This page outlines our ACAN strategy, priorities and values, and we invite you to review it and identify how you can get involved.

Our Purpose

To encourage a step change in public understanding and enthusiasm for the benefits of living climate and nature-friendly lives. ACAN brings people in Alton and the surrounding villages together to take positive community action, reducing our impact on the planet and restoring the natural environment

Our Supporters

Alton Town Council

East Hants District Council

Hampshire County Council

South Downs National Park
Authority

Resurrection Furniture

National Lottery

Transition Network

and more to come…

Our network

Action on Plastics

ALFI

AVLAN

Community Cupboard

Community Share

Cycle Alton

EcoStreets

Energy Alton

Gumbi Project

Headley CAN

Repair Café

Sustainabites

Young ACAN

Our partners

The Alton Society

Eco-Church/Parish of the Resurrection

Alton Lions Club

Alton Natural History Society

Walk Alton

The Guild of Optimists

Alton Men’s Shed

Petersfield Climate Action Network

Winchester Action on Climate Change

Voice for Climate & Nature

Hampshire Climate Action Network

Hampshire Countryside Service

Our strengths

Our network
Our supporters
Our reputation
Our passionate people

Our values

We are inclusive
We are positive
We are empowering
We are collaborative
We are evidence-based

The changes we want to see

Greenhouse gas emissions in our district are falling

The local natural environment is healthy and full of biodiversity

Alton is a resilient, nature and climate-aware, and supportive community

How we think these changes can happen

Through the actions of individuals, families, voluntary groups and businesses in the community

Through community projects and initiatives that educate and inspire people and that demonstrate how to effectively reduce emissions, improve nature and increase community resilience

Through local and central government* policies that contribute to system change

*ACAN by itself has negligible capability to influence central government, so our focus will be on local authorities

What we will do to help make these changes happen

Our strategic goals & indicators

1. Individuals, families, groups, businesses

Goal: The ACAN Network is sustained and enhanced

Indicators: Number of effective Network groups, amount of funding, number of people on our distribution list/social media hits

2. Inspiring projects and initiatives

Goal: ACAN projects have inspired change and increased our reach

Indicators: Number of key projects delivered, amount of funding raised, number of households/young people/businesses aware & inspired, number of people on ACAN distribution lists

3. Policies for system change

Goal: Local authorities in our area are implementing key policies and decisions (number of key council decisions, amount invested in climate & nature initiatives)

How we will use our limited resources

Project criteria for ACAN core activities

• Is it clear how it will support one or more of our strategic goals?
• Do we know it will be effective (Have we tested the idea? Has someone else done it successfully elsewhere? Is there evidence of demand from target stakeholders?)
• Can we resource it (time + money) given everything else we’re already doing?
• Would it not happen without us?
• Can we exit at some point if we need to?

Our core resource

• Volunteer recruitment, including organisers, “doers”, influencers, trustees (e.g. for finance & admin), etc to increase our human resource and enhance our capabilities
• Sustaining and enhancing the ACAN Network, e.g. supporting fundraising
• Pipeline of future activities, e.g. from ideas shared at our Coming Together event (car sharing, wildlife ponds, apple pressing, book club, etc etc)
• Increase and/or diversify funding
• Paid ACAN staff, e.g. administrator, project manager?

Our influence

• Develop and implement shared strategies (e.g. tasks, learning, resources) with other CAN groups (PeCAN, HaCAN, WinACC, etc) to strengthen our county-wide profile and influence
• Develop/strengthen relationship with new local authority structures as they emerge and directly influence them on specific issues

Our public engagement

• Develop our social media and outreach to promote ACAN to parts of the community we haven’t yet reached
• Strengthen and develop collaborations (e.gs. new collaborations such as Alton Arts Festival)
• Create and deliver a community engagement plan to reach 5000 local people