Green Drinks Leeds is a social networking opportunity and discussion group run by Anzir Boodoo, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Leeds’ Institute for Transport Studies, and Adam Woodhall, a sustainability culture change consultant working at PeopleProfitPlanet. They told me how Green Drinks provides a space to ‘learn, connect and be inspired’.
1. On Facebook, Green Drinks Leeds is described as ‘…a chance for those in and around the environmental and sustainability sectors to meet up, have a drink, and do anything from find a job to get help with a project’. What made you start Leeds Green Drinks, and where did the idea come from?
Anzir: I first started going to Yorkshire Green Drinks (as it was known then) nearly 10 years ago. Back then I was working for a consultancy firm in the city centre, and it seemed like an interesting networking opportunity and somewhere to meet like-minded people. As it happens, I’m currently involved in a community project with one of the first people I met at Green Drinks all those years ago. After a number of changes of organiser and venue, nobody was really actively looking after the event. Following a couple of months when I was the only person there, I decided to jointly take over the organising with Adam. That was 3 years ago, and we’ve not looked back!
2. How often do you hold Green Drinks, and how has it gone so far?
Adam: Green Drinks Leeds is every month, as it has been for at least the last 10 years. I think when we took over there were about 100 names on the mailing list, no Social Media presence, and pretty much no attendance. Green Drinks in Leeds is now one of the strongest in the UK. In the 18 months we have had a presenter or specific topic at each event. We’ve had professors speak for us, a session on ‘green influencing’, a visit to Drax power station and even an ethical comedian! We’ve now gone to over 500 on the mailing list, and a strong presence on LinkedIn and Facebook. Most important, we have around 40-50 coming every month for the events.
3. Who do you attract?
Anzir: We aim to attract a wide range of people interested in and working on green issues, whether professionally or not, across academia, government, industry, entrepreneurs and activism. Many attendees just want to know more on a personal level. It helps that our focuses are quite different, as I’m more involved in activism and the academic side of things, and Adam’s work is as an environmental entrepreneur working mostly with large organisations.
4. Why do you think a green networking opportunity is needed? Aren’t there already plenty of environmental groups around people could join?
Anzir: Well, that was already the case in 1989 when Edwin Datschefski had the idea for starting Green Drinks, and he spotted a “gap in the market” for a chance for people from all kinds of environmental groups and companies to get together. That first group in London has spawned not only the Leeds group, but around 800 other similar monthly events worldwide, so there must be something in it!
For me, it’s the lack of a particular focus (aside from it being “green”) that means that you never know who is going to turn up, and what kind of interesting conversations you might have. In the last 10 years I have had conversations which have turned into new projects, made friends, and come very close to getting paid work myself. That’s something that no other environmental group can offer, and it also means we complement and connect together a lot of the other activity that goes on around Leeds.
5. It also says on Facebook that Green Drinks is ‘a force for good’? In what way is it a force for good? Do you see as having the potential to be more than a networking opportunity?
Adam: We believe it is a force for good because it gives people the space to learn, connect and be inspired. It is about empowering Green Drinkers to go out and be that force for good.
Whilst Green Drinks Leeds is a networking opportunity, what makes it special is the wide range of people and interests that we attract, along with the interesting speakers. This means there is considerable cross fertilisation, and we have seen results which would have never happened without it.
Taking a personal example, the largest private sector employer in Leeds is First Direct Bank. The only time I’ve met one of their employees is at Green Drinks Leeds, and that led to them working with my company PeopleProfitPlanet. Also recent graduates regularly attend our events, and I’ve been lucky enough for some of them to intern with me. Both of these have led directly or indirectly to lowering carbon footprints!
Anzir: The best way to find out how Green Drinks Leeds can be ‘a force for good’, is by coming down to one of our events!
Green Drinks Leeds is held regularly at The Lounge, Merrion Street, Leeds, on the 4th Tuesday of every month. The next Green Drink Leeds events are:
April 24th – “Question Time” style panel with local politicians, on the topic of “Politics and the Environment” (book here).
May 22nd – Talk by the Sustainability Manager of Leeds based Arla Foods who amongst other things produce Lurpak butter (book here).
For more information visit their website: www.greendrinksleeds.org.uk, join their Facebook and LinkedIn groups, and sign up to their e-newsletter.
Paul Thomas is co-founder of The Leeds Salon and writes regularly for its sister-journal Freedom in a Puritan Age and Culture Vulture.
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