Henley Pledges

for the planet

Changing what’s normal in Henley and beyond

Lots of people and organisations in and around Henley are already making small changes for a better future – at home, at work, at school, and in their everyday lives. Our Pledge for the Planet initiative is a simple way to make those actions count: a visible commitment to go further, and a way to inspire others by showing them what’s possible. When you take a pledge you’re not doing it alone, you’re joining something that’s already happening – a growing movement of collective action for climate and nature.

A group of local people hold up signs saying 'pledge for the planet'
“…the actions of just one of us may seem to be trivial and to have no effect. But the knowledge that there are thousands of, hundreds of thousands of people who are doing the same thing – that really does have an effect.”
Sir David Attenborough

So who’s been pledging in Henley?

Take a look at some of the pledges  local people and organisations have recently taken. Find out why they chose their pledge and what it means to them.

A young girl smiling holds up a sign saying "pledge for the planet"

Melody, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School pupil

“Stopping the chemicals is important to me because the animals in the river and sea deserve to live as much as we do. It’s easy for us all to change what we use for washing and cleaning – we’ve just got to do it.

“I’m on my school council and will talk to the teachers about what we use and if it’s good for the river. Same thing at home – my parents already try quite hard but maybe not hard enough.

“It makes me feel like a better person. I think I can make things different.”

Join Melody and Ditch The Chemicals

When enough people in a community take small, simple steps – making space for nature, cycling short journeys, using less pesticides – those choices stop being unusual and start being just what we do here.

Rose & Adam Lubbock, ADVHQ Gym

Owners of local Henley gym ADVHQ, Rose and Adam Lubbock, have adopted the “Eat Plant Rich” pledge and have successfully promoted this to the gym’s 250 members. They’ve shared ‘Meat-Free Monday’ recipes, and have had a great response from their membership, stoking conversations around plant-based food, strength training & health.

Join Rose and Adam and Eat Plant-Rich

Emma Taylor holding fresh fruit and vegetables in her kitchen

Emma Taylor, Henley Resident

“I am pledging to avoid buying groceries which come in plastic packaging where a viable alternative exists, especially fruit and vegetables. I chose this because although I’ve switched from plastic for many products such as toilet roll, toothpaste, and laundry soap, I still use a lot of soft plastic on fresh produce which cannot easily be recycled. I want to help protect our planet and consume products which come in either no packaging or sustainable packaging.

“Doing what I can to help the environment feels good – I know I can’t do everything but every little step I take feels positive. I would rather do something, no matter how small, than nothing.”

Join Emma and Pause on Plastic

Every pledge you make is a visible signal to your neighbours that this kind of life is possible, desirable, and already happening. Together, those signals add up to something powerful: a community that speaks with one voice about the kind of place it wants to be.

Liz Ware, garden writer and Henley resident

I pledge that whenever I’m walking in the beautiful countryside around Henley, I will make time to pause and be still – allowing myself to feel that I’m part of Nature, rather than a mere passerby. I pledge to carry a bag with me to collect any rubbish I see, remembering that as we’re part of Nature, whatever we do to or for it, we also do to or for ourselves.

Join Liz and Connect with Nature