The Change Collective 2026 is a powerful intergenerational learning and reflection programme designed for people working in climate and environmental change, offering space to rethink purpose, direction, and collective action in a time of global uncertainty.
This initiative is co-hosted with Jonathon Porritt, a leading voice in sustainability and environmental strategy, and brings together experienced practitioners, activists, policymakers, and young changemakers.
At a time when young people are facing an economic crisis, accelerating climate impacts, political instability, and rising global uncertainty, this programme creates a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and reimagine action with clarity and resilience.
Importantly, 2 fully funded bursary places are available for 18–25 year olds, making this an exceptional opportunity for emerging climate leaders.
About the Change Collective Programme
The Change Collective is a nature-based leadership and reflection programme designed for individuals already engaged in climate and environmental work across sectors including:
- Activism and campaigning
- Policy and governance
- Business and corporate sustainability
- Community organising
- Environmental advocacy and education
It is built around one central question:
“What now, and what is mine to do?”
This question guides all learning, reflection, and peer exchange throughout the programme.
Core Purpose of the Programme
The Change Collective is designed to help participants:
- Gain clarity in a complex and rapidly changing world
- Strengthen emotional and professional resilience
- Build meaningful peer-to-peer networks
- Reconnect with purpose and direction
- Develop collective intelligence for climate action
- Step back from urgency and reconnect with strategic thinking
Programme Structure Overview
The programme combines a 3-day residential retreat in nature with a 3-month online community of practice.
1. Three-Day Residential Retreat (In-Person)
📍 Location:
Sheepdrove Organic Farm, Berkshire, United Kingdom
📅 Dates:
Wednesday 1 July – Friday 3 July 2026
What Happens During the Residential:
Participants engage in immersive reflection and facilitated dialogue in a natural environment designed to support clarity and transformation.
Key elements include:
- Deep reflective sessions on personal and collective roles
- Structured conversations on climate systems and change
- Guided nature immersion experiences
- Group dialogue and peer learning
- Emotional and strategic reflection on climate work
- Time away from institutional pressure and urgency
The residential is structured around three core lenses:
Me — Personal Reflection
- What in me needs to evolve for this moment?
- What habits or patterns no longer serve?
- What needs to end for new clarity to emerge?
You — Relational Awareness
- How do I relate to others under pressure?
- Where is trust strong or weak?
- How do I navigate fear, fatigue, and tension?
Us — Collective Systems
- What systems do I operate within?
- What are their limits and strengths?
- How can collective agency be strengthened?
2. Three-Month Community of Practice (Online)
After the residential, participants continue in an extended learning journey through structured online engagement.
Key Components:
- Three group online workshops:
- 24 July 2026
- 11 September 2026
- 25 September 2026
- Fortnightly peer coaching sessions (4 total)
- Monthly action learning groups (3 sessions)
- Structured reflection and accountability spaces
- Peer collaboration and feedback loops
Focus of the Online Phase:
- Translating reflection into real-world action
- Strengthening peer support systems
- Developing collaborative climate initiatives
- Exploring strategic dilemmas together
- Maintaining long-term accountability and clarity
What Participants Gain
By the end of the programme, participants will leave with:
- Clearer understanding of their role in climate and environmental systems
- Improved emotional resilience in the face of uncertainty
- Stronger decision-making and strategic clarity
- Tools for relational and collective leadership
- Renewed energy and motivation for climate work
- A trusted peer network of climate practitioners
- Greater confidence in navigating complexity and change
Why This Programme Matters
The Change Collective responds directly to the reality that:
- Climate impacts are accelerating globally
- Political systems are increasingly unstable
- Institutions are under pressure and often failing
- Many climate professionals feel burnout and uncertainty
- Collective action requires deeper collaboration and reflection
By combining nature immersion, reflective dialogue, and structured peer learning, the programme creates space for deeper thinking and more grounded action.
Venue: Sheepdrove Organic Farm
The residential takes place at Sheepdrove Organic Farm, a certified organic and environmentally restored landscape in the North Wessex Downs.
The site includes:
- Chalk grasslands
- Ancient woodlands
- Wetlands and reedbeds
- Biodiversity-rich ecosystems
- Sustainable farming systems
Accommodation options include:
- Single rooms
- Twin rooms
- Camping options
The natural environment plays a central role in the programme by supporting:
- Reduced stress
- Improved clarity and focus
- Better emotional regulation
- Deeper systems thinking
Facilitators and Leadership Team
The programme is convened by experienced leaders in climate strategy, facilitation, and systems change:
- Jonathon Porritt — environmental campaigner and sustainability strategist
- Chloe Revill — facilitator and climate diplomacy expert
- Andy Raingold — leadership coach and transformation facilitator
Together, they bring experience across:
- Climate policy and diplomacy
- Civil society and activism
- Government advisory work
- Organisational transformation
- Nature-based leadership development
Why Nature Is Central
Nature is not just a setting—it is a core methodology of the programme.
Being in nature helps participants:
- Reduce cognitive overload
- Improve attention and clarity
- Step away from urgency-driven thinking
- Reconnect with long-term systems thinking
- Reflect on complexity with greater calm
It supports more grounded decision-making in high-pressure environments.
Key Dates
- Residential: 1–3 July 2026
- Online Workshop 1: 24 July 2026
- Online Workshop 2: 11 September 2026
- Online Workshop 3: 25 September 2026
- Application deadline: Rolling / bursary-based (via links provided)
Click here for more and to apply.
For more global scholarship opportunities Click here
