There’s always going to be a need for local people and groups to look after the places where they live. The last 10 years have seen the number of people involved in local action on the environment treble across the UK. That’s wonderful, but there’s always more to do. Research shows that many of the people who would like to be involved may be uncertain about how they can help and where they should start.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is taking that first step: talking to other people, going to a meeting, deciding that ‘something must be done!’.

Once you do it, you may be surprised at how many other people will feel the same way and want to help.

The lesson from these case studies (and from many others) is that local action works: there are thousands of examples all over the UK. It’s not just about high-profile campaigns: it’s often simply local people getting organised to turn run-down and polluted areas into attractive places for relaxation and recreation. This kind of local action is not just about the environment. It also helps people get to know their neighbours, it helps people discover and use skills they didn’t know they had, and it can certainly help build stronger and more sustainable communities.

Our countryside and our urban open spaces are under pressure from inappropriate economic development and perhaps always will be. Pollution regulations and planning controls can only do so much: when it comes to the crunch, it is only action by local people that will be able to protect the places and the environment we need and enjoy.