Resources
for rural
Changemakers
Ri,
Community Project Founder
Deborah,
Co-founder of Grow Timsbury
Hazel,
Fabric Artist
Midsomer Norton
Teresa,
Co-chair of Coleford Climate Action
Laura,
This Living Place
Wincanton
Sue,
Future Shed Lead & Artist
Frome
Kevin,
Farrington Green volunteer
Esther,
Edventure Director
Frome
Just starting out on rural community climate action?
If you’re finding it magic – and messy – you’re not alone. This page offers resources to support your journey.
Edventure has been working for the last five years building community-led climate action in our home town of Frome, Somerset. Co-created with rural changemakers in Midsomer Norton, Farrington Gurney, Coleford, Stalbridge, Timsbury and Chippenham, these resources address our collective insights about the very particular but under-appreciated aspects of changemaking in countryside contexts.
Over six months we explored our personal experiences of what it takes. And our biggest insight is that while our hard-won village or market town actions can seem small scale, when we join up beyond our local boundaries, they create a much larger force for change.
We hope these resources help you make change in your own rural community, and find others with a shared ambition.
Getting started
Our guests share their thoughts on first steps to rural changemaking, from making a local nature plan to connecting with your GP practice.
Getting Started – Connecting with your GP surgery
Getting Started – Connecting with your county council
Getting Started – Enhancing local democracy
Getting Started – Connecting with your local council
Getting Started – Getting together around nature
Getting Started – Evaluating for impact
Getting Started – Engaging your community
Getting Started – Running an event
Around the table conversations
Around the table conversations where we navigate the unique aspects of rural changemaking with differing thoughts and experiences – our chats move around themes and open up rural problems and solutions.
Around the table – Bringing in climate Yes or no, <br />when and how?
Around the table – Rural communities What's tricky, <br />what works?
Around the table – Rural perspectives Seeing things <br />differently
Field recordings
Listen to three different rural changemakers as they talk about their work, their communities and what motivates them.
Field Recordings – Into the woods
Field Recordings – Making as change
Field Recordings – Community building
What happens when
Two deep dive conversations exploring meaning and connection around climate and health.
What happens when – Movement Building
Photo credit: Celie Nigoumi.
What happens when – Local to global
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Check out our directories of links and explore our learning from five years of Future Shed community-led action.
GETTING STARTED IN YOUR COMMUNITY
From setting up a group and running events, to insurance, risk assessment and evaluation, these resources can help you get started.
Climate, nature and health
Resources to help you link health, wellbeing and the natural world, including climate science, community engagement and practical projects on textiles, food and water.
FUTURE SHED LEARNING INSIGHT 2026
A practical guide to supporting community-led projects through a residency model.
FUTURE SHED TOOLKIT 2023
Insights for anyone looking to adapt the Future Shed model for their own communities.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to our Rural Changemakers group, to our Getting Started contributors, to our Green and Healthy Frome colleagues, to our creative partners, and to everyone who created the content we signpost in the directories.
These audio segments were recorded and edited by Flannery Miller, a filmmaker, artist and impact producer living and working in Somerset. Design work by Jenny Hiley.