What’s happening

On the 24th of September, a group of us will gather on the banks of the River Arun in West Sussex. Business leaders, educators, policymakers, artists, landowners, activists and young people, all with different backgrounds and different reasons for being there, will spend a day with one question: what can the living system of a river teach us?

It's the first Reboot Forum we've run, and it feels like exactly the right moment for it.

When I was a child in the seventies, nobody taught me to eat well. They didn't have to. Food came cooked from scratch, vegetables came from down the road, and a lunchbox snack was just a thing my mum made. That was simply the water we swam in.

A couple of weeks ago I was driving across Bosnia Herzegovina and Montenegro, and the smoke was never quite out of sight. At one point the police turned us back, waving us away from a road with smoke billowing towards us. The wildfires breaking out across Europe this summer are frightening up close, and I could only imagine how devastating they've been for the people living in their path.

We tend to celebrate the loudest person in the room. The one who speaks first, speaks confidently and seems certain of the answer. Listening can look passive beside that. It can be mistaken for shyness, hesitation or a lack of ambition. But listening is not doing nothing. Listening is how we notice what is missing. It is how we understand what another person needs. It is how we absorb the shape of a problem before rushing in with a solution.

Oliver believes something that sounds simple and turns out to be quietly radical: that we should share how we make things. His whole design practice leans towards open source ways of working, the idea that if you come up with a good design or a better method, you let others use it and build on it, rather than locking it in a drawer marked ‘mine.’

One sentence from Mary Ann Clements's episode niggled at me this week, that it's amazing how sometimes systems work against the very relationships we're so keen to build. So much starts with great heart and intention. But as the work begins, the systems we've built take over, our course feels set, and somewhere along the way we lose the very connection we meant to create in the first place.

There's a small, striking moment in this week's conversation with Satish Kumar. At 90, still full of energy, he tells me he has written to Andy Burnham, our likely next prime minister, with a single request: create a Minister of Peace.

There's an old story about people in the dark, each with a hand on a different part of an elephant. One holds the trunk and thinks it's a snake. One holds a leg and thinks it's a tree. Usually it's told as a lesson about humility, none of us has the whole picture. But talking with Xander Beks this week, I found myself hearing it differently.

"Gird yourself, woman."

Alice Morrison says it to herself out loud, in the third person, when the road ahead is hard and she has to walk it anyway. Gird your loins. Brace. Armour up. That is how we usually hear the word, a call to harden before a fight. But the more I sat with Alice, the less that fit her. Her girding is not armour. It is something quieter, and to me far more interesting.

This week, another Prime Minister steps down, and I notice the feeling before I can name it. Not shock. Not even anger. Something flatter than that. A kind of fatigue.

 I've been trying to put my finger on what excited me so much about hearing Joshua Ford speak about his film. I think it was the way he spoke, something both vulnerable and brave. I found myself relating to the vulnerable and feeling emboldened by the brave. What I recognised was that wish to put kindness into the world, knowing others might see it as silly, as naive, and feeling the need to do it anyway.

There was a moment in my conversation with Ben Peers when I wanted to stop everything and sit with what he had just said. He was naming something I have been noticing that I think a lot of us carry around. "I do want to improve things," he said, "but apparently we can't."

This month I am going to a funeral. Black, head to toe. The unusual part is who we are burying: not a person, but a system. On 23 June, during London Climate Action Week, Dr Lucy Wallace is holding a funeral for the food system, and I will be there, taking it seriously and quietly delighting in the idea.

Sam has always had a fierce, clear sense of right and wrong, and when she knows something is the right thing to do, she does not let go of it. She finds another way. She keeps going. There is a word I love for this and it is gumption. Sam has it in abundance, alongside the grit and tenacity to match. And I recognise that quality deeply, that feeling in your chest when you know something matters, when you want to help, when you simply cannot look away.

Some guests come onto Let's Reboot the Future with a clear brief. With David Butcher, I knew I wanted to speak to someone who had sat at board level in financial services and had chosen to do something different with that seat. Not to close things down, but to open them up.

My husband has a tell. Whenever we are in a formal meeting and a northerner speaks, he visibly relaxes. There is something about that combination of honesty, warmth and straight talking that he finds deeply reassuring, particularly in a business setting. I thought about this a lot after meeting Edwin Booth CBE. Because Edwin has it in abundance.

I recently visited Treo House, the space Gemma has created, and it feels like a place built around the idea that people matter. It is warm, creative, welcoming, and full of life. There is homemade food, good drinks, glowing clouds overhead, and a disco ball hanging in the garden. Honestly, if I am going to spend time problem solving for the future, I would quite like to do it with people who have a disco ball.

Michael Macy is a good storyteller. His life experience makes for great material. As Michael described what happened for people in conflict zones when peace arrived, something happened in the telling too. Each time he got to the moment of acknowledging the space that was created, he paused.

I had the chance to speak with Felicity Aston over Zoom recently, and I keep thinking how entertaining it would have been if we’d met in real life. Not just because in our time together we laughed and welled up with tears, but because I imagine that Felicity is so tall and strong… and I am, well, so small.

Ooh… this was the most beautiful, bittersweet, and honestly one of the hardest episodes I think I’ve ever recorded for the podcast.

Gaynor’s story is one I feel deeply honoured to be able to share.

There’s a story that has threaded its way through both Rich Good’s work and ours at Reboot the Future for many years.

The story of Imaginal Cells.

I have been sitting with two conversations this week.
Kim Polman’s TEDx talk. And our podcast with Daryl Davis.

Different lives. Different work. And yet, they both point to something so simple it almost feels easy to miss.

That beneath everything, we are not that different.

“It’s taken seven years, but an idea that was seen as naive and foolish, just with persistence, and with building the kite and waiting for the gust of wind that would blow it…”

When Jennifer said this, I paused. It is such a simple image, but it holds so much.

What can we learn from Rai?

As an autistic person, Rai speaks about finding it hard to perceive a lie, and hard to tell one. Listening to her, I found myself wondering whether we have got something the wrong way around.

Shouldn’t we all find it hard to lie?
Shouldn’t honesty be something we protect, rather than something we work around?

There is something about Mark Winters that feels like a ball of positive energy.

When you speak with him you sense it immediately. An openness, a curiosity, and a genuine desire to bring the different parts of his life together in service of something good.

What happens when we stop performing and start connecting.

There was something incredibly powerful in hearing Sarah Howard say, clearly and confidently, that being labelled “naïve” feels deeply judgemental.

It makes you feel small.   It makes you feel assessed.    It shuts you down.

And none of us want to feel that.

Under Minnie Moll’s desk, two unlikely friends would lie close enough to touch.

Rosie is a chicken.    Archie a Jack Russell.

If you know anything about Jack Russells, you might assume this story would not end well. They are, after all, known for chasing small animals. It is often described as instinctive. Hard-wired. Just the way things are.

And yet.

Listening to Gareth Jenkins share his story in our latest Let’s Reboot the Future episode, Love at the Centre, has left me thinking about the ‘messy middle’ and how we move on from here. By this, I mean the space many of us pass through between the innocence of childhood, when the world feels kind and full of possibility, and the moment when life shows us its harder truths.

This week on Let’s Reboot the Future, we’re joined by American author John Perkins, who shares how a risky, values led idea grew into work that helped influence legislation in Congress, preventing new plants from being built that would produce acid rain.

As we grow up, we learn clear rules from parents, schools, clubs and communities. But there are other rules too. Unspoken ones. Social and generational mores that take much longer to sense, understand and question. They are shaped by culture, history and power, and often we absorb them without realising we have a choice.

On the podcast this week, Augustus spoke to us about his journey as a conservationist and storyteller. Listening to him, I realised how much our experiences and the ways we discovered our passions align, particularly in how we find purpose and translate it into action.

Growing up in Florida, a very traditional, conservative area, Augustus shared how showing compassion, emotional values, or using them as a driver for change is often seen as “naive.”

What struck me most in my conversation with Becky Burchell was her belief that nuclear weapons were never needed, and still are not.

Despite growing up in the 1980s with the constant threat of nuclear war discussed openly around her dinner table, despite being given all the explanations about deterrence, economics, jobs and power, Becky said she has never been convinced. Even now, she does not see the sense in it. If we did not create weapons capable of destroying everything we love, there would be no need to justify their existence.

I’m blaming my New Year state of mind for this. You know the one. That slightly over-hopeful, mildly reflective headspace where everything feels like it might be adjusted, improved, or at least thought about with a bit more intention. Listening back to this week’s Let’s Reboot the Future conversation, what I found myself honing in on wasn’t so much the headline moments, but something quieter. What Dhiraj was saying about the ethos and principles we gather and carry with us. 

Working at Reboot the Future as a Project Officer Intern has been an incredible journey of learning, creativity, and growth. Over these weeks, I had the chance to explore my personal values, contribute to meaningful projects, and understand how value-driven experiences can create real impact.

Over the past three months, I’ve had the opportunity to work as a project officer intern, an experience that has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. From the very beginning, I felt welcomed by the team, it felt as if I’d been part of the organisation for much longer.

This week on the Let’s Reboot the Future podcast, I had the joy of speaking with Anuradha Chugh. Her reflections on trust have stayed with me and I have found myself returning to them again and again. There was something quietly powerful in the way she described trust not as a strategy or a workplace competency, but as a way of being in the world.

Listening to Emilio on the podcast this week stirred something deep and familiar in me. There was a moment when he talked about experimenting as a child. He was trying to find a natural and non harmful way to keep pests away from food in the garden. The way he described that early curiosity and the freedom to play through a problem brought me straight back to my own childhood.

Listening to John O’Brien on this week’s Reboot the Future podcast, I was struck by the sheer momentum that can come from being deeply worried about something.

John spoke openly about the period just after COVID, when he felt a growing concern about the future of the UK, about our sense of direction, our cohesion, and our shared purpose. Instead of letting that worry sit heavy, he allowed it to propel him forward. That concern became the spark that inspired him to create Anthropy.

Listening back to our recent podcast with Sophie Austin, I keep returning to one thing: her energy.

Not the loud kind. Not the performative kind. More like the bright, elemental energy that comes from someone who has learned how to stay open to life.

Listening to Tsitsi Chirikure made me think about the quiet power we hold through our words. Language has the capacity to welcome people in, or to belittle, separate and close the conversation. Sometimes softly, sometimes quite sharply.

This week on the Let’s Reboot the Future podcast, Paul Lindley OBE spoke about naivety in a way that felt refreshingly grounded. His message was simple:
If you see a problem and have an idea, start. You do not need to know everything. Wisdom arrives as you go.

What if being ‘naïve’ is exactly what the world needs? We’re embracing naivety as a spark for creativity, connection, and change.

Join Reboot the Future as a Trustee – Help Shape a New Kind of Social Enterprise

At Anthropy 2025, a simple but powerful truth emerged: culture isn’t built from strategy documents or mission statements, it’s built in everyday conversations. In this piece, we explore why the future of leadership depends on the quality of dialogue within organisations, and how intentional conversation can transform connection, innovation, and trust.

Why do we struggle to speak with kindness when we need it most, and what does it say about us that we turn to AI for help? In this reflection, we explore the surprising role of AI as a gentle emotional buffer, helping us bridge the gap between how we feel and how we want to show up, and why that might actually be something to celebrate.

This April, we’re honouring Golden Month by spotlighting our ambassadors, leaders who embody the Golden Rule in bold and beautiful ways. Through reflections on kindness, regeneration, and connection, they show us how values can shape a better future for people and planet.

What does a well-run orchestra teach us about kindness, respect, and fairness? In this inspiring story, discover how the Golden Rule can transform even the most traditional spaces. From rehearsal rooms to boardrooms, learn how harmony begins with how we show up for one another.

Discover how living the Golden Rule, treating others and the planet as you would wish to be treated, can transform your relationships, restore connections, and build a more compassionate world. On 5 April 2025, as the world marks United Nations’ Golden Rule Day, Kim Polman invites us to reflect on everyday courage and the power of being the first to reach out.

From a birthday in lockdown to partnerships with global leaders and cultural icons, Reboot the Future has grown through a time of great change. As we mark five years, we’re excited to launch our new social enterprise, offering values-led support to organisations ready to lead with connection in the face of the climate crisis.

There’s a moment in life when we realise how much we’ve grown, through struggles, lessons, and victories. Looking back, we remember the times we longed for guidance, support, or just a kind word. Now, we have the chance to be that for someone else. Be who you needed when you were younger is more than a saying; it’s a call to lead with empathy, to lift others as we rise, and to honour our own journey. Through kindness, both to ourselves and those around us, we create the world we once wished for.

In this month’s feature, Stephanie Heath from Lutterworth & Villages Foodbank explores the essence of allyship. Supported by St Mary’s Church and part of the Trussell Trust network, Stephanie reflects on what it means to be an ally and the responsibilities that come with it. Join us as we delve into the qualities of respect, compassion, and trust that define true allies, and learn how the foodbank is fostering relationships to support those in need. Reflect on your own experiences and discover how we can all contribute to building a more united and compassionate community.

At the heart of Reboot’s work is the Golden Rule—treat others and the planet as you wish to be treated. Could a Taylor Swift concert show us how to do it? Through rituals of celebration, kindness, and shared joy, Swifties and Taylor create a space where everyone feels safe and connected, embodying the essence of the Golden Rule.

Our CEO, Anthony Bennett, looks back on an exceptional year at Reboot the Future.

Discover the insights from our recent webinar on AI and Sustainability Education, featuring Vriti Saraf of Ed3 DAO. Co-hosted by Reboot the Future and Ed3 DAO, the webinar addressed the pressing need for educators to incorporate sustainability into their lessons amid time constraints and exam-focused curricula. Exploring how AI can empower educators, the session covered topics ranging from generative AI and bias recognition to practical approaches for integrating sustainability education. Attendees left with newfound understanding and a commitment to using AI as a creative tool in lesson planning and resource discovery. As we continue to delve into AI's role in education, stay tuned for future webinars alongside our upcoming initiatives, including the launch of our 2024-25 Classroom Calendar.

In this month’s feature, CEO Anthony Bennett delves into personal experiences of feeling different and finding belonging. Join us as we explore the profound impact of individuality and acceptance through our May question. Reflect, respond, and discover how embracing our unique perspectives can enrich our collective journey towards a more empathetic world.

In a tale of feline politics and philosophical musings, follow the antics of Jaggy and Simon as they navigate their shared domain, learning lessons of ownership and empathy along the way. Join John Perkins as he narrates a story that mirrors the human condition, underscored by the timeless wisdom of the Golden Rule.

Explore the essence of 'gumption' and courageous leadership in this enlightening article by Sandy Glanfield from Reboot the Future. Dive into the stories of five exceptional leaders who exemplify the 'get-up-and-go' attitude in tackling global challenges.

Featuring exclusive interviews with Kim Paykel, Richard Dunne, Frieda Gormley, Cecilia Manosa Nyblon, and Rich Good. From transformative epiphanies to impactful actions, learn how they use their unique gifts and passions to address critical issues, inviting readers to embrace their own 'gumption' to create a better world.

Join us as we celebrate the timeless wisdom of the Golden Rule throughout the month of April. In this letter, Kim Polman, Co-founder and Chair of Reboot the Future, shares her insights on the importance of treating others and the planet with compassion and respect.

At Reboot, the guiding principle is a modern interpretation of an ancient maxim: "Treat Others As You would wish to be Treated". Rooted in the wisdom of ages past, this principle transcends cultural and religious boundaries, embodying the essence of empathy and compassion. In our exploration of the Golden Rule, we delve into its profound significance at individual, communal, and planetary levels. From the heroic acts of individuals to the global imperative of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Golden Rule serves as a beacon of hope and a call to action in an increasingly interconnected world. Join us as we journey through the depths of reciprocity, envisioning a future where kindness towards others and the planet is the cornerstone of our collective well-being. By Anthony Bennett - Chief Executive Officer at Reboot the Future 

The illustrator behind this year's Classroom Calendar is Karin Watson Ferrer, a Chilean-born climate and human rights activist inspiring action through artwork. Check-out her work here! 

Former mental health practitioner Sandy Glanfield shares what advice she gives her teenagers to help them be 'courageous friends' and support others with their mental health.

Our CEO Anthony Bennett reflects on an extraordinary year at Reboot the Future. 

Explore this month's collection of exhibits, events, cinema recommendations and more!

How can the quality of human life be improved by living and acting through a love ethic?

From preventing food systems collapse to navigating the future of AI, Reboot's CEO Anthony Bennett shares his perspective on the power of the Golden Rule to shape the future.

Explore this month's collection of exhibits, events, cinema recommendations and more! 

Why swapping the office for time in nature could be increase productivity and spark innovation. 

In celebration of World Poetry Day, here are 5 poems to deepen your relationship with others and the planet.

Why are more women burning out than men? 

Explore this month's collection of exhibits, events, cinema recommendations and more! 

Explore this month's selection of exhibits, events, podcast recommendations and more!  

We've teamed up with film-maker Jack Harries and Earthrise studio on a brand new campaign: We Are Antarctica.

Through our new partnership with Marks and Spencer, we are launching Reboot the Conversation (www.reboottheconversation.org), a new online hub to help you kickstart climate conversations with your family and friends. With just over a month until the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, COP-26,...

When the leaders of the G7 met last month in the UK, like all significant meals in history, the menu was chosen carefully. A select mixture of Cornish turbot caught off Newquay, of Cornish cheeses, petits-fours with clotted cream fudge, all carefully sourced local produce, the fish choices...

In this series of blogs we ask people from around the world to reflect on what the Golden Rule means to them. In the third of the series we hear from Miranda in London.   Described by Sadiq Khan as “The Greatest City in the World”, it’s often easy to walk through the streets of London and wonder...

I keep thinking what it must be like to be a young climate activist in the UK today. Greta Thunberg, inspirationally, in one ear. Blustering Boris, with all his phoney rhetoric, in the other. Memories of an uplifting ‘coming together’ in Strikes for Climate and other protests in 2019 – more or...

We, citizens of the world, wish to improve the state of the world, not only for humans but for all life, as a matter of urgency in the coming decade. As lockdown began to bite in early Spring 2020 many new initiatives bubbled into life as responses to Covid19. GoodAfterCovid was our unique...

In this series of blogs we ask people from around the world to reflect on what the Golden Rule means to them. In the second of the series we hear from Laura in Brazil. When someone thinks about a country whose main characteristic is inequality, like Brazil, their first thought might be - How can...

To officially celebrate the relaunch of our education platform Global Dimension, we hosted a 1 hour live discussion, bringing together teachers, young people and one of the world’s leading environmentalists to ask: How can teachers support student action on the climate crisis in lockdown? Our...

In May, we launched #RebootingEducation, a conversation to find out how COVID-19 is changing our ideas about education and to explore what it means for the future. As schools went back this autumn, we collaborated with Development Education Centre South Yorkshire (DECSY), Global Learning London...

In this series of blogs we ask people from around the world to reflect on what the Golden Rule means to them. In the first of the series we hear from Matsidiso in South Africa. A colleague recently asked me what the Golden Rule means to me, and I did not respond with “treat others as you would...

Perhaps for a fleeting moment in our lives Covid has given many of us the chance to pause and really connect to each other and to the nature around us. Many are now imagining a world that is different: a new normal, built back better. My new normal? I imagine a world where we are always this...

At Reboot the Future, our ambition is to shape the mindsets of our young people and leaders towards a more compassionate and sustainable future, informed by the Golden Rule (Treat others and the planet as you would wish to be treated). Like many, we believe the crisis of COVID-19 can provide...

As lockdown began to bite in earlier Spring- both two months and a lifetime ago- a number of new initiatives bubbled into life, as intuitive responses to the handbrake turn of Covid. GoodAfterCovid is one such, only 2 months old but has already established itself as a touchstone for key voices in...

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we reflect on what course of action might sustain our future. What better guidance could we take than from Nature’s example? Throughout human history, nature has inspired and informed our minds. Artists and architects look at nature’s designs as...

It has never been clearer that everyone and everything is interconnected. Our interdependence has enabled COVID-19 to spread rapidly around the globe, yet simultaneously this pandemic has highlighted the crucial importance of interdependence for our health and well-being. As we practice social...

With the climate in crisis, technological innovation occurring at increasing speed, and waves of mass protests sweeping the globe, the world seems to be changing at an exponential pace. Keeping up can be a challenge, and worryingly, one place this is most noticeable is in our education system. As...

Reboot the Future, in partnership with the Katerva Awards, are thrilled to announce our first ever Imaginals Award winner - the Excess Materials Exchange (or EME). about EME EME is a digital marketplace where companies can exchange excess materials and products, ranging from steel plates to...

Here at Reboot the Future, we're always thinking about the Golden Rule: Treat others and the planet as you would wish to be treated. Despite being a dominant mantra among philosophers and prophets of all world religions throughout history, we are now living with the consequence of it having been...

There’s no denying it – ‘nice’ is trending. Although it's easy to not realise quite how much; on any given day our feeds seem entirely polluted with stories of violence, natural disasters, of the most bleak aspects of the human experience. But beneath it all, there’s the antidote, there’s a...

Reboot the Future are delighted to announce the beginning of a new partnership with Katerva, starting with the introduction of the Imaginals Award into Katerva’s catalogue. In acknowledging the key Reboot the Future concept of ‘Imaginals’ (see below), one of Katerva’s 10 category winners will...

2019 is shaping up to be an exciting time for Reboot the Future. We’ve started the year with a new core staff team as well as a new website, a new strategy and some high profile activities in the calendar. Meet the new team The future is now - Reboot has established its very first core team to...

Reboot the Future was founded following the success of Imaginal Cells: Visions of Transformation - a thought-provoking anthology that explores how a compassionate approach to business, politics and the environment would make the planet a better place for us to live. The book, an exclusive...

From sourcing ethical gifts, to opting for sustainable Christmas trees and reducing food waste, people all around the world are changing the way they celebrate the festive season. To speed up this revolution, our world needs even more hearts and minds inspired to change the way we live, work and...

We're excited to announce that Reboot the Future has appointed its new Director, Catherine Stevens to lead its portfolio of programmes and projects. As Nik Hartley OBE completes his work for the Foundation, Catherine's arrival signifies the real momentum we now have for our long term vision and...

Reboot the Future has committed to take on the wonderful legacy of a leading global sustainability education charity Think Global, which has now closed. Global Dimension is the go-to platform for over 12,000 teachers from across the UK and globally, who access the site each month to find...

This year, Peace One Day made a film with our co-Founder, Kim Polman, to discuss the concept of the Golden Rule and what is means to ‘treat others and the planet as you wish to be treated’. Reboot the Future are huge fans of Peace One Day, an organisation founded in 1999 by Jeremy Gilley with the...

While humans debate climate change and watch the plastic building up in our oceans, there are a growing number of people eager to engage in fundamental change. In 2017, Kim Polman took on the task of co-writing Imaginal Cells, using the concept of metamorphosis to unite the messages of global...

Over the past year since launching our book Imaginal Cells, readers around the world have been sharing their stories on what it means to them. We love this book review by Said Business School, which we feel encapsulates what the book is all about. By Andrew White and Dave Tullett, Saï​d Business...