Hackney People
Jo Homan - Hackney Green Champion
It was after reading an article in the New Scientist in 2003 that Jo Homan’s life reached a major turning point.
She had given birth to her first child two years earlier, and the magazine’s discussion of terrible environmental damage made Jo realise how badly he could be affected if things didn’t change.
So she quit her job and started volunteering for Greenpeace. Responding to an advert in Hackney Today, she also signed up as a Green Champion, a Council scheme that brings like-minded people together to promote the environmental message across the borough.
It had been a long journey from Jo’s happy childhood, ‘playing in her hippie parents’ allotment’ in Leatherhead. She moved to London in 1990, after graduating from university, and helped set up a women’s radio station, based in Kingsland Road, before training as a teacher.
She taught in Tower Hamlets for several years, before a spell as a receptionist at an IT firm, where she met her second husband. The IT firm didn’t last and the couple took redundancy. They spent a few pivotal months enjoying a slower pace of life, starting to notice nature and enjoying seasonal changes.
In 2006, Jo came up with the idea of a festival to bring people together and to promote the green cause. With support from the Council, Be ReCreative was born, and has gone from strength to strength.
This summer over 3,000 people flocked to London Fields to enjoy a festival celebrating everything from cycling to composting and organic food to recycling.
Jo’s second child was born in 2006, but she remains an active member of Greenpeace and goes climbing to prepare for protests.
Her family have also made many lifestyle changes to be more environmentally friendly, including using a green energy supplier, baking and freezing their own bread, and buying food staples in bulk.
They take the train for holidays, even to Europe, and enjoy house swaps, rather than staying at hotels.
Their long-term plan is to move to an ‘intentional community’, in Devon where the green cause is a way of life, but Jo says one of the things she enjoys most about Hackney is the range of people.
Her advice for those who are considering a greener route is that it is a more rewarding way of life.
She said: “Even if it is time consuming, it feels good to take responsibility for your impact on the world.
“And, like anything, once you have made the changes in your routine it becomes easier. On a day to day basis, if something is repeated then it makes sense for it to be re-usable and eco-friendly.”
Curriculum Vitae - Jo Homan
- 1969 Born in Leatherhead, Surrey
- 1990 Moved to London
- 1993 Graduated with Humanities BA
- 1994 Set up Brazen Women’s radio station, Hackney
- 1995 PGCE teacher training at Goldsmith’s College, University of London
- 1997 Started teaching in Tower Hamlets
- 2001 Moved to Hackney
- 2003 Joined Greenpeace as a volunteer
- 2006 Became a Hackney Green Champion & helped set up Be ReCreative festival
More information
For practical energy saving tips from Jo visit the Green Champions page. To apply to become a champion call: 020 8356 6688; or email: recycling@hackney.gov.uk.
Page updated: 14 Nov 2008