a similar way to a pane of glass in a garden greenhouse. The gases (or glass) allow short wave radiation through, but trap long wave radiation at a much greater rate. So heat energy is retained by the blanket of greenhouse gases, leading to warming of the planet. Common arguments Surely you should focus on China! We started the industrial revolution. We have a moral obligation to lead the fight against climate breakdown. China is enormous, so you can't compare total emissions. Per person, UK emits 7.8 tonnes of Co2, China emits 5.6 tons. Even worse are historic emissions per capita, which put us 2nd, behind only Luxembourg. Most importantly a huge portion of goods are made in China, the UK's emissions do not include imported emissions, so China's emission levels are inaccurately high. Far more accurate is to compare the carbon average carbon footprint per person. In is measure we are nearly 3 times more culpable for climate breakdown than China. (11.5T vs 4.3T) We don't live in China!!! China uses centralised planning, so they don't need to write climate breakdown laws, they can simply enact new strategies, WHICH THEY ARE. Renewables are too expensive Onshore wind and solar are now the cheapest forms of energy in over 60 countries, including the UK! And this is despite the UK government's immoral policy to cut subsidies for renewables whilst continuing to subsidize fossil fuels at a higher rate than any EU member state. You'll leave people in fuel poverty by switching off fossil fuels There are multiple transition reports from various institutions which detail exactly how we can move away from fossil fuels. In fact, fuel poverty in the UK is a result of austerity by the government and the privatisation and lax regulations imposed by the government on the energy industry. We could all stop eating meat / driving / flying / (insert defeatist argument here) and it would make no difference And that's a very valid point! We do all have a responsibility to assess our own impact on climate breakdown, and mitigate that impact as much as possible, but your point is exactly why Extinction Rebellion is demanding system change which does have an impact on our future. It will damage the economy There are loads of great plans to transition to low carbon infrastructure and technology which will generate massive numbers of jobs. Whats more, the cost of not adressing climate breakdown - in infrastructure damage, health care, human life - will be many, many, many times greater than taking action. Technology will save us!! We have all the technology we need to become carbon neutral. What we lack is the political will and urgency to transition. Whilst some technology might be helpful, there are huge problems with this mindset. First, it encourages inaction, assuming that someone will come along and save us. Second, this does not stop the exploitation of our planets resources. Third, introducing geoengineering solutions can have huge unkown knock-on effects that we can't predict. And most importantly, relying on technology does absolutely nothing to address the reason the underlying cause of climate breakdown - a system which uses natural resources and people as commodities to focus only on growth, and funnels money upward whilst impoverishing the natural world and the vast majority of its citizens. Countering Climate Change Denial Some of this is more ridiculous than others. Ultimately, if you engage someone, and they are hostile or talking gibberish, there is little point in wasting your energy. Remember we only need 3.5%! A lot of people use vague climate science denial as a defensive mechanism because they can't face the truth. You can sway these people with empathy, good knowledge, and a tight story. If you're getting nowhere just move on. Thousands of scientists agree it's a hoax Nope. what you're referring to is a petition from 1998 authored by the Marshall Institute which is funded by Exxon Mobil. The author is not a climate scientist, and the definiton used for eligible 'scientists' qualified to sign was anyone with a bachelor of science degree, meaning that vets, dentists etc were all free to weigh in on this so called 'climate paper'. There is no mention of a hoax in this petition. It is framed as 'insignificant data to conclude man-made global warming is a threat'. In a cross-section of the people who signed it most did not remember signing it, and virtually every signatoree said they would not sign it now. The Antarctic ice sheet is growing No it's not. It's decreasing at an accelerating rate, and poses a serious threat to sea level rise. Antartic sea ice was growing, (different to ice sheet) but this was in spite of the southern ocean warming more than any other ocean. This is due to a number of complex interactions, (including oceans currents creating gaps within the sea ice, and warmer seas leading to increased evaporation and rainfall, which fills these gaps as it falls, creating new sea ice.) However, since 2018 sea ice levels have been lower than the historical average and recently decreasing at an alarming rate. Science is split on climate change Over 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and predominantly caused by human activity. Of the remaining 3%, a quick internet search is likely to reveal funding by the heritage foundation or another institute funded by the fossil fuel lobby. (predominant = over 50% of driving factor) It's changes in solar activity In the last 35 yrs, during the period of most intense global warming, there have been no significant changes in solar activity, and in fact solar activity is now weakening 'Urban heat island' (that urban areas where most measuring equipment is based record hotter temperatures because of reflection from urban surfaces) Totally untrue. Urban and rural areas show exactly the same warming trends It's a green technology scam Green tech has spent less than 1% of the total lobbying amount that the fossil fuel industry has spent on preventing climate change mitigation laws. Human produced CO2 is a fraction of overall CO2 That's totally irrelevant to climate change. The world's climatic and ecological systems have a fine balance controlled by positive and negative feedback loops to regulate climatic stability. Small increases in these - or large in the case of our CO2 contribution - can have a profound effect on destabilising climate systems. Climate change is alarmist scaremongering Science, by its nature, is conservative, due to the nature of peer reviewing. IPCC papers are widely accpeted to be understating the consequences of climate breakdown. It's cold today You're confusing weather with climate, and depending on what part of the world you live in (INCL the UK, due to shifting ocean currents) our cold days will get colder, whilst heatwaves get more intense Climate models are unreliable Climate models accurately predicted what we've seen happen over the last 100 years to high levels, in the oceans, atmosphere, and on land. This means that their projections for the future are likely to be just as accurate. The only uncertainty in climate models is the human response, and whether we commit to carbon neutrality to minimise the impacts of climate breakdown. It's the troposphere cooling The author of the paper that posited this claim, John Christy, admitted in 2005 his figures were incorrect. This paper is still widely quoted by deniers as a counter to man-made global warming Water vapour is a worse greenhouse gas than CO2 (ie.small increases in CO2 are fine and we can keep burning fossil fuels) Yes there's way more water vapour in the air than CO2, but this argument is totally irrelevant to climate science as it completely ignores the interaction between waver vapour and CO2. WV creates a positive feedback loop. So increasing CO2 increases temperature, causing more evaporation & thus water vapour, leading to further warming & more evaporation. Water vapour in itself is part of the naturally regulated water cycle. CO2 increases are natural There are hundreds of studies showing the correlation of human activity since the idustrial revolution correlating with increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. The hockey stick graph is the most vivid representation of co2 concentration against fossil fuel activity CO2 doesn't trap heat This is as fundamental a denial of science as saying we don't experience gravity. The heat trapping effect of CO2 was demonstrated in the lab 150 yrs ago, and confirmed countless times since. In addition, spectral satellites confirm CO2 to behave identically in the atmosphere as it does in lab results. The whole solar system is warming - (ie. it's not human activity) Mars & Venus aren't, and solar activity is decreasing. Volcanoes are to blame for high CO Human activity produces roughly 100x more Co2 than volcanoes Warming lags behind CO2 increases proving CO2 is not responsible This is called climate lag and is basic physics. Imagine putting a pan over a flame. The atmosphere around the flame is instantly hot, but the water takes time to boil. Climate lag is around 40 yrs, due to the thermal inertia of the oceans. The Denial Funders Any person or 'scientist' associated with one of these (these are just a few of the worst) has been paid by the fossil fuel lobby to confound the science and confuse the public The Global Warming Policy Foundation Techcentralstation The Cate Institute The Heritage Foundation American Enterprise Institute The George C Marshall Institute The Reason Foundation The Manhattan Institute Americans for Prosperity Lobbying In the UK, one of our worst climate denying institutes is Members of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, which was set up by Lord Lawson, a well-known climate denier, peer in the house of lords, and father of chef Nigella. His name is Nigel. He called his daughter Nigella. The problem is much worse in the US. In 2012 alone, fossil fuel companies donated over $70m dollars DIRECTLY to US politcal candidates and parties. They spent another $150m on lobbyists to Washington. This is on top of enormous amounts of dark money funnelled through foundations, think tanks, and universities which are used to confound climate science. The practice of dark money donations to stop environmental protections was pioneered by the Koch Brothers. The list of right wing and free market groups they have used their vast fortune to support is endless but it includes the Cato Institute which Charles cofounded in 1977, the American Enterprise Institute, the George C Marshall Institute, the Reason Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, the Manhattan Institute and Americans for Prosperity, founded by David Koch himself and which spent $40million for the 2010 Congressional elections alone. James Inhofe, a senator & previous chair (!!!) on the the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, has frequently called climate change “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people”. He has also compared environmentalists to Nazis. To date, he has received $1,587,596 from the oil and gas industry. Barriers to Climate Activism Summary Encouraging involvement Recommendations from a 2024 study to bring people in to a climate movement were: ask people directly to get involved make it easy and show people how to do it provide options and describe their benefits strengthen perceptions of collective efficacy encourage talking about climate change and provide guidance amplify pro-climate social norms and diverse public voices Barriers to involvement Barriers are individual, social, or organisational mechanisms that prevent engagement, make it more difficult, or leaving more likely. Overall, the main barriers to engagement in climate activism appear to be: not having been asked to get involved not knowing how to get involved other people being better at it lack of training/knowledge not having enough time In addition, and specifically to XR, a 2021 study found that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and working-class communities were put off by: the demographics of XR personal capacity issues and lack of understanding of these by XR failure to address the root cause of climate change—the economic system In XRUK email list subscribers who completed the last Movement Survey, the barrier that by far most reduces their participation was other commitments. Vulnerability to aggression or arrest was also seen as a barrier. XR email list subscribers In the December 2024 Movement Survey, we asked respondents specifically about the extent to which a series of barriers have reduced their participation in XR. Barriers The barrier that the most respondents cited as reducing their involvement in the movement was other commitments. Only 13% of respondents said that this did not reduce their involvement at all. Vulnerability to aggression or arrest was seen as reducing participation by a lot and extremely by 14% and 7% of respondents respectively. Not barriers Lack of knowledge about the movement, disapproval from other people outside the movement and not feeling represented in XR were not seen by most (over 50%) as barriers to participation. More in-depth research from this survey is being prepared (ready to share around the end of August). BAME / Working Class In 2021 there was a specific study [1] looking at “the extent to which Extinction Rebellion speaks to, and for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and working-class communities”. Although a lot has changed in the past four years, it’s still very relevant research. Some of the main barriers to involvement in XR were: lack of information about how to get involved the perceived demographic make-up of XR problems with the group’s culture XR’s tactics (it’s important to note that this study was in 2021 and may have been addressed by the shift away from NVDA in 2023, but it’s also possible that XR is still associated with this type of action) A further barrier to involvement were the limitations of the participants’ own lives which undermined their time, finances, energy and emotional capacity for campaigning and protesting, and the fact that some of the XR representatives and activists did not seem to recognise these constraints. In addition, some research participants considered XR to be ineffective because it fails to address the root cause of climate change—the economic system. In the United Kingdom, activists of color reported that it was harder for them to enter and belong to the existing climate movements [2]. Additionally, they were more concerned about being targeted by police or racist attacks, which hindered them from joining actions. Thus, inequalities affect who joins climate activism and how they experience it. 'Concerned' public Although not specific to XR, academic research has been done to look at barriers to involvement in climate change activism in general. The main three types of personal barriers described in the literature are: Psychological barriers include low efficacy beliefs (i.e. not believing that you can make a change) and feeling distant to climate change or climate activism [3] [4] Lack of knowledge Not having enough time and energy [3] [5] Social barriers include: Not knowing any activists Concerns about outside rejection Difficulties orienting in a new social environment A study in 2022 showed that for people who are highly concerned about climate change, the most frequent reasons for lack of involvement in activism were: other people are better at it (57%) hadn’t been trained (57%) hadn’t been asked (51%) not knowing how to get involved (50%) activities like letter writing not appealing (50%) organizations would ask them for money (40%) too busy (39%) not encouraged to become involved (38%) In Australians alarmed by the climate crisis, ‘no experience’ and ‘time poor’ were cited as barriers to engagement with climate-focused activism.[6] A study in 2024 [7] in the US found that the majority of people who said they would definitely/probably undertake climate activism haven’t done so in the last 12 months. This was also reflected in the XR Membership Survey. The main barrier to activism found in this study was that no one has ever asked them to do it. In addition, many say that it wouldn’t make any difference, they are not activists, they don’t know who to contact, or they wouldn’t know what to say. The article provides the advice listed in the summary at the top of this page. References [1] Bell and Bevan, ‘Beyond Inclusion?’ [2] Wong et al., 2024 [3] Castiglione et al., 2022 [4] Fine, 2024 [5] Latkin et al., ‘Perceived Barriers to Climate Change Activism Behaviors in the United States Among Individuals Highly Concerned about Climate Change’. [6] Whitson et al., ‘Three Profiles of Australian Climate Change Activism Have Both Unique and Overlapping Motivators and Barriers’. [7] Ballew et al., ‘The Attitude-Behavior Gap on Climate Action’. Ways to do outreach Survey boards, festivals, films, welcome hubs, talking to family and friends, flyposting and more. Survey Boards Survey boards are a great outreach method and have proved to be really effective and fun to use. Rebels have said that the boards can be an easy method to initiate conversations as people are curious about the boards and approach your stall more readily. We have presented two board design options below for groups to try. Just use whatever software you have (e.g. Word, or Google Docs) to write out the words you want on your board and print BIG! There are a few versions fo these boards for you to get inspiration from. Each type will lead to different conversations, and comes with some guidance on how to use them. #1 Original - used for The Big One #2 Deliberative - with more choices #3 Nature focus - used for Restore Nature Now #4 Nature focus (table top version with pie-charts and Welsh translation) Producing the boards Board Designs #1: Original Pros Easy to make Straightforward and quick for public to participate in it Easy for rebels to facilitate - does not require a lot of knowledge Cons Because it is a relatively quick and superficial engagement, it may be less intense or emotional so buy-in to take action as a result of the interaction may be less likely Question 1 (First Panel) How concerned are you about the climate crisis? ⇒ Either use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘not worried’ and 5 is ‘terrified’, or 1-5 different choices, for example Not Worried Bit Uneasy Quite Worried Seriously Concerned Terrified Question 2 (Second Panel) Do you think that the UK Government is doing enough? (optional ‘about it’?) ⇒ Use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘They’re hopeless’ and 5 is ‘They’re doing a great job’ Or just use the emojis from the template. Question 3 (Third panel) Would you consider going to [INSERT UPCOMING EVENT] (between/from) [INSERT DATE] (optional - ‘to call for an end to the fossil fuel era?’) ⇒ People add sticker if they are ‘considering’ and don’t if they aren’t (no need for Yes/No) Optional text to print ‘sign up to our email list here...’ and ‘keep yourself informed…’ Possible additions - but keep things neat and tidy Big QR code and joinxr.uk/xxxxx link so people can sign up immediately (local group QR codes can be found here) A date, place and time of your next event/meeting #2: The Deliberative One Pros The questions are more open-ended with fewer obvious or ‘correct’ answers which can facilitate deeper and more genuine reflection and discussion. This deeper engagement with people’s concerns could lead to greater commitment to action. Cons It might be trickier to produce the boards. The more open ended questions may require slightly more facilitation and active listening. Question 1 (First Panel) How concerned are you about the climate crisis? ⇒ Either use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘not worried’ and 5 is ‘terrified’, or 1-5 different choices, for example Not Worried Bit Uneasy Quite Worried Seriously Concerned Terrified Question 2 (Second Panel) Which of these climate impacts concerns you most? You can choose more than one answer. ⇒ Divide the panel up into sections where participants can place their stickers: Extreme weather, e.g. flooding, drought and heatwaves Political Instability Wildlife loss and destruction Energy crisis Food insecurity Pollution Other Question 3 (Third Panel) Do you think that our Government is doing enough? ⇒ Use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘They’re hopeless’ and 5 is ‘They’re doing a great job’ Or just use the emojis from the template. Question 4 (Fourth Panel) How could we as ordinary citizens put enough pressure on our government for it to act more urgently? Choose the options that are most effective. ⇒ Divide the panel up into sections where participants can place their stickers: General strike Tax strike Petitions Get professionals/notables to sign open letter to MP Mass marches Lobbying together with a pressure group Take part in mass civil disobedience Creative stunts & actions #3- The Nature One Question 1 (First Panel) How concerned are you about the loss of nature? ⇒ Either use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘not worried’ and 5 is ‘terrified’, or 1-5 different choices, for example Not Worried Bit Uneasy Quite Concerned Very Concerned Seriously Concerned Question 2 (Second Panel) Which of the following is most important to you? You can choose more than one answer. ⇒ Divide the panel up into sections where participants can place their stickers: My connection with nature Government action to restore wildlife 1 in 6 species are in danger of extinction Clean rivers and seas Climate caused crop failure Question 3 (Third panel) This is the 'commitment' questions, something they can do. The following text was used for Restore Nature Now - but you could change it to a local event or action or even 'sign up to our email list'. Would you consider joining the Restore Nature Now march with Chris Packham and many thousands of others, on Saturday 22nd June in London? To really show our politicians that nature is important to us? ⇒ Just use YES or perhaps Yes/Maybe options Possible additions - but keep things neat and tidy Big QR code and joinxr.uk/xxxxx link so people can sign up immediately (local group QR codes can be found here) A date, place and time of your next event/meeting #4: The English/Welsh Nature-Themed Pie-Chart One Pros Words can be printed out and stuck to wallpaper roll paper and used on a table. No need to contruct survey boards. Cons Not as visible to people passing by. Takes longer to read all the options - need to keep their attention for the final call to action - which would be a 4th question. Question 1 (use number scale) How serious is the nature crisis / biodiversity loss? Use a scale of 1-5 or 1-10 where 1 is ‘No problem’ and 5 is ‘Extremely Serious’ Question 2 (use pie-chart layout) Which parts of the nature crisis concern you most? Extinction of wildlife species Loss of soil health affecting ecosystems and our food supply Loss of our emotional connection to nature Loss of indigenous cultures and knowledge Pollution including plastic waste Other - your ideas: Question 3 (use pie-chart layout) Where can we take action most effectively? Protect wild areas of land Protect marine, lake and river habitats Funding to make farming better for nature Make space for nature in cities and towns Push for international agreements Other - your ideas: Question 4 (the call to action) This is where you offer the next step. It could be a question like 'would you join our email list?' or 'Would you like to come to our next welcome meeting to learn more about XR?' or inviting people to the next big event/action (e.g. 'Would you like to join us in London for Restore Nature Now march?') Tailor and print words All these questions are available on this Google Doc - you could take a copy and edit the questions and answer to suit. Welsh translations of questions and options also contained in this doc. Producing the Boards We recommend purchasing white A1 or A0 foamboards that can be found from craft stores or online (approximately 1m x 70-80cm) Graphics for the boards Files to print for the survey: #1: The Simple One The colour parts (emojis and colour bars) Download questions for the survey board - this pdf goes straight to your downloads folder. OR Word doc version (to copy and update if you wish) #2: The Deliberative One Pdf of board 2 to print Canva file of all of it - if you create an account you can copy this files and edit them #3: A colour version of a Citizen’s Assembly focused board Pdf to download here - you should be able to print these at home and carefully tile together to create the size you need for these boards. Or you can create your own versions using the XR FUCXED CAPS as well as other fonts and symbols which can be downloaded here. We have suggested two ways to attach the boards together though you might find alternative methods that work for you. Making the boards themselves Wooden Support Two long pieces of board attached vertically to stand the boards up. Two shorter pieces attached horizontally to support the boards. These are attached using a staple gun or drill from the front (drilling through the white board into the wood). Bamboo Use a hole punch a long the edge of the board and then use string to tie bamboo to each board. General Advice We recommended sticking a new piece of paper for people answering with stickers so that one piece of paper can be removed each time rather than removing each sticker individually, although you may prefer to keep stickers up if you want to see it grow. We recommend bringing cable ties, string or bungee cord to attach the boards wherever you are as the foam boards are very light. The boards can also be attached to wooden boards and secured using hinges (see bottom photo) so that they can be free standing on a stall but this requires a little bit more work at the start. Outreach Hubs An Outreach Hub is a pop-up tent where you can find XR info and support, meet rebels, pick up vibrant print designs and join trainings and workshops. They also serve as a place of sanctuary where you can pull up a chair and know you’ll be welcomed. A lot of the information and advice would also be useful when running a simple stall. Setting up your Hub Purpose? Consider the aim of your hub, is it informing the public about the climate emergency, who XR are, our demands, our focus on NVDA? Is it promoting a local group, or a big event coming up (e.g. a 3.5 talk or the next rebellion). It could be more than one thing, but talk about it with your team so people feel clear on the aim of the day and ensure every person interacting with the stall goes away more informed, more connected (this could be signing up to the email list, or the Rebellion Broadcast, or at least knowing where to learn more or contact their local group) What location? Is there a lot of public footfall for outreach? Is it a place where people linger and there’s space to stop? What are the logistics? How are you transporting the Hub kit from storage to location? Is the location accessible by car/van? What’s the best drop off point for unloading? Make sure you have a team waiting to help unload and set up the Hub on the day. Familiarise yourself with the local ecology. A week or so in advance, speak to local traders and/or people who might feel you are invading their patch to put and people at their ease about XR’s intentions. Take time to dress the Hub and surrounding area ... ...so that it looks welcoming and attractive. Build a team to share this task and teach others. Tuck bags and boxes away, both for security and to show the public you care. Make sure you have a team for the clean up, pack down and transport of objects home. Look outwards! Is all your messaging clear for the public to see? Are QR codes displayed without obstruction? Have a welcome crew... ...skilled up in outreach who are on hand to greet people and share information… also a flyering crew in the area around the Hub. Visuals Welcome banners and human sized banners are great for dressing sites and as a backdrop for people speaking. This helps to create strong visuals and messages for photography and live streaming. Welcome banners: 3m x 70 cm, position letters 17cm from the top of the material, with two fingers between each letter. Don’t overcrowd the space. Full width banners, to hang at the back of the gazebo: 3m x 1.5m Reach out to your local/Regional Art group to get advice on making visual assets or check out the Art Blocking section on the Rebel Toolkit. Kit list In a spirit of sustainability try and get hold of second-hand materials that will last. Gazebo (purple, or otherwise) 3x3m: an example of a new one here Folding wooden table we like them painted pink! Rose Glory (boat pink) can be mixed with this code: RGB (229,133,165) or Dulux paint code: 47RR32383 Back/white chalk board - for Info, Talks etc Welcome & Info banner - to hang at the front of the gazebo: 3m x 70 cm Banner/s for hanging at the back of the gazebo eg. Non-violence direct action. Full width 3m x 1.5m or half size Flags to put on the corners of the gazebo & to lead people to the site Patches to give out Optional but useful: Bin box Useful things box (with gaffa, tape, string etc) Stones for weighing down papers so they don’t fly off in the wind, or apples Money tins with XR logo, or iZettle Water Free Cake! Something really easy to grab and eat like a flapjack or a brownie. It brings people in and instantly breaks the ice. Folding chairs Tarpaulin & umbrellas PA systam/Tannoy/megaphone for announcements Granny trolleys and trays for mobile kit transport Toilets - know where the nearest accessible / public toilets are Waste - bring general waste and disposable bags. Leave the area cleaner than when you got there! Print Materials Flyers: Up to date 1-2 XR varieties max. Order current flyers here Stickers & badges Posters of beautiful designs, stencils, tube ads or other subvertising prints to give away (for donation). Download posters here that you can print locally. Printed and laminated QR codes or short links signposting people to the Action Network form, Rebellion Broadcast and / or website etc Clipboards for sign up forms Info boards to lean around the gazebo sharing key info eg. Nonviolence, Principles & Values Promoting sign-ups Adding people to our Email list is a key part of our for mobilisation. To join UK list you can use joinxr.uk To find local groups joinxr.uk/local or use the tailored link for each local group (eg. joinxr.uk/birmingham, joinxr.uk/stoke) If people want to sign up on paper, use the GDPR compliant sign up forms here The Rebellion Broadcast on Telegram is key to people wanting to get instant access to the actions (good to promote during a rebellion, but also at any time): t.me/rebellionbroadcast The Movement Broadcast on Telegram is key for rebels to find workshops and training to empower them to take part in XR generally, actions and outreach: t.me/MovementBroadcast Expanding your Hub into an Outreach Day event? Art Blocking Set up an Art Blockers stall in conjunction with or next to your Hub. Art Blocking Guide on the Rebel Toolkit If you have an Art Blockers group and aren’t yet connected to XRUK Art Blockers, please join UK Art Blockers Telegram Programming Sound system for vibes and mike for announcements Programming: Consider representation, cultural diversity, community and language, aims and calls to action, alongside music/poetry etc to open minds. Consider length. Invite space for discussions and people’s assemblies. Set up the location of the speakers carefully; where does the sound travel, is there space for people to sit, what does the backdrop look like? Consider where people film/take photos for social media. More info on Programming Extras Food & drink Interactive stall with eg. Board games, climate quiz etc Giant XR logo or set piece appropriate to the community/event to create a strong visual Outreach training sessions Nonviolent direct action trainings Creative workshops: Paint The Streets, Subvertising, Singing etc Regenerative culture workshops Listening circles Family & kids workshops Promenade performance or puppet with relevant message eg. HS2 White Elephant to engage and/or lead the public to the space. and more ideas as they unfold… Festivals Festivals can provide a great opportunity for outreach, as they bring together large numbers of people, hopefully all in a good mood and with an open mind! If you’d like to represent XR at a festival, the following will help to get you started. XR at Glastonbury Applying Locate online application. Movements can often apply via the festival website. This might be found under 'get involved', 'volunteer' or 'crew'. Groups from XR can be classified as a 'stall', 'campaign', and even 'charity' or 'voluntary group'. If there is no online option. If your group hasn’t visited this festival before and do not know who to contact, it's always worth asking the XRUK Festivals Team to see if they can help with putting you in touch with the organisers. Supporting documents. It can be handy to collect any additional documents that may support your application such as: Testimonials, e.g. I visited the Extinction Rebellion Artblocking stall at the *Local event* and it was the best! Photos of your stall at similar events. Design assets such as XR Logos. Budget. Ensure that your local group is aware of your application and that budget implications have been discussed. Contact details. It can be better to apply as Extinction Rebellion Team/Crew rather than as named individuals in order to make it clear that this is an application from a movement, and to make the application more resilient to crew members needing to be swapped out. As well as ensuring that the right contact person(s) are listed on the application, it can be good to include an active link to Extinction Rebellion’s website, or your XR Local group website if you have one. Complete your application. If helpful, you can use the the XRUK Festivals example templates for inspiration. Glastonbury application example (Google doc) Glastonbury (editable 'Keynote' doc for 'Mac' computers) Blank application (editable 'Keynote' doc for 'Mac' computers) But also here is a list of kind of things you need to cover: What is your stall? What does it do e.g. flyering/fundraising/artblocking. Is there walkabout as well e.g. Wombling, Dirty Scrubbers. If you need to attach this application to an email, PDF is the best format if possible, and here is an email template that can be used. Follow Up. Make sure your team has an assigned contact person(s) to check for email responses and liaise with the festival moving forward. Fundraising and email list sign ups Two very important ways for interested people at the festival to take their first step towards geting involved with XR, are joining our email list or donating. Advice on doing fundraising at the festival Info about adding people to our email lists Safety and Security Next step is to make sure that your group and others attending the festival will be safe and secure in order to have a great time. Public Liability Insurance (PLI) This advice is aimed at local groups who need to get PLI in order to go to festivals, run public creative outreach stands or set up their own small festivals. Do not apply for insurance as Extinction Rebellion, you will be refused insurance. Extinction Rebellion UK (central) cannot get PLI which would then cover all small groups. Do hook up with other local environmental / activist groups and share their PLI. PLI for a single event should be bought in the name of an individual on your team who will be attending the event. If you have multiple events across your region that groups will be attending you can buy annual PLI, again this can be bought under one person’s name and shared across groups as long as all the activities you are doing are covered by the insurance. Some insurance brokers offer Craft Fair Insurance / Market Stall Insurance covering stall holders or performers at a one off event or at a yearly premium: Protectivity, Event Insurance Direct and Event Insurance. Individual artists can get PLI included with their membership of Artists Union England for an additional fee. The artist should then lead on the teaching workshop for cover to be valid. Risk Assessments You can find an XR example risk assessment here, feel free to copy and edit so that it's relevant to your event. Stage Programming and Stage Management If you are going one step further and planning to help with musicians/artists programming, then see the support in the Action Support book here For further information or assistance please feel free to contact the Festivals Circle on our Mattermost Channel. Dirty Scrubbers at Glastonbury Art Blocking at Nottingham Green Festival Film Screening Organising your own screening of a film, or working with a local cinema and/or or organising a panel discussion after a screening are all good ways to reach a new audience. You can mix a film screening with other outreach methods to get sign ups to your email list too, and perhaps already have your next event planned to invite people to. Film Ideas The films below are obviously just a small selection and many more are available and suitable to show and have discussions around. To add more films to this list, preferably with a route to contacting distributor, or info on how to screen it, please contact LGsupport@extinctionrebellion.uk. National Emergency Briefing A film will be coming on this Spring - get involved by registering your interest via their action point 5 here. UK Green Film Network The UK Green Film Network was set up in 2023 by a group of cinemas in order to share ideas around Environmental film programming, and to reduce the amount of work required to screen inspiring films in the face of the Climate Crisis. Get inspired to organise a screening by viewing their list of films. Or if you are really keen for film news, you can join their weekly eNewsletter with information about environmental films and sustainable cinema. Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism 80min - Dir. Fiona Cunningham-Reid When does practice become protest? Or protest, poetry? An intimate portrait of internationally acclaimed artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, who work at the intersection of art, activism, biology and ecology. Their work has become a rallying cry for the environmental movement. The film shows the lives, work and partnership of the artists, and their quest to shake humanity into action on climate catastrophe - whatever the personal cost - including their collaboration with Extinction Rebellion, and co-founding the movement Culture Declares Emergency. Current screenings view this page Film screening requests please contact jonny@tullstories.co.uk Fires and Fascism 57min - Documentary The wildfires in Europe are more than just climate change and mismanagement. This film links the increasing wildfires of Europe with past fascism, big business, organised crime, and the rise of the far right. It showcases how communities are engaging in direct action, protest, rewilding, and suppressing the rise of uncontrollable fires and the far right through direct actions. The experiences and actions of 25 people across Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal feature, ranging between scientists, teachers, artists, gardeners, engineers, winemakers, NGOs, and authors. Dr Pete Knapp, the filmmaker, has a background in air quality and shifted careers from academia to storytelling. For upcoming screenings and how to contact to book your own go to fires-and-fascism.co.uk. Power Station Powell and Edelstyn - Dartmouth Films Two artists set out to kickstart a people powered energy revolution. Directed by the duo, POWER STATION charts their turbulent journey, from pitching the idea to their neighbours to raising finance by sleeping on the roof. A vibrant portrait of a neighbourhood and testament to the art of the possible. View current film screenings (or request your own). Scorch Films Various films available from Scorch Films. The Huddersfield local group recently showed 'My name is Swallow' and 'Treading the Line' as a double bill. Scorch Films produce "provocative storytelling, our films and journalism delve into the beating heart of our relationship with the natural world and the humans that inhabit it." Plan Z: From lab coats to handcuffs 24min - Dir. Louisa Jones and Vladimir Morozov When the UK government pledges to ‘max out’ oil and gas extraction, the lives of psychology professor Colin, microbiologist Abi and ecologist Aaron collide outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where they and six others are arrested for causing alleged criminal damage. But who are the real climate criminals? As restrictions on protest tighten, will scientists retreat to their laboratories or will more stand up than ever before? A window into the world of reluctant activism, Plan Z explores the moral power of protest when established routes of influence fail. To show this film locally - read this comprehensive Community Screening Guide The film is also now available to watch on YouTube List of screenings and more info here: plan-z-film.co.uk The Line We Crossed Release date 23rd June 2025 The film reveals how climate activists are being silenced in court, criminalised, and handed disproportionate punishments for nonviolent protest. The right to nonviolent protest is a cornerstone of democracy, protected by laws the UK has pledged to uphold. Audiences who watch this film are shocked to see these rights under attack. How to show this film - The production team for this film are looking for people to help 'champion' getting local screenings. Request a screening here. The team would then provide a press release and other resources to help you publicise it. This film is focussed on JSO actions, so it might be suitable to join forces with your local JSO and do a joint panel discussion afterwards. We want to run a Q&A with every screening. Local champions can support in a number of ways. They can take part as Q&A panelists, be there to welcome other Q&A panelists from out of town and help with logistics and coordination. More info at thelinewecrossed.com List of upcoming screenings here Water is Love The film follows a group of young people grappling with the climate crisis while we journey around the world to share inspiring stories of regenerative ecosystem design to create water retention in communities, villages, and regions. Touching upon traditional ecological knowledge, how water makes climate, and the importance of restoring complete water cycles. Through inspiring stories from successful projects in India, Kenya, and Portugal, we aim to spark conversations and actions that contribute to a regenerative and resilient world. This film points to an often overlooked need and possibility: community-driven decentralized water management as a critical key for surviving — and thriving in — this century. Info on how to host a screening More info on the film website Can I Live? Released 2021 “Why don’t we talk about it?” An urgent question and an invitation offered by Can I Live?: a vital new digital performance about the climate catastrophe conceived, written and performed by Fehinti Balogun who shares his personal journey into the biggest challenge of our times. Weaving his story with spoken word, rap, theatre, animation and the scientific facts, Fehinti charts a course through the fundamental issues underpinning the emergency. Host a screening: Contact rima@complicite.org or amberd@complicite.org More info and list of current screenings #Climate Scam 40min - Dir. Bryony Stokes As the world faces increasingly devastating climate-related disasters, why do so many people believe that climate change is all a hoax? This is the question that Jaz Njie, a young hairdresser and tech-savvy Gen Z-er, sets out to discover in the new film, #ClimateScam? In this documentary, produced by award-winning charity Cornwall Climate Care, Jaz swaps her scissors for a microphone as she goes out to the homes of climate scientists, climate sceptics and climate activists, getting to know the real people behind the often angry headlines. Find out more about and watch their previous films at Cornwall Climate Care. This film was recently shown together with Plan Z at Mammoth Climate Action Cinema in Nottingham and worked really well as a double bill with a Q&A afterwards. FlyPosting XR flyposting is putting up beautiful posters in public spaces to: advertise upcoming events promote our name establish our symbology in the public consciousness highlight our demands. Lots of information, resources and ideas are contained in the Paint the Streets pages. Talking to Family and Friends We know that personal connection is one of the most effective ways of changing people's perspective on the climate crisis, and bringing them into activism. So speaking to our friends and families about why we do what we do can be really powerful! But it can also be really difficult. We can feel that people don't want to hear what we have to say, or worry that people will think our actions and views are too extreme, when we know that they are completely proportionate to the scale of the crisis we face. Thankfully, there are some really useful resources available help with this! Resources to help you... The climate communication charity HEARD recommends using a "can do" framing for conversations. Rather than talking about how "everything is fine", or "will be fine", nor saying "everything is ruined". Say instead that we can change/improve this, it's within our reach if we try. See these slides and this guide to read more about how to change the way we talk about climate. A Gift for Conversation A Gift for Conversation is a 'gift book', designed to help you talk about the climate crisis to people you care about. Written by an XR Rebel, it is available in paper copies via a 'pay-as-you-feel' system, and as a pdf version for free. Rebels have given dozens of copies to their friends and families and it has triggered some brilliant conversations. It has even been given as a gift to the judge in climate activism trials! How to speak with your family and friends about environmental issues This short guide provides some really solid advice on the basics of talking to people about climate change and the environment. It doesn't go into the details of the issues like the book above, but covers the practise of active listening, how to keep the conversation productive and polite, and the power of the personal. Doorknocking Door Listening Why Door-to-door Listening? You may want to consider approaching members of your local community to invite them to take part in Actions or Community Assemblies. The process of knocking on people’s doors and simply listening to what they have to say is both humbling and empowering, and if done with care and consideration, it can foster strong links across a local area, helping to initiate a local movement and/or help an existing one gain momentum. What Do I Need to Consider? Throughout the door-to-door listening process it is important to remember that you are approaching people’s homes/businesses/places of worship and that people may not be able to talk or may not want to. If someone does not feel like they have time to engage with you, then listen to them and respect their wishes – their home is their private space, and they are entitled to feel safe and free from hassle. It is also important to try to avoid making assumptions: avoid judging someone on their race, gender, religion or age, and/or what their house looks like or the area in which they live. Everyone is different, knock on someone’s door with an open mind and with a willingness to connect and learn. With door-to-door listening it is vital not to have an agenda, do not knock on the door with content that you want to peddle through as this will prevent you from being able to actively listen. Listen, genuinely listen, and let the person whose home you have knocked on guide the interaction. Do not try to equate their experiences with yours or interrupt with questions. Questions you might have will be related to your perspective and they will work to interrupt someone’s flow or make the conversation change direction. Step by Step Guide Knock on the door. Take a step back once you have knocked so that people can open the door without feeling like their space is being invaded. If a child answers the door, do not introduce yourself, ask to speak with an adult. Introduce yourself slowly and clearly, making eye contact and avoiding making fast movements. Think about your body language – having your arms by your side and visible will make people feel more relaxed than if you have your arms crossed or your hands in your pockets. The aim is to make people feel at ease. Explain who you are, why you are there and that you are representing either your Local XR group or your Community Group – it is important to be transparent. A good introduction would be “Hello, my name is _______. I am here on behalf of ________ and I am knocking on doors to better understand the issues that matter to people and their families in the local area.” It is important to give people the option of whether or not to engage, so follow this short introduction with a question, such as “do you have some time to talk to me about the issues that matter to you?” If people do not want to engage, move on. This is their home and you are a visitor. If people want to engage with you, then actively listen to what they have to say, keeping in mind your body language throughout the process. Let them guide the interaction. Do not interrupt, argue with them or outline your opinions. If you need to take notes, then explain why you would like to and check that this is ok with those you are listening to. Ideally, however, do so after the process as this will ensure you are fully present when you are listening. Be engaged. You may wish to highlight that you have heard what they have said by nodding along or making small sounds of agreement. If someone asks you questions, engage with them, but try to ensure that you avoid stressing your opinions if it may make people feel uncomfortable about expressing theirs. If a natural point arrives at which you can ask a question, prioritise asking probing questions that seek to understand their perspective better. Do not ask prying questions about personal information – people are entitled to privacy and such questions can alienate. Thank the person for their time and for sharing their views and feelings. If you feel there has been positive engagement and a genuine connection, then before you depart you may wish to give the person more information about your Local Group or any local events happening. However, if there is no right time to do so, then leave this step out. Be prepared with leaflets and sign up sheets if they are interested but don’t push it upon them. Follow-up your door knockings - if you’ve forged a relationship with someone, you should be the one to follow it up. Keep track of where you’ve had meaningful interactions. Top Tips: Arrive open and ready to actively listen. Speak only to adults. Speak slowly and clearly, maintaining eye contact. Be transparent: introduce yourself, who you are representing and why you are there. Give people the choice about whether or not to engage. Listen to them, avoid equating their views/experiences with yours. Ask probing questions, not prying questions, if an opportunity arises – do not interrupt their flow. Speak 80% less than you think you should. Work in pairs, it’s more fun, and feels more secure, especially for less experienced rebels. Ask what is worrying them and listen: a lot of people are not looking for solutions, they want you to hear them. If you can listen, people are more likely to meet with you again. Thank people for their time. How to use Door Listening as a Local Group: Find some seasoned campaigners or community organisers within your group, they will have some experience of door knocking and are a good way to seed a team. Map out areas to canvas, don’t just target streets you think may have higher levels of interest - try roads that don’t necessarily reflect a stereotypical demographic. Keep track of responses. Split into pairs and pick the streets you will go along. Knock on doors solo though (except maybe your first couple!) as two people at the door can feel overpowering Stand well back from the door- lots of people aren’t keen on cold callers so have a well-practised, friendly, opening line. Debrief after the door knocking session - what went well, what not so well - and collectively work out solutions for the next time. Feedback to your Local Group - try to encourage more to give it a go. Sometimes, outreach is a personal challenge and Principle 2 (‘We set our mission on what is necessary’) is a poignant reminder that sometimes we have to nudge ourselves out of our comfort zone in order to mobilise that crucial 3.5% of the population. GOOD LUCK! Try virtual door knocking Your goal is the same as before - to listen, have meaningful conversations and learn what is important to them. If you know your neighbours, they’ll be easy to find on social media. If you don’t know them, use https://nextdoor.co.uk/ - this website lets you register yourself In your local area and shows you posts from people in your area, without having to add them as a friend. It’s simple: Log in, find ‘Directories’ on the left-hand side of the screen. Click ‘Neighbours’. Click ‘Message’ to contact individual people with your invite! How to Host a House Meeting What do you feel about the Climate Crisis? And what does it mean to you to be part of Extinction Rebellion? Then, there’s how do your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues feel, too? Sometimes, it can be hard to have a conversation about all this because the science is shouting we’re heading for extinction and it can feel like the world doesn’t want to hear the truth. Where? It’s really up to you - it could be on a video platform which is accessible, or a social gathering for a small number in an open space, or even at work - host as many meetings as you can. When? Try multiple time variations - your friends, family and contacts are probably free at different times. And by hosting, many more people will engage with the climate crisis more deeply. How? How you invite people is important - don’t round robin everyone. Make it personal - preferably with a call- emails and messages are easy to ignore! Perhaps tailor your groups - pockets of friends, family groupings, and people connected by faith, background, or interests; people are probably more likely to come if they know someone else, so let them know who’s invited/coming to encourage attendance. If someone declines, ask why - there’ll be valuable learning here. Be ambitious! For this rebellion, aim to invite everyone you know to one, with probably no more than 6-7 per meeting to give everyone time to contribute meaningfully. What happens in a House Meeting? Start with introductions - not everyone may know each other, and everyone shares why they have come. Then, give a short talk - cover why you joined XR, your tipping point, the science that keeps you awake at night and the facts you wish you could forget… what you think about peaceful mass civil disobedience… the government response to the ecological emergency… why we must build back better. Be vulnerable with your fears, express your love and rage… And remember, you don’t have to learn a talk off by heart - you can have crib notes to help! Also, you can offer to share some facts links with your guests, so they can do follow-up research too, after the House Meeting. You may find the Street Speaker Scripts give you a useful basis to start from. What happens next? After this 15 minutes or so of you chatting, it’s your guests turn to talk and share how what they’ve heard has made them feel (this part takes around 30 minutes). It’s possible someone may now be upset - remember, your guests aren’t members of Extinction Rebellion and the science is hard to hear, so you might need to pause so guests can emotionally regroup. Ask your guests to treat this discussion in confidence, with respect for differing opinions and feelings. When your guests feel ready, one by one, ask them to share their feelings about the Climate Crisis, without interruption. Then, have a more general group discussion on the issues raised. Listen. Ask your guests what they think about Extinction Rebellion - it’ll be interesting feedback! This discussion can lead you all to chat in more depth about: What they think about the government's response to the climate crisis. Why Extinction Rebellion believes peaceful mass civil disobedience is necessary, referencing history. What are our Demands, and what your guests think about a Citizen’s Assembly. Next steps for engagement, or not? Of course, it’ll be great if any of your guests want to now join XR, but not everyone will, so acknowledge that and thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and feelings. Your goal is to make everyone feel comfortable, and also give a range of options for involvement: Sign up sheets for joining (Input this info to joinxr.uk/localgroupname eg. joinxr.uk/birmingham. Inform everyone of social media links for your local group and XRUK too. Provide dates for upcoming Welcome to XR and Heading for Extinction online talks. Provide dates and locations for upcoming local actions. Find info on the Actions Map. Explain the types of roles a new joiner can take on within your local group and at actions. Hear what kind of direction any new joiners might be interested in. Share how they can make a regular or one off donation How to wrap up the House Meeting Thank everyone for coming, acknowledging this has been a challenging and emotional hour, and if people need further support, you’re there for them. Ask if there’s any constructive feedback on the experience, to help you improve the meeting for future guests. Everyone checks out with how they feel, comparing it to how they felt after the first fifteen minutes. Post-meeting, send a thankyou to everyone, checking that they’re OK. Flyers, Posters & Stickers Order, print yourself or request tailer made leaflets, flyers, posters, stickers! Guidance on creating flyers Flyers are a great way to connect with people in your community — whether you’re promoting a talk, an action, or just helping people find out about XR. Before You Start: What’s Your Purpose? Decide on one clear goal for your flyer. Are you trying to invite people to an event, get sign-ups for your mailing list, encourage people to join your group? Pick one and make it the focus. Your whole flyer should be focused on achieving that goal. How to make sure your flyer gets read Keep it Short & Focused Aim for no more than around 6 sentences across the flyer. People won’t read much more and giving yourself a limit focuses the mind. Prioritise what’s essential. Less text = more attention. Most flyers are A5 double-sided, an A6 (half the size) can also work nicely too. One Clear Call to Action Tell people exactly what you want them to do, e.g. “sign up”, “come to this talk”, or “join our group”. Avoid giving multiple options. People get choice paralysis and won’t do anything. Use a QR Code (But Use it Right) Link to a next step - usually a sign-up form so we can contact them to follow-up. Avoid QR generators that use branded short links as they often expire or break, use XR's own generator! Include a short text version of the link underneath for accessibility and backup. Test your link on multiple phones and browsers. Make It Easy to Read Consider accessibility for people with dyslexia, sight issues, and generally making it easy to understand. Use high contrast colours: dark text on a light background (or vice versa). Use fonts sparingly, avoid decorative fonts. XR’s Fucxed Caps font for headings only, and Karla or similar sans-serif font for main text. Use short sentences. Avoid italics, only use bold sparingly to highlight key words. Left-aligned is best. Avoid centre or fully justified blocks of text, it’s harder to read. Keep Layout Simple Make sure the key info stands out, think: what, when, where, why. Use headings, short paragraphs, or bullet points to break things up. Avoid busy backgrounds that make the text hard to read. Use graphics or photos (with permission) to highlight your point. ❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid Too much information: Don’t try to say everything. Give just enough to spark interest. People can talk to you or visit your link for more information. No clear next step: If people aren’t sure what to do, they won’t do anything. Unreadable text: Fancy fonts, low contrast, or cluttered layouts can ruin a good message. QR code issues: A broken or expired link makes your whole flyer useless. Printing Tips We often use Solopress for printing – reliable, good value and offers recycled paper. Do consider local printers! Building a relationship with them may be useful. Helpful Tools & Resources You can use the free design tool Canva There is the XR created flyer and poster generator on Aktivisda As well as ready made flyers you can download from the Rebel Toolkit Need Help? We are here to help with flyer ideas, reviewing drafts, or finding design support. Please reach out — we want your work to have the biggest impact possible! You can contact the UK Outreach team via our Mattermost reception or by email at actions.outreach@extinctionrebellion.uk. Order XRUK designed outreach materials Order Form The XRUK Outreach team are offering the items below via this ORDER FORM. Flyers available: This non-branded flyer below has information about the National Emergency Briefing (NEB) and QR codes to take people to the YouTube recordings if they want to learn more. More information about how you can get involved taking action around the NEB screenings here. Art Factory Patches: Community Building Zines: Citizens' Assembly booklet: Badges/Stickers General and Event Specific Flyers Flyers are a great way to prompt a conversation, and to leave someone with a way to follow up afterwards. Here are ready to print flyers for themes, actions and general climate and ecological messaging. If you have designs you've made, suggestions, or requests, please feel free to email us on XR UK Outreach. Please don't use the images on this page to print, make sure you download the high quality print-ready versions using the links. Some of these designs are available via our Outreach Materials Order Form. Feeling The Heat Our flyer here talks about heatwaves and is useful for general XR outreach when temperatures are rising. Making the point that heatwaves are getting worse, but we can take action. Download the English version here. Download the Welsh version here. The QR code and link point to the local group map, so make sure your local group details are correct. Contact map@extinctionrebellion.uk if they need updating. Stop The Floods We've put together a general flyer for XR outreach which is focused around flooding as an issue. This may be useful in areas at risk of flooding, or when floods and storms are topical in the news. Please be mindful, if your community is currently or recently affected by floods then outreach directly around that may be counterproductive (seen as exploitative) and offering basic support may be a more useful way to reach people. Download the English version here. Download the Welsh version here. The QR code and link point to the local group map, so make sure your local group details are correct. Contact map@extinctionrebellion.uk if they need updating. Come To The Table A new evergreen design for 2026 and beyond for XR outreach. Download print ready version here. Conflict and Climate Increasingly, groups are wanting to talk about the links between conflict and the climate crisis, but explaining these connections to people can be difficult. Our War and Peace messaging guidance has been designed to help with that. If you are doing an XR action linked to current conflicts, or are running a stall at an event (a Palestine fundraiser, for example), you may wish to use these flyers to help explain why you are there, and why conflict and climate change are 2 sides of the same problem. Conflict & Climate flyer for home printing. Conflict & Climate flyer for professional printing. The QR code and link on this flyer point to the main XRUK website. Citizens' Assemblies Our third demand calling for a Citizens' Assembly is what makes XR unique among other movements. We have two versions here, choose based on what you think your audience will respond best to. Download slightly shorter version here. Download this more technical version here. The QR code and link on this flyer point to an assemblies themed sign up form for the XRUK email list. Old but timeless! The classic Non Violent flyer. Yellow logo Rebel flyer. Rebel For Truth and Unite To Survive designs available on this link, including Welsh versions. Themed Flyers Dirty Water Dirty Water flyers. Water Ceremony Flyers. Insure Our Future Insure Our Future flyers. Air Pollution Air Pollution flyers for Local Groups. Justice Theme Global Justice flyers. Social Justice flyers. Flyers Tailored for Local Groups A non-dated flyer to use locally These could be used at actions, events, stalls, on the street during outreach, or left in cafes, bookshops etc where space is put aside for community group flyers. If you would like to have this tailored for you then contact LGsupport@extinctionrebellion.uk - you can request a change of logo on the front and also the contact details and the QR code on the back. If you have design skills yourself then you can download in these formats Affinity Photo file pdf with with blank space for contact details (which should open in photoshop) If you would like to get a joinxr.uk/xxx link for your local group email list (similar to the one Edinburgh used above), there is some information here Tailor your own UK Flyers You can also find graphics of various UK designed flyers as pdfs here - this is an option if you are able to take the pdf and edit/add your own content. Stickers Rebel For Truth To print these sticker - download the print-quality files here. Themed stickers Dirty Water Dirty Water Water Ceremony Stickers Hazard stickers Posters Unite to Survive / Rebel for Truth Download these and many more posters here. Principles and Values Poster Printable pdf version - suitable up to A2 size Smaller version for online use Classic Posters These are posters that have been around a long time but they're still just as good as they always were! Stick them in your window or use them to Paint the Streets! For Professional Printing The following posters are optimised to be printed onto A3: Alarm Dead Planet Bees Skull Eyes Blue Skulls Sand Timer Red Skull Smiley Cuffs Shock Cuffs Purple Skulls Earth on Scales This is Change Change is Now Abstract Colours Colourful Sand Timer World Inside a Greenhouse Birds on Westminster Deadly Transformations Snake Skeleton It Always Seems Impossible Until It's Done Nonviolent Rebel for Life Extinction Shock Rebel for Life Getting Hot in Here Tell the Truth mouth People Over Profit Life not Death Green not Greed Eco not Ego The following posters are optimised to be printed onto A4: Yellow Shocked For Home Printing Extinction Rebellion Window Poster Shocked Face & Skulls Window Posters Declaration of Rebellion (looks best in A3) For Placards The following posters are optimised to be printed onto A2 and used as placards: Set 1 (including 'Rebel for Life', 'Tell the Truth', 'Act Now', 'Non Violent' and 'Extinction Rebellion') Set 2 (including 'Change or Die', 'Time is Up', 'Now or Never' and 'Climate & Ecological Emergency') Subvertising Posters For advice on subvertising, and posters designed to be used in bus stops, billboards, and the tube, check out the Paint the Streets books. Paint the Streets Archive The XRUK Paint the Streets Design Drive (being updated) has an array of designs and resources from past and current campaigns, including Cover the Capital designs (bus stops, billboards and underground poster designs). All the work has been created by volunteers. These documents are not to be used for commercial gain. Science facts large outreach banner This poster was made by Scientists for XR. The idea is to print it out very, very big and then use it at your action or outreach event to start conversations passers-by. Download the design here. If you have any questions about how to print the poster etc, message them on mattermost on @louisk and for more details about the Portable Climate Science Museum go to https://climatemuseums.org/. Themed Posters Biodiversity XR Cymru have some great bilingual biodiversity posters. Dirty Water Selection of Dirty Water posters If you have other ideas for posters like this that would be useful - Contact UK Outreach team via our Mattermost reception or by email actions.outreach@extinctionrebellion.uk. Street Speakers Street Scripts and other useful links Guidance for street speakers You can download the Street Speaker's Guidance Google doc to help you prepare. The guidance covers as many options as possible however if you feel something is missing or have useful tips and hints, please send your suggestions to UK Outreach team via our Mattermost reception or by email actions.outreach@extinctionrebellion.uk Specific Scripts Restore Nature Now Street Talk - 2024 Citizens' Assembly Street Talk - 2 and 5 min versions Know Your Rights - 2024 [KYR] Prepare for Action - 2024 [PfA] NVDA has evolved and is now called Prepare for Action. Science [mini Heading for Extinction - HfE] (OnlyOffice) Science [mini Heading for Extinction - HfE] (Google) QR codes: Donate | Sign-up to the UK Newsletter | Science [mini HfE] (so people can access the references used in the script) Introduction to XR - 2024 (Google) Insure Our Future/Insure Our Survival Street Talk | This script was specifically tailored for the Global Week of Action 26 Feb - 3 March 2024 Guidance for Speakers Insure Our Future 2024 If a script needs updating please contact the UK Outreach team via our Mattermost reception or by email actions.outreach@extinctionrebellion.uk Other useful resources to accompany your talk Principles and Values poster Paper Sign-up Form (Please make sure no-one's details are viewable by others when signing this sheet.) Individual Paper Sign-Up Strips (print out and cut up) QR code for the UK Newsletter QR codes to sign up for each Local Group newsletter To sign up to Local Group emails without a QR code, use the link joinxr.uk/localgroup. For example, joinxr.uk/birmingham Training Street Speakers Guidance Notes and Script for Training Street Speakers - Google doc version (view only)- Make a copy if you want to edit your own version. Video of how to train street Speakers (39mins): Open up video on Youtube