RG10 Podcast: Building Community One Pint at a Time
Hosted by Ben, Whitmarsh featuring Elizabeth Corse (Founder, DisCom & Organiser, People Planet Pint Wokingham)
What if tackling climate anxiety started not with policy or protest, but with a monthly meetup at your local pub? This conversation explores how a simple idea - bringing people together over drinks to talk about the environment - has created real-world action and lasting community connections in Wokingham.
People Planet Pint 3rd birthday Party Group Shot
What I have learned from running People Planet Pint for three years
Bringing people together without an agenda creates the conditions for connection - and that’s why this is the foundation of my DisCom work where we convene stakeholders around shared challenges, using sustainability as that universal bridge.
Why listen?
It's about grassroots community organising and what actually works when you want to create local change. If you've ever felt alone in caring about environmental issues, or wondered how to connect with like-minded people in your area, this conversation shows how we can all do something.
Key themes explored:
On starting from scratch
Three years ago, I turned up at a pub not knowing if anyone would show up. I brought two friends "just in case" and 12 people came. Now People Planet Pint Wokingham is a monthly fixture bringing together a cross-section of local residents who care about their community and environment.
On the power of no agenda
There's no prescribed outcome, no one trying to sell anything, no requirement to sign up to any particular view. People come because they're curious to meet others who care. This freedom has created everything from job connections to a Plastic Free Wokingham initiative to the handover of a community apple press.
On "glocal" thinking
When global problems feel overwhelming, acting locally becomes the antidote to anxiety. The group proves there are more people who care than don't - they just need a space to find each other.
On what actually brings people together
Clean air isn't an "environmental thing" - it's a health thing. Wanting healthy futures for children isn't political - it's universal. Finding these common concerns creates connection across different backgrounds and perspectives.
Featured initiatives mentioned:
People Planet Pint (global movement with 140+ locations)
Plastic Free Wokingham
Freely Fruity (local food-producing land initiative)
Local repair cafes
Community apple press
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Youtube - https://youtu.be/W0z_jdxTXT0
Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/4pjnrUe
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3qJITR52lB6FcCqGluQxnr?si=4-MRuut_QBanWC0aW3pnZQ
Buzzsprout- https://www.buzzsprout.com/1936608/episodes/18170467
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1QmJvAs5dY/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Join the conversation:
People Planet Pint Wokingham meets the first Thursday of every month from 6pm at The Rose Inn, Marketplace, Wokingham. Drop in anytime between 6pm-9:30pm.
Read about People Planet Pint Wokingham’s 3rd Birthday Bash in this write-up by Emma Merchant at Wokingham Today.
