Sign up to the 1000 Voices campaign to get involved!
Resistance requires persistence.
Giving voice and agency to local people.
Since forming at the end of 2023, 100’s of local people have protested and campaigned to improve air quality, leadership and respond to the ever growing climate crisis.
Toxic Air - For over 18 years consecutive Councils failed our community, creating conditions that put 1000’s of Northampton residents health at risk. In spite of them being aware that Northampton had some of the worst air quality of any town or city in the country - they did nothing.
As far back as 2003 our local council had been told to produce an Air Quality Action Plan to deal with high levels of pollution, yet they took no action to deal with this devastating situation. Each year 102 Northampton residents were dying from toxic air.
When 1000 Voices demanded that they take action and told them that making residents sick and causing the death of 102 residents each year WASN’T going to happen ‘on our watch’ and that ‘we won’t be going away’, they realised they HAD to do something.
Within 18 months of the 1000 Voices peaceful protests starting, the council had been shamed into producing an air quality action plan submitted to DEFRA and more recently you’ll notice a fleet of electric buses, all as a result of the pressure of local people standing as 1000 Voices to effect change.
Thanks to 1000 Voices air quality has improved but it needs to go further. Despite some improvement it is still highly toxic exposing particularly the vulnerable, babies and children’s developing lungs and the elderly to dangerous levels of toxins. So, we continue to campaign for air quality standards which meet those set down by the World Health Organisation for air quality.
1000 Voices success was something which no election, political party, elected candidate or petition had achieved.
We will continue to protest and call out poor leadership and climate inaction as each day graphically demonstrates yet another step towards climate and social breakdown. Join us by adding your name below.
Daffodil Dan
Daffodil Dan
‘When, in the midst of a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, a peaceful environmental protester like Mr. Shaw faces an extended prison sentence in the United Kingdom, alarm bells should go off not just across the United Kingdom, but across the international community also. It signals that fundamental pillars of a democratic society are right now in grave peril in the United Kingdom.’
‘peaceful protestor’
‘Denied a right to a fair trial’
Quotes from the public statement of Michel Forst UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention - 24 June 2024
Before Daniel became aware that Climate change is an “existential threat to humanity” and “without global action to limit greenhouse gas emissions, the climate will change catastrophically with almost unimaginable consequences”, Daniel worked for over 10 years in adult social care and had zero criminal convictions.
In June 2024 Daniel was sentenced to four years in prison for exercising his right to protest, he had risked his freedom to help in the survival of his fellow beings.
We believe that the common sense of local people is a greater power than the absurd rules laid down by those in power, those with ulterior motives and motivations which put profit before people.
1000 Voices launched a ‘Free Daffodil Dan’ campaign to highlight his plight and call for his freedom.
Daniel has served his prison term and has been released on licence. He remains a member of our Umbrella community.
CLEAN UP NORTHAMPTON
CLEAN UP NORTHAMPTON
On June 27th 2025, we hosted a pop-up parliamentary hustings at Northampton Guildhall, where we invited all Northampton North & South electoral candidates to say how they will improve the town and save lives.
Candidates from the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Trade Union & Socialist Coalition, the Worker’s Party of Britain, the Climate Party and Independent candidate Paul Clark showed up to share their views.
Candidates from Labour, the Conservative & Unionist party, Reform UK and one Green Party candidate were not in attendance.
This campaign is not associated with any political party and maintains absolute neutrality.
wHAT DO WE WANT?
As everyday we are all seeing signs that our society is falling apart and the climate is breaking down its time for us to stand together and demand something better, something different. We need a society which cares not exploits, shares not hoards and comes together not divides.
The team at Umbrella are creating a blueprint for a different society.
This will be launched in October 2026.
Another world is possible.