A Force of Nature in Cheltenham's Sustainability Scene

Raechel Kelly was an obvious choice when writing our dream list of Cheltenham’s visionaries to interview . Founder of community project Planet Cheltenham, consultancy business The Liminality, and a serial ambassador of worthy causes, Raechel is a force of nature in the sustainability space.

"Change is coming whether you like it or not; why not act on your own terms rather than wait until you are forced to by legislation? We used to think eco-friendly living meant giving up our creature comforts and going back to basics. It's actually about trying new ways of doing things." 

Having worked on sustainability projects for sixteen years, Raechel saw it go from being viewed as something a bit hippie and unconventional to a buzzword. 

What Caused This Shift in Engagement With Sustainability?

Raechel remembers being told by her teachers that climate change "wasn't something to worry about" while studying for her GCSEs. When it came to recognising the realities of global warming, there were several factors at play. For many of us, Sir David Attenborough's documentaries played a significant role in taking the message mainstream.

"There was certainly an increase in engagement due to David Attenborough. A lesser-known tool that forced systemic change was divestment. Religious groups like the Quakers started the Ethical Investment Movement to boycott large companies, including banks. South Africa's Apartheid Boycott Movement also used divestment to influence many large companies operating within the segregated apartheid system." 

In 2008, students of American universities vocalised that they didn't want their university's money invested in fossil fuel, damaging the future they were studying for. This caught on with UK students, too, expanding to concern for their investments' impact on issues such as human rights. 

"With increased consumer awareness, investment managers are encouraged to look beyond the numbers at the wider impact on people and the planet. This was known as 'ethical investment', then 'sustainable investment' and 'socially responsible investment', before rebranding as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). Although we're moving in the right direction, these are currently seen as externalities when, in reality, they're integral to everything."

Unexpected Advocate 

After meeting her husband while studying English Literature at University College London (UCL), Raechel became pregnant with their daughter, which shaped the course of her career; it's also what prompted their 'temporary move' to Cheltenham sixteen years ago. "I became a part-time researcher for Ethical Screening - whose business was born out of the divestment movement in the 1990s. I still work with them on projects today."

One of her first climate initiatives was while on the Parent-Teacher Association at her daughter's school circa 2010. "We became aware of some surplus budget to use. I suggested solar panels that would lower the school's bills and enable green technology to be worked into the curriculum. It took longer to convince the grown-ups than the children, but we got there in the end". 

Young People are Leading the Way

"Vision 21 is a charity responsible for many great initiatives in Cheltenham," explains Raechel. "They have been quietly operating in the background for a long time, running projects such as furniture reclaim and community gardens. Planet Cheltenham is a project of Vision 21 to create a community climate action hub for the town.’." 

We talk about their youth group of local people aged 16-26. "They're an amazing and inspirational group of activists, running clothing repair shops and swaps, fresh produce growing projects and more." They even surveyed almost three thousand young people across Gloucestershire, forming part of a national report for the government. Planet Cheltenham's steering group before their launch in 2020 resulted in a clear focus on young people. Their projects and events are open to everyone, though, like their recent clothing repair shop where older women taught skills like how to mend holes and darn jumpers. They are also about to launch a pilot ‘Library of Things’ project with Gloucestershire Libraries and Charlton Kings Parish Council, where people can borrow everyday home and DIY tools without the need to buy them.

Another great initiative is Climate Changemakers, which involves 11 people (the applicants were too strong to have 10!) from a broad demographic across Cheltenham, sponsored by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council. They'll go on a six-month learning journey on the climate crisis and its impact on Cheltenham, then develop an action project by November 2023. The purpose is to encourage and empower people to take action in the community. "Last year, we held a Doughnut Economics peer-to-peer learning journey resulting in a showcase at The Wilson Gallery for 90 guests and hope to host similar events at our own venue in the future." 

They recently received planning permission to turn a building in St. Pauls into a Climate Action Hub powered by solar panels and rainwater. "The hub's eco-credentials will be intrinsic; people can come here for support regarding being more sustainable, but at its heart, it's simply a space to connect."

Avoid Panic Projects and PR Stunts

A lack of knowledge in this area causes misinformation and people taking action that looks and sounds good but often isn't worth anything.

"You often see this with businesses who get their emissions analysis and go, ‘oh crap, we've got to do something about this huge carbon footprint'. The knee-jerk reaction tends to be offsetting, immediately thinking it's cheap to plant loads of trees and call themselves carbon neutral. This just doesn't cut the mustard."

She recalls The Guardian's recent reporting about Terra, an offsetting company working with huge brands and household names yet not offering tangible value. This sort of thing makes it tricky for smaller businesses to know who sets an excellent example in this space. Another recent issue involved planting trees in California, but unfortunately massive wildfires wiped out a lot of reforestation efforts. She works closely with Becki Sillence on the Cheltenham Zero project where businesses based in Cheltenham can get support towards their net zero plans, and they jointly host Cheltenham’s very own ‘People Planet Pint’ networking sessions at Deya Brewery.

While talking about the biggest challenges in sustainability, parallels with an industry Cheltenham is becoming synonymous with - cybersecurity - becomes obvious. They're both often viewed as afterthoughts rather than foundational to success and future prospects. We discuss the incorrect assumption that digital businesses like cyber brands are carbon neutral. A study by the Boston Consulting Group found the internet is responsible for 2% of all global carbon output, equivalent to the entire aviation industry. Education is required across all sectors about the impact of things like data centres. 

So What Can Businesses and Individuals Do?

"Reduction should always be the priority over offsetting; you can't just carry on with business as usual and offset. Although offsetting has value, it's tricky to measure. On an individual level, we're past not using plastic straws and bags; look at your spheres of influence, such as the building you rent an office from or the gym you use. Can you start conversations like I did with the solar panels at my daughter's school?"

We are living in a cost-of-living crisis at the moment, though, and Raechel acknowledges that being more environmentally friendly has been associated with being expensive. " If you can afford to buy an electric car or put solar panels on your roof then you absolutely should, but those are individual actions; the initiatives at Planet Cheltenham are about collective community climate solutions that also aim to save people money."

Want to learn more? Raechel recommends adding Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist to your reading list.

This series aims to highlight leaders in our community, Do you know a changemaker we should highlight? Get in touch at goldenvalley@hbd.co.uk