admin, Author at Sheffield Environmental Movement

Hill & Moorland Leadership Training 2025

July 1, 2025

Tahir Mahmood attended a Hill & Moorland Leadership Training session, supported by Sheffield Environmental Movement.

This is a reflection from Tahir Mahmood who recently attended a Hill & Moorland Leadership Training course in the Peak Disctrict National Park.

“I’m writing to express my sincerest thanks for providing me with the opportunity to attend the Hill and Moorland Leadership training last week. It was an incredibly insightful and practical course, and I’m truly grateful for your support in making it happen.

The training was exceptionally beneficial in so many ways. I gained a much deeper understanding of effective group management in challenging environments, advanced navigation techniques, and crucial decision-making processes under pressure. The practical scenarios and expert guidance from the instructors were invaluable, significantly boosting my confidence in leading groups safely and responsibly. I learned so much, from refining my map reading skills to understanding the intricacies of route planning for diverse weather conditions. I’m excited to implement these enhanced skills directly into our future outdoor activities, ensuring every participant has a safe, enjoyable, and educational experience.

Crucially, the course also brought into sharp focus the absolute necessity of having the correct equipment – not just for effective group leadership, but also for ensuring my own safety in unpredictable conditions. While I have some basic gear, the training highlighted gaps in my current clothing and equipment that are essential for safely leading groups and for my personal protection, especially when dealing with unforeseen circumstances or prolonged exposure to adverse weather.

Given the critical importance of being properly equipped to uphold the highest safety standards for both myself and the groups I’ll be leading, I wanted to inquire if there might be any avenues for financial assistance or funding available to help me purchase the necessary clothing and equipment. Investing in this gear is directly investing in the safety and success of our future expeditions, and it would enable me to contribute even more effectively to the team and our participants.

Thank you once again for this transformative training opportunity. I’m eager to put my new skills to good use and continue to grow as a confident and capable leader.”

The Walk Leadership Training course is a National Trust Project which is part of the Trust’s efforts to provide skills and expertise for interested individuals who want to be walk leaders from minoritised communities with training provided by the Mountain Training Company.

SEM’s CEO, Maxwell Ayamba BEM said, SEM is one of the environmental charities working with the National Trust to support interested minoritised individuals such as Tahir Mahmood to undertake Hills & Moorland Leadership Training courses in order to be adequately equipped with skills and expertise to lead groups in communities. He said several other individuals through SEM, have already benefitted from the Lowland Leadership Training and that SEM was very grateful to the National Trust and Co-ordinator of the project, Clarissa Ducie for this opportunity.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Wilder 2030 Strategy Launch

June 20, 2025

SEM CEO Maxwell Ayamba BEM, attended the launch of Derbyshire’s Wildlife Trust’s ‘Wilder 20230 Strategy” at Chatsworth House, June 4, 2025. The Trust has been taking part in The RACE Report survey among environmental and conservation organisations and published its annual diversity report. The environment and conservation sectors are amongst the least diverse sectors in the UK. It is against this background that The RACE Report was created as a sector wide initiative to focus on charities and funders working on environmental and conservation issues. The report highlights the need for greater representation, diversity and inclusion in sustainability and climate action, as currently, the sector sits at just 4.5% representation of black and ethnic minorities, compared to 16% for the UK working population, an indication that racial inclusion is a major issue in the sector.

*Beatrice Anomah and SEM CEO Maxwell Ayamba BEM*

Beatrice Anomah, Project Manager of The RACE Report and of Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) who was invited to speak at the Wilder2030 launch said, ‘It’s really important that we don’t just identify this but also identify what policies, strategies and actions on racial inclusion and equity is being taken within the sector. Spotlight and share where good practice and ensure we can support and take organisations on a collaborative journey to co-create more representative, inclusive and equitable organisations that in turn lead to a more inclusive sector and supports transition to a more just world’.
She was of the view that there is a need for a holistic and intersectional approach to inclusion in the environment and conservation sectors. This is why the race conversation matters so much. ‘We cannot create an inclusive sector if the myriads of experiences of marginalised groups are not represented, understood, or are simply homogenised and not reflected in the key spaces where decisions are made, money is distributed, and policies are written’.

The Project Manager argued that there was a need to look at the policies, systems, language etc that create barriers for people of colour entering and thriving in the sector and catalyse meaningful collective action and commitment from different stakeholders to tackle those barriers and this requires a whole sector effort. She pointed out that individual Wildlife Trusts such as the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust are often bigger environmental charities better known by the general public, so the work they do on inclusion and diversity is super important for role modelling, setting the pace, and having an influence on the general public’s perceptions of the sector.

Diversity is the reality of our world and there’s so much power in ensuring that it is reflected in the sector and inclusion will only make the sector stronger, more dynamic, more resilient and more beautiful and that is because of the following reasons:
· The climate crises is a social justice and racial justice crises
· Climate justice cannot be achieved without racial justice and decolonisation
· An intersectional and holistic approach to creating solutions and changing systems is vital
· Increasing the diversity of the sector requires individual and collective action by all organisations in the environment/conservation sector
· Understanding the different experiences of historically marginalised groups and working directly with these groups is necessary for an equitable and inclusive sectors
· Participation in The RACE Report will help the environment/conservation sector be better represented and include the diverse communities that it serves and achieve equitable environmental outcomes
· Being a diverse and inclusive organisation builds resilience, increases impact, ensures work is fit for purpose for all people and nature.

She concluded that, in The RACE Report’s annual feedback survey, over 82% of respondents now take more action on EDI as a direct result of taking part, with organisations saying: We are able to align ourselves with sector best practices and compare our year-on-year data. We’ve been able to spot gaps in our representation and make data-informed decisions. It has been a key part of the puzzle for us in setting our own representation targets.

SEM’s CEO Maxwell Ayamba BEM noted that environment/conservation organisations stand to benefit from The RACE Report, as biodiversity is also about human-diversity.

My Journey with Sheffield Environmental Movement

June 2, 2025

I have been volunteering with Sheffield Environmental Movement (SEM) for almost five years, and it has been a truly enriching journey. SEM has given me the opportunity to reconnect with nature and the great outdoors — something I had missed without even realising it.

Spending time in nature, breathing in fresh air, and appreciating open spaces has been not only beneficial for my physical health, but also a huge boost for my mental wellbeing. It brings a sense of calm, clarity, and positivity that’s hard to find elsewhere.

One of the most joyful parts of my experience has been meeting people from all walks of life — each with their own stories, needs, and perspectives. Working with such a diverse range of individuals has helped me become more understanding and compassionate. It’s amazing how much we can learn from simply listening to others.

Volunteering with SEM has also reconnected me with my childhood — a time when adventures didn’t require screens, gadgets, or the internet. Just the excitement of being outside, exploring, and feeling free. SEM has helped me rediscover that sense of wonder.

I’ve had the privilege of supporting many groups during residential weekends and outdoor activities. Whether it’s assisting with personal needs or simply making sure no one feels left out, I’ve found purpose and joy in being there for others. It’s about making everyone feel safe, included, and valued.

Why do I volunteer for SEM? Because it gives me a chance to grow, to be part of something meaningful, and to be surrounded by nature and good company. It allows me to share stories, listen deeply, and clear my mind through walking and reflection. Every experience has been heartfelt, and every moment has reminded me of the importance of community, compassion, and connection.

Millie – SEM Volunteer

Launch of the Race and Community Report – A Vision for Climate Justice

May 30, 2025

SEM’s CEO Maxwell Ayamba BEM, was invited by the Runnymede Trust and Clive Lewis MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community to attend the parliamentary launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Race and Community report, “A Vision for Climate Justice: Tackling the climate and nature emergency and global systemic racism” at the Houses of Parliament on May 19th 2025.

*Clive Lewis MP Chair of Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community.*

Clive Lewis MP noted that, the report was commissioned in response to the lack of acknowledgement and systematic undervaluing of the experiences of people of colour across the globe who are bearing the brunt of the climate and nature emergency.

An inquiry established in 2023 heard powerful testimony from almost 40 environmental activists of colour from across the Global South and Global North who highlighted the disproportionate impact the climate and nature emergency is having on people of colour and indigenous communities around the globe. Crucially, they described the unjust nature of this crisis which has its roots in histories of European colonialism and extractivism.

The Inquiry made a series of recommendations to the UK government on how to create climate and nature policy that better serves the global majority. These include:

Establishing a new mandatory due diligence law, to ensure that British companies take proactive steps to prevent human rights abuses within their operations
Banning all plastic waste exports by 2030
Introducing demand side supply chain and financial legislation, which would ensure that large companies and financial institutions are responsible for any human and environmental rights abuses which might occur in their supply chains
The UK government must commit to supporting the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill as it passes through the Houses of Commons
Local and National Public bodies and government agencies must work towards increasing knowledge of air pollution as a cause of ill health
The government must commit to making data on air pollution more accessible and widely available
The UK government and local authorities must prioritise improving access to green space and creating greener communities, especially in areas of deprivation or where there is poor or unequal access.

Activists gave testimonies and case studies about the links of air pollution to maternal ill health on minorities in the UK. A spokes person from Ogun State in Nigeria spoke of the ongoing Shell Oil Company’s destruction of ecosystems and its failure to clean up, and how that is having very serious impact on people’s health in addition to the destruction of their farm lands and fisheries which are the main sources of mlivelihood, resulting in serious famine.

SEM’s CEO noted that, minorities and marginalised groups in the UK are uninterested in a climate debate that individualises responsibilities instead of tackling the socio-political structures that instead appear to frame the climate crisis around initiatives such as Carbon literacy projects that target them. He argues that projects such as these are of no relevance to the lived experience of people facing climate anxiety. That is because framing the climate crisis in a way that is unrelatable to those outside the ethically white bubble perpetuates the underrepresentation of minorities in ongoing attempts to address the climate catastrophe. Maxwell emphasised that, framing a climate crisis that did not confront overlapping oppression responsible for its unequal consequences such as racial capitalism makes the climate discussion a non-liberatory space for people from the Global South who are the victims of economic inequality, air pollution, toxic waste colonialism due to histories of colonial legacies.”

Sheffield Environmental Movement

About Us

Our Policies

Get Involved

Contact Us