Climate Conversations
We are looking for Willoughby residents to hold Climate Conversations within our community.
Willoughby City Council is committed to strong action on climate change. This is reflected in our climate emergency declaration and our target of net zero emissions in Council operations by 2025. In addition, we have a commitment to support our community to reach net zero emissions by the 2040s or sooner. In order to reach this target, we all have a role to play and we need your help.
We have partnered with Climate for Change, a not-for-profit organisation, to train facilitators to lead Climate Conversations within our community. Climate Conversations are facilitated informal conversations that aim to bring about meaningful action on climate change through the power of ordinary Australians. You don’t need any experience - just passion, commitment and drive.
This is an ongoing volunteer role - we want to build a strong team of facilitators that together will inspire hundreds of people in the area to take action on climate change.
We know that the majority of Australians are concerned about climate change but are not sure what they can do about it. Having quality conversations about climate change in a relaxed environment helps build social connections and the momentum for change that’s required to achieve effective climate action.
If you are looking for something meaningful and effective (and fun!) to do to tackle climate change, read on.
What do facilitators do?
Facilitators are trained to run informal Climate Conversations in people’s homes and online. These Conversations are part presentation, part facilitated discussion. The facilitator’s role is to help guests understand:
- What climate change means for them and the things they care about most
- What needs to be done to stop climate change and how quickly
- What they can do that is most powerful and effective, then inspire them to take action.
The best facilitators are not climate-change experts but people who are good at listening and passionate about making a difference. Facilitators come from all walks of life and are of all ages, ethnicity, sexuality and profession to reflect our diverse community. Most of the climate-change information presented at a Conversation is shown in a video. Training and ongoing support is provided for everything else.
We ask facilitators to commit 3-5 hours a week for a minimum of six months, during which time you should aim to facilitate two Conversations each month to keep up your momentum.
You can learn more about this volunteer role by reading the position description for a climate conversations facilitator(PDF, 582KB).
Vanessa Rendall, who just trained as a facilitator in the first cohort in April, says of the program: 'I am so excited that Willoughby City Council has launched the Climate Conversations program for local residents and that I am one of the first volunteers trained as a facilitator. I learnt so much from the training they provided. I now feel inspired, empowered and that I have enough tools to run conversations within my community so we can act together on climate change.'
If you would like to take part, simply complete the short questionnaire.
Register your interest
Expressions of interest open on Monday 12 September and close at 5pm on Friday 7 October.
A Meet and Greet for new facilitators will be held online on Tuesday 11 October 6:30-7:30pm.
Facilitator Training - there will be some online learning modules to complete (which take 2-3 hours) prior to the formal training which will take place online on Monday 31 October 6:30pm-9:00pm.
Please note: Volunteers are not representing or volunteering for Willoughby City Council. Council is supporting residents to become Climate for Change facilitators.
