From August to September 2024 we will be marking councils climate action. And we need your help to be able to do this. Last year it took over 200 Scorecards volunteers to assess the actions councils are taking on the climate and ecological emergencies. Can you be one of our 200 volunteers to mark council climate action this year?

Read on to find out more, and apply here.

For all three volunteer opportunities below you must be available for:

Scorecards Volunteer Induction

You will receive an invitation for the induction time you selected.

  • Tuesday 17th September 5:30-6:30pm.
  • Thursday 19th September 5:30-6:30pm.
  • Scorecards Volunteer Inductions: You will need to attend one induction session on either Tuesday 17th or Thursday 19th September 2024 from 5:30 to 6:30pm. 
  • Scorecards Scoring Training: You will only need to attend only one of the training sessions but please keep both of the evenings free until you are allocated a Scorecards section, which will determine which session you need to attend: either Tuesday 24th or Thursday 26th September. You will need to be available from 5:30-7pm.
  • Poliy Programme Course sessions will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1st – 22nd October for abour 1 hour 30 minutes between 4-7pm (times vary a tiny bit each week)
  • Final Handover & Certificate Ceremony Tuesday 22nd October, 5:30-6:30pm

Scorecards Marking Training

We will confirm which training you will be attending closer to the time.

  • Tuesday 24th September 5:30-7:30pm
  • Thursday 26th September 5:30-7:30pm.

Volunteers in the Policy Programme and Scorecard Assessor will be marking specific sections for councils (e.g. only marking all the Transport questions for the councils you are marking). FOI Assessors will be marking specific sections too, but only the FOI respones within thoses sections.
Every volunteer will be trained and supported to answer the questions.

Read a small summary on the three types of volunteering below.

  • Local Climate Policy Programme:
    After last year’s success we are running the Local Climate Policy Programme again – an in-depth introduction to local climate policy.
    This 4-week course will run between Tuesday 17th September and 22nd October. It will involve 6 online sessions running alongside scoring Councils. The full session schedule will be sent to you when you are accepted onto the programme but sessions will be scheduled in the early evening. It is up to those accepted onto the Programme to attend the sessions, the only mandatory session is the Scoring Training. Poliy Programme Course sessions will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1st – 22nd October for abour 1 hour 30 minutes between 4-7pm (times vary a tiny bit each week)
    Previous speakers included experts from the Climate Change Committee, Friends of the Earth and Centre for Alternative Technology.
    The Policy Programme will require a commitment of 15 hours of volunteering each week – including webinars – for the 4-week period.
    A Certificate Ceremony will be held the following week on Tuesday 22nd October.

Please Note: The number of spaces for the Local Climate Policy Programme will be limited to 50 people per cohort. More information on the Policy Programme can be found following this link and apply here.

  • Scorecards Assessor:  This type of volunteering is for those will be marking councils climate action but cannot commit to the Policy Programme. You will still assess councils but at your own pace. Ideally, the Assessor position would complete 20 hours of volunteering over a 4-week period.

We will be accepting as many Scorecard Assessors as possible. Apply now.

    We need at least 200 volunteers to pull this project off! We are sending councils a small number of FOI requests in order to answer some of the Scorecard questions. We have already written the FOI requests, and we need volunteers to manage the FOI request responses from all 400 councils and input their answers into our Scorecards. 

    What experience do I need?

    We will provide training so you don’t need any experience. If you have previous experience of sending FOI requests using WhatDoTheyKnow or reading responses to FOI requests that would be useful but not necessary in order to apply.

    Apply now following this link, ticking the FOI Assessor option.

    Apply now to create the next Scorecards

    For all volunteer opportunities detailed above you will need to be available for one the Volunteer Induction Sessions and both of the mandatory Scorecards Scoring Training.

    • Volunteer induction
      You will need to attend one induction session on either Tuesday 17th or Thursday 19th September 2024.
    • Scorecards Scoring Training
      You will only need to attend only one of the training sessions but please keep both of the evenings free until you are allocated a Scorecards section, which will determine which session you need to attend: either Tuesday 24th or Thursday 26th September. You will need to be available from 5:30-7:30pm.

    If you cannot make these times, please register for our Second Cohort following this link

    Who is this volunteering for?

    In order to apply you must be:

    • Aged over 18
    • Based anywhere in the UK
    • Have reliable internet access and access to a computer
    • You do not need to have previous environmental related experience or a relevant degree.

    Please Note: We will not accept current Councillors or Officers. Parish/Town councillors or officers are welcome to apply.

    If you have any further questions, or want to know more, please contact: declare@climateemergency.uk