Every action counts

Every action counts is a UK government initiative involving voluntary and community groups across England. 
The three-year scheme was launched on June 28 2006 by Environment Secretary David Miliband.
=== What the initiative seeks to deliver ===
*More than 500 individual sustainable development action plans prepared by key Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations nationally, regionally and locally
*100 staff from VCS organisations trained to put environmental sustainability into practice
*More than 800 community workers trained to make the links between environmental sustainability and their existing work with community groups
*New good practice guides prepared for VCS bodies, covering issues such as sustainable procurement and green office management
=== VCS involvement ===
Every Action Counts involves half a dozen or so national voluntary organisations including 
*Community Development Foundation
* British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres (BASSAC)
* Federation of City Farms and Gardens
* BTCV
*Urban Forum
and is reportedly "backed" by 16 others. The government is expecting more VCS organisations to join.
=== Comment ===
Potential concerns over this programme may tend to be about what might get left out.
In particular it may not be clear what the programme has to offer
*existing local sustainability groups and networks
* informal and emergent groups and networks
* groups or networks concerned with the bigger picture beyond relatively small scale and perhaps relatively unambitious actions.
* groups or networks which may be perceived as having a radical agenda. It may be worth reflecting that action against climate change, for example, which the government now supports, just a few short years ago may have seemed radical.
There may also be a concern that the intitiatve is too top down. Specifically that all of the above groups and networks, arguably the most passionate about sustainability, do not have a voice in how the initiative is run or develops.
=== Related topics ===
Prior to its launch under the new name, this initiative had formerly been referred to as 'Community Action 2020' (CA2020)
*CA2020 Development Workshop November 24 2005, Report
*Community Action 2020 development workshop, November 24 2005
*Community & voluntary action
*Community involvement
*Community Involvement via Community Action 2020
*Talk:Community Involvement via Community Action 2020
*Do our top sustainability organisations get active citizenship?
*How can Community Strategies be turned into Sustainable Community Strategies?
*Securing the future
*Sustainability network for England
*Sustainability networks
*Together we can secure the future
*Towards a national meeting of local sustainability organisations and networks
External links
*www.everyactioncounts.org.uk - government website
*Third Sector declaration on climate change
*Together We Can - government website
References
*Defra News release
category:England
category:Sustpedia