On 12 September 2023, I’m once again setting off to walk from North Hertfordshire to 10 Downing Street to ask our Prime Minister and the government to “Stop talking … and listen to us!”.
It was hugely encouraging to hear from so many of you last year with messages about your concerns. These are still available below, just scroll down. I delivered them to the residence of the Prime Minister in October 2022 but have not yet had a response.
That’s one of the reasons why I am going on the journey again - our voices need to be heard and listened to! The issues that we are so concerned about have probably gotten worse in the last year. We need to find ways to work together to tackle the enormous problems we face with climate change, poverty, health care, housing, education, isolation and social division. And we need our politicians to be courageous and lead the way!
I would love to hear from you with an about your concerns (or an update if you sent me a message last year), and will include them in my message to the Prime Minister.
This year, I will challenge myself to make the 35+ mile journey in three days rather than five. Look out for photos of the Hertfordshire countryside and of London on Twitter.
-S.A
Why am I doing this?
I’m deeply concerned about current situation in the UK and further afield: climate change, environmental degradation, inflation and insecure housing. Our current political landscape encourages division rather than collaboration, and greed rather than sharing. I’m angry to watch opportunities for young people disappear, while pressure on them increases, and many citizens of all ages face terrible isolation. Intolerance and a lack of empathy with those perceived as “different” goes unchallenged or is encouraged, tearing apart the fabric of our society.
I feel that I can no longer sit still. Just as I am asking our politicians to stop talking to listen to us, I wanted to stop talking, too, and do something instead of just complaining – and the timing with the new PM seemed a good opportunity: maybe they will be open to listening.
I’m just an ordinary person and don’t pretend that this action by itself will make a big difference but it’s at least a first step for me. I hope it will inspire you to think about what small (or big) steps you can take, know that you are not alone, and take some action yourself. Together we may be able to bring about some change!
Hi! I’m Stefanie
What do I hope to achieve?
On Friday, 16 September I have an appointment at 10 Downing Street to hand in a letter about the hopes and concerns of us as citizens. I’ll be writing down my thoughts and add messages from people I meet along my walk and submitted here.
I want to start conversations, and encourage people to talk to others including people they don’t normally talk to. And to talk about things they don’t normally talk about! We need to overcome divisions and start making changes to achieve change.
I will take a few first steps to make my voice/our voices heard and try to retrieve some of the power we have handed over to politicians.
I want to send a signal that we all CAN do something, even if it’s very small - who knows where it might lead!
Why walking?
The more I have been thinking about it, the more right it feels to walk.
It’s not an easy journey, and will take time, energy and determination. Walking slows the journey and helps give more time and attention to what and who we meet along the path.
It may help me start to think about new ways of approaching the situation we find ourselves in, while connecting with fellow citizens along the journey.
It will send a signal at least to myself that it is time for action and first steps have been taken.
It is inspired by other walks and marches in history that helped bring about change - protests for nuclear disarmament, for Indian independence. But it also recalls the arduous journeys undertaken by refugees, in desperately more difficult circumstances than mine - and with whom we need to connect on a human level.
It also links to ideas of living in a more sustainable way and reducing my impact on the environment.
I will do my best to tweet along the journey, filming some scenes, and if possible also posting video messages from people I speak to along the way. You can follow my trip on Twitter.