Mother’s Hour With Carolyn Van Beers – Mother’s Rise Up

Hello and a warm welcome to Mothers hour with me, Carolyn Van Beers here on women's radio station. Today's show is the first of a three part series on a subject that I know is of great concern to lots of us mums. A subject that's making lots of us feel quite helpless and powerless. What is it? Climate change and the environment. I know it's getting a lot of you down and it is such a scary subject, especially for us mums. What kind of future are we really giving to our kids? What kind of world will we leave them? Climate change is happening and it is frightening. Lots of you have climate anxiety. So let's talk about is a big subject. So I'll actually split it into the three shows. Today's show is what us mums can do. The second show is going to be about fast fashion shopping differently and the last one is what we can do on a more personal level, you know, at home and with the kids changing our app appetite for consuming. So remember, there's no blaming here. I really believe, you know, we all want to help and we are just all looking for solutions. I want to show you that there is something that you can do. In fact, there is a lot we can do and I truly believe that by supporting each other and empowering each other, we really can make a change. So let's get on to today's show and introduce my fabulous guests. Today's show is called Mothers Rise Up. Not only because I want us to rise up and take control of our children's future, but it's also the name of an incredible bunch of brilliant mummas who, because of the love of their children, want to rise up and act on climate change. Please welcome to the studio from Mothers Rise Up, Maya Mailer and Catherine Webb, welcome to the show. Thank you for having us. That's Maya and Catherine. Yes, that's me. We'll get used to your voices in just a second. I'm really pleased you're coming in. I think it's very, very important to share. It is such an important subject and it is causing huge anxiety. So I'll turn to you, Maya, first. How did Mothers Rise up begin? How did it all start? Yeah, well, it started for some of the reasons you described. A group of mums were feeling helpless, anxious and wanted to do something to address the climate emergency that we're all in. It started back in November 2018 when a group of mums met at a protest. It was one of the first extinction rebellion protests and one of the mums was holding up a banner that said worried Mum. And other mums just gravitated towards it. They just felt that instant connection. This was before my time, before Catherine's time. Is that right? Yeah. I was friends with Emma, who was one of those people, and that's how I got involved in it. Yeah. So the name of the mum holding the banner was one of the founders. Yeah. And then from there it grew. Catherine and I then got connected via where we live in Ealing through a kind of a neighborhood event. And. And different mums came in and we decided to organize a big march to coincide with International Mother's Day. And really what our group is about is demanding urgent action from the government and from big business. Of course we can do things as individuals, but really that change does need to be led by governments and by big business, and everybody is welcome. You know, you don't need to be a climate activist, you don't need to be vegan. It's just about wanting to make a change for your kids, for all our kids. And we're a diverse group, some of our mums. The mum who runs our Facebook page, she'd never been on a march before. She's not an activist, although I guess she is one now, but she hadn't been before she started. And now she's running all of our social media. There are doctors, yoga teachers, teaching assistants, teachers. So there's lots of different mums that are involved and they bring in their networks. And also we get, you know, fantastic support from the dads as well, and from grandparents. And it really is a group for anyone who cares about what's happening, who feels helpless and who wants to take action and who wants political action, because ultimately that is what's going to be needed both here in the UK and beyond. Yeah. I mean, because obviously there are lots of different ways we can make. Make changes and do things. And, you know, there are lots of different groups out there that you can be part of and you can be part of all of them or you can be part of some that you feel like. Actually, that's definitely something that I. My strength or something I really, you know, believe in. And it was interesting when we were talking yesterday, Maya, that, you know, you really gave credit to that, that different organizations are. Do different groups have different strengths. So today we are going to be talking a lot more about what mothers rise up do, and hopefully getting some of you mums out there that are a bit like, oh, gosh, I really don't. Is there anything we can do? Because I think that's a really big thing. I'll turn to you now, Katherine, and if you can tell us, you know, how you got involved as well, and that you, you know, we all kind of realize that at some point we all did feel like, I know this is happening. What can I do? Yeah. So I'd say mayor is right about the idea of it being a pluralistic movement. Everyone's going to feel more attracted to some groups than others and want to join in different places and slot in. The reason why the way I got involved in Mothers Rise up is through knowing Emma, who's one of the sort of core three founding members, I'd say, and her. I know her from the school gate, basically. I've obviously known about climate change for a long time. I was. I was a science undergraduate. I now teach science communication at Imperial College. So I do know the facts. I'm very aware of it. And it just had been a kind of horrible nagging anxiety. What's the world gonna be like for my children when they grow up? And I'd spent a bit of time trying to think about things that I could do myself. And through talking to Emma, she was like, well, we're starting this group. Do you want to get involved? And I was like, yeah, definitely. All right, yeah, let's do a march. Let's get our MPs involved. I've always been more into what May is saying in terms of, like, trying to make systemic change rather than, you know, just sit in a cold house with, like, LED light bulbs. I mean, yeah, let's. Let's try and. Let's try and do some individual action and that. You know, there's a report out yesterday, the CCC report was talking about individual change as well. But I do think this kind of pressure group from a group that's maybe a bit more surprising. People are not really thinking of mothers as being activists. Usually. There's an idea that there's still a sort of pervasive idea that mums are kind of quite soft and fluffy and nice and sit at home and they don't get out there. And. Yeah, so that's the story of how I ended up joining in with it. But I also really admire you mother's rise up because there are many ways to get action and to demand action and they don't have to be aggressive, they don't have to be militant. You can make a change by doing it in your own way, which is the Mothers Rise up way. I think we'll talk about a little bit more about that as we go through the show, but the way you do it is very impressive and I think, well, I'm in awe of you and I think it's absolutely brilliant. So we're talking about climate change and we're talking to two mums from Mother's Rise up. If you just joined us and were saying, come on board, because if this is for you, because when you get together it does relieve some of the anxiety that you can feel. So you started the group like you said, about a year ago. Before that, were you like Catherine, you were just feeling like quite anxious on your own, like you didn't know what you could do. Were you trying to do something? But it doesn't really work when you're on your own. Yeah. So I think in my case, so I'd been an aid worker and I had seen the effects of the climate crisis out in some of the places that I was living in East Africa as well as in the Middle East. But if I'm completely honest, it did feel like a lesser concern than other things than human rights abuses or some of the other struggles. So I feel I actually came to the realization of how urgent the climate crisis was quite late. And I knew it was there, I knew climate change was an issue, but just felt like there were so many other problems. And that's what I felt kind of globally. And I know people also feel that in their day to day life. So it might be whether it's what's happening out in the streets or mental health issues. But I kind of came, I realized that all of the other things we care about in a sense are irrelevant if we don't have a habitable planet. And then I did start to get anxious and in a large part it was because of my own kids coming home from school and asking me questions. Is the world gonna get so hot that it will explode? Are all the animals going to become extinct? And that really cuts deep when you're eight and six year old kids who shouldn't have that worry of them are asking questions. And the other big thing really was the youth strikes. That was so inspiring to see those young people out on the streets around the world. And one of our motivations as mums was to show us full support and our solidarity, but also lift that burden off them. It can't be up to the younger generation to fix this problem. We've also got to play our part and we really wanted to, to demonstrate that parents, and in our case particularly mums, have a role to play in supporting the kids, but also in demanding action. And this is women's radio station and don't underestimate women or mums because my goodness me, I think we have more compassion and I think we can together really, really make a big, big change. And I hope in today's program we're going to start that, you know, that ball rolling because if the more, more mums come on board and the more mums get involved, you know, the more powerful we become and the more effective we become. And we are going to talk about a little bit more about that when we come back after the break. We are going to have a few messages right now. If you want to get in contact with me, please, please do. We are running this as a three part series so please get in touch. It's Carolyn at womensradio station carolinemensradiostation.com and at the end of the show we will be getting all the details off Mothers Rise up about what you could do, how you can get involved and how you can make a change. We'll see you in just a couple of minutes. Welcome to Women's radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's radio Station. Hello and welcome to future classic women awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at women's radio station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show From Tummy to Mummy here on women's radio station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything, fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. Hello, my name is Ingrid Marsh on women's radio station. And coming soon is the Radical Wellbeing show to help support women's wellbeing. Each show I share the airwaves with ordinary women like me and you doing extraordinary things. Women who have overcome huge obstacles in their lives who are now here with me to empower you. On the radical Wellbeing show. You'll be inspired to kick away the roadblocks and live your life to the fullest. If you're ready to get radical about your well being, then this is the show for you. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate, and you can listen to my show. Get booked here at Women's radio daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with the theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the Executive Director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@mediamattersforwomen.org you're listening to Women's Radio Stations supporting women's wellbeing. Women's Radio Station is creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter womensradiostation, that's Womens Radio stn, or Facebook. Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes. Welcome back to Mother's Hour here on Women's Radio Station with me, Carolyn Van Beers. Today's show, we are talking about climate change. We're here with some brilliant mummas. I'm so pleased you're here. From Mothers Rise up, we've got Maya and Catherine, who are not quite founding members, but you are. How many are there of you that kind of organise Mothers Rise Up. So at the moment, there's kind of a core group of about seven or eight, but then there's a much wider network. And I think the thing to say is that we are all volunteer mums. Some of us work, some of us work in the home. We all work in the home and we do this when we can in the evening, in between feeds. During feeds, I run our Twitter account for my toilet breaks. Exactly, exactly. So anyone can join and do as much or as little as they like. And we're always on the lookout for volunteers because it's fair to say that the core group of us are pretty tired because it can be tiring this activism, it's exhilarating and it's empowering, but it can also be exhausting. So we're, we, we want volunteers, whether that's someone who wants to do social media, help us make props, help us with composing a song. You'll hear one of our songs at the end, think about different creative actions. So. And there are groups now of mums all over the uk, so there's some brilliant mums in Edinburgh who've been involved. We have this, we have a banner that says act now for the love of our children. And that banner has been zigzagging across the uk, across different cities as well as rural areas. And different groups of mums are kind of self organising and doing what works for their community and in their community, both in the UK and actually abroad as well. We're getting interest from different mums, so it's really open to anyone. Yeah. And I think if I can just say at this point, if you're just joining is Mothers Rise up is for the love of our children, because we care so much, we want to act and we want to act for climate change. Catherine, can you tell me a little bit more about you? So you have two children, is that right? Yep, I've got two children, Max and Evie. Max is 11, started secondary school and Evie is nine. So they're becoming very aware now as well. They are aware, yeah. And they are, I would say it's fair, I think it's fair to say that, kind of quite anxious about it. My role as a mother, I feel, is to sort of protect them from probably the worst knowledge of it and I'm definitely quite. I'm a bit ambivalent about that, but I don't want them to be really, really stressed. So for them, I try to keep it light because the real core facts of climate change are horrifying and I would like to think that we will hopefully be well on the way to, at least in the uk. I would love to think that we would be close to net zero by the time they are adults. It would be really nice to see those kind. The kind of policy changes that we need. We need the government to lift the ban on onshore wind, we need to change the way we heat our homes. There's massive systemic overhaul that needs be to. To be done and I'm very aware of how complicated and difficult that's going to be for the government to enact. What I want us to do as Mothers Rise up is to give them the mandate to do that and to do it in a way that's economically fair for people who really can't afford to get rid of their gas boiler, which I think is probably most of us. Yeah. What's the question again? I think we were just touching on and I just want to stay with that for a little bit and then we'll go on to a little bit of what mothers Rise are up are actually doing and the future moving forward. But I think managing our kids is a tricky one and I think so for me. I'm a mum of four children. I have a 13 year old, so even older and I. He's been quite active and been to a few marches and things like that and his school is very, very active and he. But we're keeping it very positive for him and that we can make a change and that he's not aware of the really grisly details, although he is aware of quite a lot because they do talk at school about it. I've got eight year old triplets as well and they're very much in the realm with me at the moment that are can and can and can. So we're very much about doing lots of little things which we'll talk about in, in another show that we can do to empower ourselves and make, you know, and make small changes. I'm keeping that very positive because I don't want to stress them out like you said and hopefully when, especially after this show when all of us mums are going to come on board, then we can make a little bit of a difference. How about you, how old are your children? Maya? So I've got three kids, an 8 year old girl, a 6 year old boy and a 16 month old girl. So obviously the baby is not aware. You know what, I really struggle with this question because of my work and having gone to different refugee camps and we actually had a Syrian man living with us for a little while. I have been very open with my kids about a lot of world problems including the climate crisis. And my daughter at one point I could see it was getting too much and I felt really guilty and I just kind of pulled back completely stopped listening to the radio in front of her, just stopped talking about it because she, she had anxiety. On the other hand, I just don't think we can hide from, we can't hide this from our children. They see it, they see that. You know, you can experience the heat waves every summer. It's constantly on the radio. So you've got to find. Well, for me I think we have to find a way to communicate with our kids about the climate crisis, but keeping it positive and also tailoring it to your kids. So, for example, during the last youth strikes, my six year old really wanted to take the day off school. He's just kind of a positive little guy. We'd actually heard Greta speak earlier in the year and he said, oh, from now on I want to be part of Fridays for Future. And my 8 year old said, I'm not missing school, I don't want to break the rules. So she stayed at school for the last big global climate strike and I took my six year old, even though the school wasn't approving, but I felt we had to do it anyway. So I don't have an answer. I think it really depends on what's going on in the home and kind of the mentality of your own kids. But I think, as we've all been saying, there's a way of talking about it while still making them feel that we can make a change. And I felt really proud the other day because I was talking to my eldest, totally, and she said, you know, when I have an argument with people at school, I say to them, well, my mums and mothers rise up. And I don't think it was anything to do with climate, with climate change, but she'd obviously taken from that that you can be part of a movement that's empowering and allows you to take a stand. So. And do lots of you. The ongoing conversation, basically. Well, that's. But that's the thing. That's another reason for mums who are feeling anxious at home for their children to get on board and come and join us because presumably you talk about things like this and it is, it is brought up and you've got someone to talk to because it does feel a little bit scary and you know, like we all said, it's almost too much to get your arms around, isn't it? You know, it's a big subject. If you are worried, who do you want to comfort you? Your mum, usually. Yeah, yeah. So. So that if you are, you know, relating to what we're talking about here, like I said, do email Caroline's radio station.com and I will be sure to pass it on to the girls or get involved with mother's rise up. So let's talk about the group. First of all, you've got a Facebook page and Instagram, but what would be the first on Twitter? What would be the first? How do people get into contact if they want to come on board and what level? I mean, I think a good place to start is to follow us on whatever social media of your choice, whether that's Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and then to message us on either of those and take it from there. And I think it really depends on the person, how much they want to. How much time they have and what they're interested in. So we don't know yet what our next action is going to be. We're kind of recovering from the last few that we've done over the, over the last month, which we'll talk about in a little while. But if they email you, who's your email address as well? Yeah, yeah. Which we'll give out at the end of the show. So if you email us, we can. And perhaps you're not in London, which is often where a lot of our actions are, or Edinburgh and you want to set something up. We can send you a pack. As Maya just said, there's not that many of us. We can send you a pack and we can send you our banners and share props and things like that. But it's open for people to set up their own Mother's Rise up group where they live if they want. And you would fully support that. How many followers have you got? Say on Instagram or. Oh, I should have looked this up, but it's over 2000 on Twitter, which is the one that I know better, and thousands on Facebook. I think it's more on Instagram because of the celebrity input from Instagram. So it's in the. It's in the 3 or 4,000 for Facebook. It's growing. It's definitely in the thousands, kind of higher thousands, depending on which one. And then one of our mums, Jenny, who actually lives in Wales, she's a doctor but is now on maternity leave, she's the one that will pick up the emails. She checks all our emails and she can send out starter packs and she's been in touch with mums all over the country. So it's definitely not just about London. There's mums organizing all over and we can support, as Catherine said, with a starter pack, with banners, with ideas, just sharing experiences. Yeah, and like you were saying, it's all mums, isn't it? It's not just mums with babies, because you've seen on some of the marches that you've got certain groups that have just got feeding babies, but Mothers Rise up is all mums, whatever age and wherever you are, wherever you're from. So if you've seen the climate rhyme time, most of the People who were there, who had their kids with them, had babies with them because their older kids would have been at school. So, yeah, it's all mums and we don't want anyone to feel excluded. We have strong links with birth strike and anybody who wants there to be a future for the world who wants to join us, we're quite happy to bring them in. Well, let's give out the email address. Do you mind giving out the mail address and we'll give it out again at the end of the show. Do we have the email address or should we just. It will be mothersriseupmail.com I should have checked these basic details before. Sorry about that. It's because you're so passionate. So passionate. We're going to have a look. In the meantime, if you want to email me right now, you can Caroline's radio station.com and we'll definitely get all those details for you and we'll give you those in the next part. We'll be back in just a couple of minutes. Right, let's get those. Welcome to the Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education and most importantly, women's well being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money or are you hoping to you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash, but just don't know where to start. @empowerandenrich.org you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. Get in touch with me@empowerandenrich.org and let's change your future together. Hello, my name is Natasha Ann Kelleher. Welcome to you lovely lady listeners of your very own women's radio station. Over the coming months, I'll be doing a survey in big brand coffee shops, interviewing customers asking why they like to drink coffee and if they would like to give us a health tip. For our listeners, the most shared and liked post will be the winner of a prize. Stay tuned for further details. Hi, I'm Carolyn Van Beers. Please join me for a brand new show here on Women's Radio station its Mother's Hour. If, like me, you're a mum juggling far too many balls and dropping most of them, this is definitely the show for you. We'll examine the highs and lows of motherhood and make sure you laugh out loud as we take on this challenging role together with spoonfuls of advice, incredible stories. It will be refreshing, honest and funny. Look at being a mum. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship, or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntousous.org.uk welcome to the Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station can give voice to your brand. With a wide range of sponsorship opportunities, including individual programs, we can tailor your experience for you. For more information on how you can sponsor a Show, go to womensradiostation.com Women's radio stations supporting women's well being. Welcome back to Mother's Hour here on Women's Radio Station with me, Carolyn Van Beers. We are about halfway through our very important show on climate change. We're here with Mothers Rise Up. I've got Maya and Catherine both. I'm going to call you founding members of Mothers Rise up, which is an incredible, brilliant group of mummers who set about because of the love of their children, wanting to act on climate change. You like so many mums out there, we're feeling, we've talked about how anxious we've all been feeling. You were feeling like a little bit helpless and by coming together, you're actually doing something about it. So let's talk about what you actually do. How does it all, how does it all pan out? We've done done marches. Was that your first thing that you started? So I'm talking to Maya here, just Maya here. Yeah. So the first big action we did was a march that coincided with International Mother's day. That was the 12th of May and that was a brilliant event. There were about three to four thousand people that came out and lots of first time marchers with their babies and young kids in tow. And there were some more seasoned activists there who said, you know, we've never seen so many homemade banners. It had a really lovely community feel. And it's a peaceful action, isn't it? Oh, yeah, it was totally peaceful. Yeah, yeah, we tend to be. We're definitely peaceful and our actions, we always try to okay them with the police first. So if something like Extinction Rebellion seems a bit too scary for you, we try to be sort of an alternative. We want the same sort of things that they want, but we do it in a more legal and more gentle. Yeah, it's a kind of. We're aware it's in a more motherly way. It's in a more motherly way, isn't it? It's in the sense that a lot of mums can't be arrested or they, you know, they're not arrestable and need an alternative action to go to. Although I think Maya's got something to say. No, I mean, I think that's right. That for sure. We, we think we do a range of things. So what Extinction Rebellion is doing personally, I think is brilliant and really needed and has pierced the public consciousness. And we have worked. We do, we. We did an event just this last weekend with Extinction Rebellion, Families and Birth Strike and the Global Women's strike. So we do some events, I guess you'd say are edgier and some that are softer. So we have a range of things. So we did that big march. We organized ahead of it. We were. And just before we carry on, just in case anyone's just joining us. So Mothers Rise up are about trying to get the governments and the big organisations to make change. So it's actually acting for your kids and saying, you know, not only do we support you, we're going to act for you and try and make a change in that way. Yeah. And I think it's like what Catherine was saying earlier, that some of these changes that need to be made, whether it's refitting our homes or switching to green, renewable energy, you can't make those. As an individual, you can do your bit, but ultimately that has to be led by government and there has to be big pressure on big oil and the fossil fuel companies to make that transition. So that, that stuff, that's the rationale for Mothers Rise Up. And we're part of an ecosystem of different movements, so we're one contribution to it, to that growing demand for change. And this gives you more hope to join Mothers Rise Up. You've seen success, you've actually, you know, you've made a difference. You've made a change, haven't you? Well, I'd say as part of a movement of movements, we have. We've seen massive change recently. I don't know how much of that is attributable to Mothers Rise Up. I mean, we've got Youth Strike, we've got Greta, there's extension. I think all of it's nice. I think everyone needs a place within it, everyone needs to be working on it. And I think we add a particular voice to that. And we've seen massive change. The discourse on climate change has changed so much just in the last 12 months. It's. I feel like change is coming, things are changing. The government has declared a climate emergency. Hopefully all this kerfuffle over Brexit will be just over and done soon, because what's the point? We don't have a planet to move on. Well, yeah, I feel like change seems radical. Change seems a lot more possible now than it did a year ago. Power to the people. And I think you really hit such an important nail on the head there in that Greta came and she empowered, you know, my son's generation, you know, the 13 to 18 year olds, the younger people, to be able to do something. Mothers Rise Up. You're empowering the mums. I found you through the other groups, the Extrinsic Rebellion and Parents of Future. But I really related to Mothers Rise Up. I do a show called Mother's Hour and we're all mummers. And I think because of that love for our children and wanting to act and wanting to do something, if that is something that would empower you and you're sat there out thinking, I could do that, I could get involved, then, you know, this is so important and we're all doing that bit. And like you said, there's something for everyone and if you can find your thing, then it's great. Definitely. I mean, I've had so many conversations now with mums and dads at the time, same school gates who just like what we're doing and they might feel a bit nervous about some of the extinction rebellion stuff, which, as I say, I think is brilliant and it just gives people a way in. And the other thing we try to do is to make it creative and actually make it fun because it can feel so like, you know, you've literally got the weight of the world on your shoulders. So we have different props that we bring out to our events. We've got these two massive oversized push chairs that hold the earth, a dead earth and a living, beautiful earth, which is the future that we want for our children. I think Catherine mentioned it. We organized a push chair protest and a climate rhyme time outside the headquarters of Shell and BP where we were singing spin offs on different nursery rhymes. So that was just end of September, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah. Old King Cole. And it just felt, you know, it felt like a really inspirational moment. And it had an effect in that the executives of BP came out and spoke to us for over an hour and, you know, of course that's not in itself going to make the change, but we could see that we were whittling away at their kind of psychological walls that they'd put up. And we spoke to them and we engaged with them. We got quite a lot of media coverage. And again, it's just like Catherine said, it's another voice. And in a way, it's much harder, it's hard to dismiss a mum with her kids. Absolutely. Who's prepared to get out on the street, you know, rather than doing, you know, what you tend to do in your daily routine as mums. By the way, if you do want to see the. I would call it a beautiful protest that you did outside. It's actually on the Facebook page, isn't it? It's on all our social media. Yeah. I mean, she could actually watch. You're almost like in a lovely semicircle. It's very inclusive and with the children and your banners and. Yeah, we put a playmat down for the kids. So while we were singing, the babies could have a little pet play and they were dancing along and that's, you know, you're singing these quite dark nursery rhymes. But they are dark. They are dark, they are dark. But the little ones just hear the tune and they sing. So. But that's what. But that's what it's about, isn't it? We're out there, we're doing something and it's for the children. So, you know, that is amazing. And like you said, you had that success because they actually came out. I didn't know they spoke to you for an entire hour. That's amazing. Yeah, well, it was interesting because the guys from Shell, they just kind of stood there very stony faced and made some snider remarks about, oh, how many trees have you cut down to produce those flyers? Which, you know, was a bit. It was. It wasn't very. It wasn't a very original comment. Yeah, exactly. They didn't say, why have you had children? Did they? They didn't. They didn't. We do get that question, though. But the bp, I found it really discombobulating in a way, because one woman came out and she said, I'm a mother and I care about this as much as you, and believe me, I'M trying to make a change from within. And I didn't know whether to feel hopeful that that was happening or whether they kind of had drunk their own Kool Aid and their own greenwashing. But either way, I think it really shows how much pressure they feel they're under. And I just need to say now that the reason why we were outside Shell and BP is because despite all of their really slick marketing and the millions they spend on it, they still only invest 3% of their huge budgets in renewable energy and they're still exploring for new oil and gas when all the science tells us that fossil fuels have to stay in the ground. And that's why we're doing what we're doing, because as an individual, you can't make that change. You can't keep coal and oil in the ground, but you would love to as a consumer, get your electricity from a renewable source. So that's the reason. And those changes are happening and they're going to keep happening. Yeah. And that is the importance, Katherine, I'll bring you in here. Of extrinsic rebellion and all these different marches that we do to address these bigger organizations where we do feel like the little person in all this. We do feel really helpless and powerless, don't we? You can see by their media output that they're becoming quite scared. I think they've recently formed an alliance between themselves to. To fight against climate protest. And that's straight out of the tobacco playbook in terms of marketing and stuff, which is hopefully, I mean, they need to decline fast. So fingers crossed that they do. Yeah. I mean, we are talking or change. Yeah. And I think like you said, it is important for is quite scary and depressing. It is important when we all come together that we, when we get out there, we feel hope and we feel that there is change. And from talking to you guys. So, you know, like you said, Catherine, change is coming and please get involved because if you are feeling remotely anxious, like we keep talking about, this will help. For me personally, me and my brother been harping on about this for many a year and I did get really, really anxious. But as soon as I started to do something, my other job is the green stylist. And it does help with my angst and my rage, you know, when you're actually doing something. So if you are kind of feeling a little bit like, I don't know what to do, then join, join us. And if you are a mummer and then join mothers rise up. We did manage to get the email address Maya. Yeah, it was the one that I managed. So it is mothersriseupmail.com and our brilliant mum Jenny, who has a little baby called Greta, will be answering those emails. And you can also reach us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Mothers rise up. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show From Tummy to Mummy here on Women's Radio Station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related, right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. Hello, my name is Ingrid Marsh on Women's Radio Station and coming soon is the Radical Wellbeing show to help support women's wellbeing. Each show I share the airwaves with ordinary women like me and you, doing extraordinary things, women who've overcome huge obstacles in their lives, who are now here with me to empower you on the Radical Wellbeing Show. You'll be inspired to kick away the roadblocks and live your life to the fullest. If you're ready to get radical about your well being, then this is the show for you. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate and you can listen to my show get booked here at Women's Radio station daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with a theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbachi and I'm the Executive Director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@media mattersforwomen.org you're listening to Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter, Women's Radio Station, that's Womens Radio STN or Facebook. Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes. And you're joining me for the last part of Mother's Hour here on Women's Radio Station. It's me, Carolyn Van Beers. I'm joined with Maya and Catherine from Mothers Rise up and we've had a really important show today. We're really encouraging you mums who are concerned about climate change, about climate change, global warming and your children's future to come on board. There is something you can do. We can make a change. I'm waving my hands about here very passionately in the studio, but, I mean, we do feel very passionately about it. I just want to go back to some of the marches. If you've never been on a march before, as you said, loads of your mums had never done anything. Loads of the mothers rise up. I've never done anything. Quite a large percentage, I think, had not been on a march before when they came to that, which was. And it does. It's a nice thing to do because it helps you find your people and build community, which think sometimes you can feel kind of like you're the only person worrying about it and you bring it up at the school gate and someone looks at you like you're a bit crazy. I think it's important to keep bringing it up and see, you know, find the other people in your network that care about the same issues that you do and come down together and go to things together. Yeah. Find the one that you think resonates for you and come to it. I mean, I was at the. I've done a couple, but I was at the very big one on Friday 20th March, which was Greta's big, you know, school strike and all my children went on that. And for all of us, my husband, you know, we all really did feel that incredible strength in numbers and that camaraderie and that, you know, this is so Important. And look at all these millions of people from around the world that got together and did march that day. Yeah. And I just would add to that, that don't feel like you don't belong. There's a very strong. I get from media quite a lot this idea that you've got to be the most environmentally pure person ever before you're allowed to speak. That is not the case. We all live in a system that makes it very difficult for us to be good in quotation marks. And mothers rise up is for everyone. Don't feel like you can't come to it. We're not the people who run it. We're not perfect. We're all trying our best. We're all trying to make a change. We would like to feel really welcoming to anybody, you know. Well, like Maya says, she said, you don't have to be a vegan. You don't, you know, it's not anything that. I think people do feel a bit pressurized that you've got to be, oh, I can't use that coffee cup. And, you know, I can't buy one bottle of water. Look, you know, we all get caught short. You know, you bring your refill out, but where you're refilling it, you don't even know whether that's tap water, you know, so you don't have to feel like you've got to be perfect to join. Totally. I mean, that's all we all know the changes that we can make. Fly less, eat less meat, consume less, you know, walk more, all of those things. But you can only do them within the constraints that you have. If you have to drive to work to earn a living, of course you're going to keep driving to work until the government comes in and provides that public transport that allows you to take public transport to work. So anyone's welcome. I had this conversation the other day with a mum who I was talking to. She said, oh, but look at me using my plastic. How can I come on the march? I was like, no, that's not the point. Like, it's not for there is no such thing as perfection and we can all get in there. The other thing I'd say is that I know some people can't get out on the streets for whatever reason. Maybe it's just difficult for them or it's hard for them to come with kids. And there's other things you can do, like write to your mp, write to your map. Yes, tell us more about that. So we've got some information on our website with a template letter that you could use to send to your mp. But I think the main thing is to just to personalise it, because what MPs and local councillors are interested in is hearing from an individual in their constituency, from someone that could elect them. But it's good to be able to see a template letter because you've got to write to your MP before. Exactly. It can be a bit. Exactly. So it's good to have some ideas. But I think, just say you're concerned about this, this is why and what, you know, what are you doing in this time of climate emergency? And you could write a letter to your editor and you could write it to your local newspaper, if your local newspaper still exists, about an issue in your community, whether it's, you know, a new road being built or air pollution or whatever it is that's relevant to your life. You know, just. There's different ways of making your voice be heard. Coming to a march is one great way. Can I make a little plug for. If you're really interested in trying to campaign to your mp? There's a charity called Campaign Against Climate Change, and if you want to really kind of lobby your mp, they will help you make a personalised plan for lobbying your mp. It's a bit more work than just sending one email, but they are a really good charity and quite effective. Yeah, they're very effective because they'll find out for you what is your MPs interest, what's the local constituency interest? And they're well worth looking up. And you'll be surprised at how effective these. My brother's been campaigning for 20 miles an hour in certain areas of London and he's done it, you know, religiously for years and it's got results. So it does actually work if you keep writing and keep the pressure on, you know, because everywhere he's done that, he's got 20 miles. Yeah. And I think every conversation matters. So if, you know, as Catherine was saying, if it's just a case of talking to mum's parents at the school gate or, you know, we're likely to have an election. When your MP comes knocking on your door, whatever political party, ask them what are they doing on the climate crisis? Ask them for specific examples. So all of those conversations build. All builds the pressure and that's what's needed. And that is so important that you just said that, Maya, because I was speaking to a mum this morning on the school gate and I'm going to do this program on climate change and my radio show, and she was saying, you know, I just sweep it under the carpet because I don't really know what to do. And that's. If you're thinking that, we're all thinking that. So actually, by just talking to the next mum and going, shall we do something? It does relieve you of a lot of the anxiety and it does allow. The more of us get involved, the more of us come together, the more powerful and effective we can be. Yeah. So get involved. Let me just say now on the website, there's a bar at the top and it says materials. I'm gonna put up there. Lots of links to Mothers Rise Up. So if you are feeling right now that you want to get involved, go straight to that little drop down and it will have some details from Mother's Rise Up. But if you can also just give them to me again, Maya, please. So it's mothersriseupmail.com and if you just search for Mothers Rise up, you'll find us on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram. And maybe the other thing I should say, because I know some of your listeners aren't in the uk, is that there are also groups in other countries and we're also part of a network called Our Kids Climate, which is supporting parent. Parent groups across the world, from India through to Brazil, through to the US and lots of countries in Europe. So this net, just the way the youth movement is growing, the parent movement is growing. So there's ways to get involved outside the uk. And, you know, you talked about sweeping it under the carpet. I definitely get that. I think we all do that. We just want to hide from it. But we've got to remember, don't we, that there are people right now, whether it's in the Bahamas or in Mozambique or in India, they come because they are on the front line of this climate crisis. It is real, it is affecting them right now. So I think that's something also that, you know, we as Mothers Rise up, think about a lot and hold on to that. We're doing this in solidarity with people who have long been suffering as a result of climate. As a result of the climate crisis, even though they've done the least to cause it. And actually they've long been resisting and rising up. So that is something that motivates us a lot as well, thinking about those families in poorer countries who've done the least to cause the crisis, but are suffering the most as a result of it. And you've just hit another point that some of the other shows that we're going to be doing on climate change. We're going to be doing one next week on Fast fashion. And in some of these communities, they have got pink rivers, they have got blue rivers, you know, the water is completely contaminated. And we're going to look at what changes that you can make to kind of slow down your fashion, should I say, and shop differently. And it can be just as exciting, you can be just as stylish, you can really, and creative and it can be more affordable. So join me for that next week. Our final show in this series will be on what we can do on a personal level and how you can engage your kids, no matter how old they are, in lots and lots of different ways. So lots more to talk about with climate change. But if you are a mum and you have enjoyed listening to our conversation today, please get involved and do it right this second. Because honestly, by coming on board and feeling the camaraderie with other mums, it really is. It's very good for your soul and it's very good for your solace. There's another triplet mum at our school who has a daughter called Solace. What a lovely name. There's more than one triplet mum at your school. I know. In the same class and she used to live in the same part of London and she's born on the same day as me. Oh, my God. It's really freaky. But we. That's another show that's in the stars. Okay, so I'm about to wrap up the show because we are going to have some. Something quite special to finish the show. Thank you so much, Katherine Webb, for coming in from Mothers Rise Up. Thank you so much, Maia Mailer. Maya. Maya. Maya. Mela. Maya. I got it wrong right at the end. Do get in touch with Mothers Rise Up. You will not regret it. Like they said, at whatever level you want to get involved, you can. We have got a song, actually, that is your anthem, I believe, written about six months ago. Is that right? Yes. So let's give out some credibility to. So it's composed and sung by Chris O. Cello. Cello. She's also the mum that built the big push chairs that you might have seen on our social media. And she wrote and is singing this song, which does make me cry almost every time I hear it. So, yeah, get your hanky out. She's a creative force to be reckoned with. It's a beautiful song. So let's hear it from Mothers Rise Up. It's there. One, two, three. We are mothers and we are rising we are children we are compromising. We are mothers and we are rising. It's our children. It's our children that you are forsaken. We are murder. We are. We are rising. We are with our children. We are rising. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show From Tummy to Mummy here on Women's Radio Station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything, fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related, right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. Hello, my name is Ingrid Marsh on Women's Radio Station and coming soon is the Radical Wellbeing show to help support women's wellbeing. Each show I share the airwaves and with ordinary women like me and you doing extraordinary things, women who have overcome huge obstacles in their lives who are now here with me to empower you on the Radical Wellbeing Show. You'll be inspired to kick away the roadblocks and live your life to the fullest. If you're ready to get radical about your well being, then this is the show for you. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate and you can listen to my show get booked here at Women's Radio station daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with the theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci and I'm the Executive Director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@mediamattersforwomen.org you're listening to Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter. Womensradio Station. That's womensradio Stn or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes.