Meet the Steering Group - Ella Sage
Ella is the newest member of CA-WN's steering group and also our Outreach Officer. This is the first in a series of pieces from CA-WN's Steering Group members.
What is your motivation for being involved with the environmental movement and with CA-WN in particular?
I became interested and concerned about the human rights violations in fast fashion in 2020. I was so passionately angry that slave labour was being used to produce clothes and felt so isolated in that no-one I knew seemed to want to make changes in their own lives.
Once I decided to stop buying new clothes I became interested to make more changes to live more ethically. I started looking for fair trade certificates on food and began to consume content about the climate crisis. Once again I felt very isolated in my concerns. I decided to join CA-WN to not only meet like minded people but to be part of the movement standing up for the planet.
I can't ignore the pain and suffering unethical consumption and the climate crisis is causing to so many people and I feel the need to try and be part of the change and being part of CA-WN and recently having joined the steering group is part of this.
If you were given one wish to change something in West Northamptonshire what would it be?
More accessible public transport. I think the £2 bus fare which has been extended until the end of 2024, is fantastic however the amount of buses and how late they run is just not viable for regular sustainable travel in daily life outside of town centres.
What one change have you made for the climate in your own life that you are happiest about and why?
Sewing repairs. I find joy in seeing my brightly coloured darn repairs in my socks, making my favourite clothes last far longer, extending the time I have to go second-hand jean shopping by patch repairing.
Friends and family have now asked me to make basic repairs extending the life of the garments and saving them from landfill.
(However this might change if my first ever veggie patch this year produces anything. Fingers crossed!)
Tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising.
I really love beavers and even saw them in the wild last year in Scotland.