Annual Movement Gathering: A day of hope, celebration, and connection
The Annual Movement Gathering: A day of hope, celebration, and connection
Written by Hannah McLean-Knight, Membership Engagement Manager at The Climate Coalition.
At the end of 2025, members from across our coalition joined trustees, community groups, and partner organisations for our Annual Movement Gathering. It was a day full of hope, celebration, and connection, as well as an opportunity to take time to reflect on the past year and leave with a renewed sense of purpose for the year ahead.
Photo: Members discuss how best to work together and collaborate in 2026.
Active hope
We began with a powerful opening address from Caroline Lucas, who joined us as an advisor to one of our newest member organisations, the Climate Majority Project.
Caroline spoke about resilience, the importance of rebuilding relationships, and the need to hold onto “active hope” as we face the social, environmental and political challenges ahead. Her words grounded the day and reminded us that hope is something we practice, not simply feel.
Celebration
After a busy 2026 full of activity and impact, it was brilliant to have an opportunity to come together and celebrate what we’ve achieved together.
During 2025, over one million people took part in Great Big Green Week, and together we organised the largest Mass Lobby in a decade. But behind these headline moments lay months of quiet, determined work - members coming together to plan different aspects of the project, countless meetings and conversations, and decisions made collaboratively every step of the way. Regular webinars, training sessions, and meetings provide the backbone of our work, allowing us to plan, share skills, and collaborate effectively to achieve our goals together.
Connection
As our members are spread across all corners of the UK, from Cornwall to Sheffield and Cardiff to Scotland, we often meet online. It was energising to have an opportunity to meet in person and be in a room with so many people committed to driving real, lasting change.
It was equally inspiring to see members networking, exchanging contact details, and making plans to collaborate on future projects. After all, tackling climate change is only possible together, and collaboration and partnership lie at the heart of everything we do.
Photo: Members discuss how best to work together and collaborate in 2026.
Discussion
A highlight of the day was our panel conversation featuring Pippa Heylings MP (Vice-Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change), Georgie Laming (Hope Not Hate), and Jo Crocker (Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis).
It was a frank, thoughtful discussion about building broad public support, navigating an often challenging political landscape, and ensuring that communities remain firmly at the heart of everything we do.
Photo: Panellists discuss Climate Leadership in a New Political Era, and what this means for communities.
Reflection
Alongside celebrating our achievements, we took time to reflect on what we need to do to meet the challenges ahead. Members were invited to consider what unique strengths or resources their organisations could offer to strengthen the coalition, the support or conditions they would need from the coalition to participate fully and have the greatest impact, and one concrete commitment they could make for 2026 to contribute to our shared power and progress. The insights shared will form the foundation of our plans for the year ahead, helping us work together more strategically, leverage our collective strengths, and focus on actions that deliver real impact.
Looking ahead
As part of the Annual Movement Gathering, we also held our Annual General Meeting (AGM). This is an important opportunity for members to have their say and vote on our future direction. As a coalition, we are guided by our members, and this year, three resolutions were put forward. Two of these resolutions were to elect new board members: Rukaiya Jeraj and Tobias Laurent Belson.
Both Rukaiya and Tobias bring a wealth of experience in community organising, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and campaigning. Their appointment highlights our priorities for the year ahead: strengthening connections with communities and ensuring that our EDI commitments remain central to everything we do. We are excited about the insight and leadership they will bring to our work moving forward.
Ending on a joyful note
We rounded off the day with the first-ever Great Big Green Quiz of the Year: a chance to test our knowledge, laugh, and celebrate our movement. There were extra points for the best team name, which went, fittingly, to “Cli-mates”.
Takeaways
More than anything, the Annual Movement Gathering reminded us that:
- We are stronger when we act together.
- Real change is rooted in relationships.
- Hope grows when it is shared and put into action.
It was brilliant to see so many of you there and to celebrate our collective impact over the past year. We are excited for what comes next - here’s to a successful 2026!
And, if you’d like to be more involved by joining as a member and being part of our movement this year, we’d love to hear from you. Just get in touch with me via [email protected] for more information.