From late May until June our second and final cohort of Scorecards volunteer will be completing the First Mark!

And we need your help to be able to do this. Last year it took over 250 Scorecards volunteers to assess the actions councils are taking on the climate and ecological emergencies. Can you be one of our 250 volunteers to mark council climate action this year?

If so, apply using the simple form to the right of this screen.

• Tuesday 19th May 2026 - 5:30-6:30pm
• Thursday 21st May 2026 - 5:30-6:30pm

We will confirm which training you will be attending closer to the time.

• Tuesday 26th May 5:30-7:30pm
  Freedom of Information, Governance & Finance, Collaboration & Engagement, Biodiversity

• Thursday 28th May 5:30-7:30pm.
  Buildings & Heating, Transport, Waste reduction & Food, Planning & Land Use.

Volunteers in the Policy Programme and Scorecard Assessorwill be marking specific sections for councils (e.g. only marking all the Transport questions for the councils you are marking).

Volunteers in the FOI Assessor + Policy Programme and FOI Assessors will be marking all sections. Every volunteer will be trained and supported to answer the questions.

Read a small summary on the four types of volunteering below.

• FOI Programme:
  Volunteers in the FOI Programme will assist us in managing the Freedom of Information requests we are sending to councils to answer some of the Scorecard questions. Volunteers on the FOI programme should expect to volunteer about 8-10 hours per week between
  
  This volunteering will be at your own pace and we will be accepting as many as possible. More information on the FOI Programme can be found following this link.

• FOI Assessor + Local Climate Policy Programme:
  Volunteers in the combined FOI Assessor + Local Climate Policy Programme will assist us in managing the Freedom of Information requests we are sending to councils to answer some of the Scorecard questions as well as be able to access the Policy Programme:
  
  After last year's success we will run the Local Climate Policy Programme again - an in-depth introduction to local climate policy.
  This 4-week course will run between Tuesday 2nd and 23rd June 2026. It will involve 5 online sessions running alongside scoring Councils. The full session schedule will be sent to you when you are accepted onto the programme but sessions will be scheduled in the early evening. It is up to those accepted onto the Programme to attend the sessions, the only mandatory session is the Scoring Training.
  Previous speakers included experts from the Climate Change Committee, Friends of the Earth and Centre for Alternative Technology.
  The Policy Programme will require a commitment of 15 hours of volunteering each week - including webinars - for the 4-week period.
  A Certificate Ceremony will be held during the final session on Tuesday 23rd June 2026.
  
  More information on the FOI Programme can be found following this link.
  More information on the Policy Programme can be found following this link.

• Scorecards Assessor:
  This type of volunteering is for those will be marking councils climate action but cannot commit to the Policy Programme. You will still assess councils but at your own pace. Ideally, the Scorecards Assessor would complete 20 hours of volunteering over a 4-week period.
  We will be accepting as many Scorecard Assessors as possible.
  More information on the Scorecards Assessor position can be found following this link.
• Local Climate Policy Programme:
  After previous years' success we will run the Local Climate Policy Programme again - an in-depth introduction to local climate policy.
  This 4-week course will run between Tuesday 2nd and Tuesday 23rd June 2026. It will involve 5 online sessions running alongside scoring Councils. The full session schedule will be sent to you when you are accepted onto the programme but sessions will be scheduled in the early evening. It is up to those accepted onto the Programme to attend the sessions, the only mandatory session is the Scoring Training.
  Previous speakers included experts from the Climate Change Committee, Friends of the Earth and Centre for Alternative Technology.
  The Policy Programme will require a commitment of 15 hours of volunteering each week - including webinars - for the 4-week period.
  A Certificate Ceremony will be held as part of the final session on Tuesday 23rd June 2026.
  More information on the Policy Programme can be found following this link.

For all of the 4 volunteer opportunities detailed above you will need to be available for one the Volunteer Induction Sessions and both of the mandatory Scorecards Scoring Training.

• Volunteer induction
  You will only need to attend induction session on either Tuesday 19th May 2026 - 5:30-6:30pm or
  Thursday 21st May 2026 - 5:30-6:30pm

• Scorecards Scoring Training
  You will only need to attend one of the sessions but please keep both of the evening free until you are allocated a Scorecards section, which will determine which session you need to attend: either Tuesday 26th May 5:30-7:30pm or Thursday 28th May 5:30-7:30pm.
  FOI Programme volunteers only need to attend Tuesday 26th May 5:30-7:30pm.
  You will need to be available from 5:30-7:30pm.

In order to apply you must be:

• Aged over 18

• Able to commit to approx. 15-20 hours a week for four weeks

• Based anywhere in the UK

• Have reliable internet access and access to a computer

• You do not need to have previous environmental related experience or a relevant degree.

Note: We will not accept current Councillors or Officers. Parish/Town councillors and officers are welcome to apply.