Voices for Change

An oral history of the environmental movement in the UK, 1970-2020

Toby Butler (Author), Felix Driver (Author), Barbara Brayshay (Author), Chris Church (Author), Jeremy Iles (Author), Oli Mould (Author), Saskia Papadakis (Author)

Voices For Change is a groundbreaking history of environmental activism across the UK since the early 1970s, revealed in first-hand testimony by some of those who were most closely involved. It highlights the lived experiences of generations of environmental campaigners engaged in a wide variety of protest, projects and policy during this period, from grassroots actions in local communities to the leadership of major national organisations. The book draws on a unique archive of one hundred in-depth life-history interviews with environmental campaigners involved in action on a wide range of concerns, from conservation and transport to energy and climate change. It situates the experience of activism biographically and historically, exploring the role of family, region, class, ethnicity, gender and generation in the lives of participants in the key campaigns of the period. The voices of campaigners whose contributions have never been widely recognised appear here, alongside some of the most high-profile, including Jonathan Porritt, Caroline Lucas, George Monbiot and Swampy. Together, these voices highlight the achievements and the challenges of activism across more than 50 years, revealing diverse and unsung stories from the movement. Through this focus on life stories, the book provides a vital resource for today’s environmental activists, throwing new light on the diverse origins, forms and impacts of their campaigns.

List of figures
List of abbreviations
The authors
Biographies of 101 environmentalists
Preface

Introduction
1 Historical overview
2 Beginnings
3 Mobilising
4 Working from within
5 The front line
6 A diverse movement?
7 Sustaining ourselves
8 Voices for change

Index

DOI: 10.14324/111.9781806551774

Number of illustrations: 18

Publication date: 01 November 2026

EPUB ISBN: 9781806551781

Toby Butler (Author)

Toby Butler is a public historian and Head of the Immersive Learning Centre at Birkbeck, University of London. Over the last 25 years he has devised numerous collaborative and community oral history projects in the UK, India and the USA. He joined Royal Holloway in 2022 to work on the OHEM project.

Felix Driver (Author)

Felix Driver is Director of the Centre for GeoHumanities at Royal Holloway, University of London. His books include Geography Militant (2001), Imperial Cities (2003), Tropical Visions (2005), Hidden Histories of Exploration (2009) and Mobile Museums (2021). He is an FBA and HRA at Kew Gardens.

Barbara Brayshay (Author)

Barbara Brayshay is a Director of the LivingMaps Network and was a postdoctoral researcher on the OHEM project at Royal Holloway, University of London. She is an independent researcher and activist with a particular interest in participatory mapping, action research and community engagement.

Chris Church (Author)

Chris Church is Director of Community Environment Associates and specialises in work with communities on climate change and related issues. He was project officer for the OHEM project. He has worked in the environmental sector for over 30 years with NGOs including Friends of the Earth, social enterprises and as a consultant.

Jeremy Iles (Author)

Officer for the OHEM project. Jeremy worked in the environmental movement 1983-2016 with spells at Friends of the Earth, London Wildlife Trust, Sustrans and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. He is Trustee of Folk England, an active folk musician, and Yachtmaster.

Oli Mould (Author)

Oli Mould is Professor of Human Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. His research explores urban activism, creativity and social justice. He has written three books, Urban Subversion and the Creative City, Against Creativity and Seven Ethics Against Capitalism.

Saskia Papadakis (Author)

Saskia Papadakis is Honorary Research Associate at Royal Holloway, University of London, and was a postdoctoral researcher on the OHEM project. Her research interests are in antiracism, identity and national identity, and in a previous post at the University of Manchester, she researched histories of the Black Power movement in Leicester.