Communities can be at the heart of partnerships that make our world a better place, because local groups are so often the heroes when it comes to helping the environment. And that happens in heaps of ways – there might be a person who’s good at rallying others, an area that needs protecting, or a school or club getting behind a cause.

If you’ve ever tried to make a difference, you’ve probably found you can do more with the help of a great team than you can alone. Need some tips for getting inspired? Then give these a try!

  1. Share it around

We’ve all got things we can contribute to a community instead of keeping them in the family or at our place. When resources are shared, groups can do so much more. Sharing a set of tools or some leftover paint and furnishings can help with something like renovating a community hall or making a clubhouse. Making your gardening gear available helps neighbours, your local school or community garden with their projects. If you’ve got spare garden produce, sharing it with others through an organisation that distributes it spreads healthy food to people in need. Even things like toys and books can be pooled into a library for the whole community to enjoy. You might even want to share your car or the family bikes to help everyone be a bit greener in the way they travel. If we share, it also means we don’t need to buy as many new things.

  1. Fundraising

School, club or community fundraising drives really bring people together, with a target, a common purpose and results you can see in what gets bought. If communities get organised, they can make the load a bit lighter for individual families or organisations that need things like equipment, new buildings, uniforms or funds towards an overseas trip. Community fundraising also means you can band together to make a bigger donation to larger causes and charities.

Ecostore’s fundraising soap is a cool way to support a cause you like – check it out!

  1. Get organised for action

A big part of living in a community is taking action when there’s an issue that affects a bunch of you. If your local stream, beach or park has filled up with rubbish, grab the neighbours and head there to clean it. Or get the supplies you need for some new planting or a day of weeding. And if you’re all concerned about protecting a threatened species or conserving natural resources in your area, you can start a petition or lobby your MP.

  1. Back to school

Schools and clubs do heaps more than raise funds, they’re often getting kids involved in conservation and community projects that teach them how to help the environment. That’s a great opportunity for the whole family to join in as community helpers – maybe you can help maintain a school garden, lend some equipment or pass on some professional skills.