Spotlight on Evie, Ullapool Unpacked
Consumption accounts for 26% of our total emissions in the UK every year, and how much of this is wasted? Evie and Ullapool Unpacked are taking strides in Ullapool to reduce wastage by providing a food refill space! The climate fight is not about 1 person making a huge change, it’s about everybody making small changes, and using refill shops is a great way to streamline your food consumption and save money!
Our final Spotlight of Women’s History Month is Evie, Founding Director and Manager of Ullapool Unpacked C.I.C..
Read on to find what inspires Evie, and how she harnesses her inspiration to accelerate progress towards a green future.
How did you get involved in Ullapool Unpacked?
I set up Ullapool Unpacked C.I.C. after I had my daughter. Becoming a mother, made my perspective on the world shift, and it awakened that furious, protective nature that all women have inside. I could see that I was bringing my child into a world with an uncertain future and that really scared me. I wanted to do something about it, but also to show her that women, no matter their background, can achieve great things.
What makes you feel inspired?
There are lots of things that inspire me, some things that I see and fill my heart with joy, others that make me furious and more determined for change. At the moment, I would say it is seeing more and more people across the Highlands taking action in their local communities. I have been lucky enough to meet many fantastic people, and it is really inspiring and empowering to think about the real change we can have in our small communities when we make a start.
How does your organisation work to #InspireInclusion?
Ullapool Unpacked has, and always will be an enterprise with inclusion at its core. We do that both through having a diverse range of people running the company, but also through the service we provide. Everyone can be involved in climate action, and if its done properly, it is a way to break down barriers and create benefits in all parts of society.
How can we get more women and gender-diverse people involved in local climate action?
I have to say, the people I meet in the Highlands and Islands that are taking climate action in their communities are predominantly women. So I’m not sure if I have many ideas on how to involve more women specifically, but I would really like to see more of the work that women do for climate action being celebrated and valued. When women come together and have a passion for something, its pretty impressive what can be achieved. Often as volunteers whilst also juggling jobs and children!
In founding Ullapool Unpacked, Evie has brought a revolutionary way of consuming to Ullapool and provides inclusion for the community. The climate cause is one affecting all of society, so all of society should be represented in the solution and at the decision making table, #InspireInclusion.
Throughout March we have celebrated inspirational women trail blazing climate action across the Highlands and Islands, but the celebration of powerful women should extend outwith the bounds of a month. Yesterday, today and tomorrow women are taking strides towards a green future across the globe. Stay inspired for the future with the inclusion of all women.