Behind The Scenes When PM Blair Spoke To The WI

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File:Tony Blair (2010).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

A Guardian article published on 30 December brought the moment straight back to me, when, as Head of PR for the WI, I helped advise No.10 on the themes for Tony Blair’s WI speech. This story has been resurrected via files released at the UK’s National Archives in December 2025, and since then it has had a bit of public discourse, particularly from those connected to the story, taking trips down memory lane. To help join the dots, my last name was ‘Haindl’ at that time.

When the Chairman, General Secretary, Head of Public Affairs and I met, No. 10, we grounded our recommendations in what WI members genuinely cared about – sustainability, the countryside, and Fairtrade. All areas where the organisation had long-standing credibility and lived experience. We could see where the risks were and said so. But we were ignored.

What happened became a lesson in leadership communications for Number 10, with the main takeaway being learning to listen to the people who know the audience.

What isn’t really reflected in the article is what happened afterwards…

After the speech, things moved very quickly. Because No.10 had invited the media in such numbers, the story travelled far beyond the room and the WI, unexpectedly, was at the centre of it. Overnight, I went from advising quietly in the background to helping steady the narrative on live programmes and newsroom panels, even finding myself on the front page of the Evening Standard.

What I remember most is not the headlines, but the feeling of having to steady things for members and colleagues while the news cycle accelerated around us. Interviews, phone calls, camera crews, all while making sure the WI’s voice stayed calm, grounded and authentic.

It was one of the first times I saw up close how fast a moment can become a narrative. It was intense (there were some very funny and bizarre moments too) and a reminder that when events escalate, calm communication and clarity of purpose really matter.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

 

2025, A Year of The Book & Gratitude

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As 2025 comes to a close, I’m reflecting on what an extraordinary book year it’s been. From launch to publication, this journey has brought new opportunities, meaningful conversations, and unforgettable moments along the way. It’s been a year of reminders…resilience, trusting the process, and remembering that every chapter, like every challenge, eventually turns the page.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who supported this adventure: those who contributed to the book, read it, shared it, attended events, and engaged in conversation with me throughout the year. Thank you for being part of the story, the journey, and the celebration.

Meet Ravi

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Let me introduce you to Ravi, a 15-year-old boy I met in the lower ranges of the Himalayas, where my family home is located. I met him during my visit to India this October, on my last day in my hometown. He is small, quiet, and utterly absorbed in his craft. Ravi left school when he was just 10 because of difficult family circumstances. Since then, he has been working as a Mehndi (henna) artist to support himself and help at home.

In his village, he isn’t always chosen for work because of his age. Older artists are often seen as more reliable, and if Ravi doesn’t get picked for the day, he doesn’t get paid. It’s a simple and stark reality. But when I saw him sitting under the soft afternoon light, a little box of cones beside him, I didn’t hesitate. I chose Ravi. And as soon as he began working, any doubts others might have had about him melted away. His artwork was precise, delicate, and imaginative…it was also freehand. In another five years, perhaps even sooner, he will be a master.

As I watched him, something small but deeply meaningful happened. At one point, he accidentally dropped his mehndi pen. Instead of quickly picking it up and carrying on, he paused. He picked up the pen gently, held it for a moment, and then touched it to his forehead; in India, this is a gesture of respect for one’s tools. You honour the tools that allow you to create, the instruments that help you earn your livelihood. You treat them not as disposable objects but as extensions of your labour, talent, and intention.

That tiny gesture stayed with me. It made me think about how disconnected many of us have become from the things that make our work possible…the tools, materials, and natural resources we use every day without much thought. We replace rather than repair. We consume rather than cherish. And we rarely, if ever, pause to express gratitude for the resources that make our lives functional, comfortable, even successful.

Respecting what we use and truly valuing it are at the heart of sustainability. If we treated the planet’s resources the way Ravi treated his pen, with care, gratitude, and awareness, perhaps our response to the climate crisis would look very different.

There is so much we can learn from young people like Ravi. About humility. About resilience. About mindful respect for our shared planet. And about remembering that even the smallest gestures can hold the biggest lessons.

 

Booked Out in India: A Whirlwind October Tour

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This October, I had the absolute joy of embarking on a whirlwind and unforgettable book tour across India. An experience that still feels a little like magic. The journey swept me from the lower ranges of the Himalayas, where the air feels sharp and ancient, all the way down to the geometric modernity of Chandigarh in Punjab, and finally into the vibrant, exhilarating capital, Delhi. By the end of it, I was well and truly booked out, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

In Delhi, I stepped into some of the city’s oldest and most iconic bookshops. Places with creaking wooden shelves, bibliophiles drifting between aisles, and that unmistakable scent of paper and ink that makes you feel as though you have stepped back in time. To my amazement, I found my book proudly displayed in front windows, often right beside the incomparable Arundhati Roy. More than once, I stopped in my tracks, overwhelmed by the surreal joy of seeing my work shoulder-to-shoulder with a literary hero.

Over the course of the tour, I signed well over 200 books, where each signature for me was a small moment of connection with its future reader. There is an energy and a hunger for Indian readers to explore the urgency and humanity of climate issues through an Indian lens. The welcome I received was beyond anything I expected; I was made to feel like a literary queen!

I owe immense gratitude to my UK publisher, LID Publishing, and my Indian publisher, Jaico Publishing House, for orchestrating this incredible adventure. Their belief in the book is what carried it through mountains, cities, and countless conversations.

And here’s the biggest revelation I took away from every bookseller, every manager, every book counter I visited in Delhi and Chandigarh: India is ready…not just ready, but eager for more books on the climate crisis that go beyond textbooks. Booksellers told me again and again that while climate literature exists, much of it is academic or technical. There are very few accessible narratives, personal explorations, or compelling stories about climate change set in or written for India. They are excited to champion my book because it fills a much-needed gap.

This tour wasn’t just a milestone. It felt like the beginning of a larger, deeper conversation, one I’m honoured to help spark.

 

Why Words Matter in Sustainability/Legacy

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Here it is! I was invited to host a special episode of the podcast, Why Words Matter, which was focused on sustainability and legacy for 26: Membership Organisation. I was joined by brilliant guests, Emily Buchanan and Olivia Sprinkel.

Together, Emily, Olivia, and I explore what happens when nature is under stress. Where our words are no longer tools of communication, but instead become catalysts. We discuss how stories can stir empathy, and the right words can shape the world we want to protect.

We dive into climate grief, the art of listening to nature, and how words can shift heart, spark action, and keep hope alive.

Importantly, we find out what happens when we stop telling the stories that put us to sleep and start telling those that wake us up.

Listen here

Why Local News Still Matters More Than Ever

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Local newspapers are something we often take for granted, yet they play a crucial and increasingly irreplaceable role in the life of a community. They foster cohesion, provide essential local information, hold local government accountable, and support local economies. More than that, they help build a shared narrative of place, offer a platform for diverse local voices, and encourage deeper civic engagement by keeping residents informed about the issues, stories, and decisions that shape everyday life.

This is why, for the last two years, we have been working closely with our local newspaper, the Enfield Dispatch, alongside the grassroots organisation LocalMotion Enfield, to help connect the many different communities across the borough. Our shared goal is to shine a spotlight on the positive stories unfolding around us. Stories of individuals, initiatives, creativity, and resilience that help local people feel proud of their area and of the neighbours they share it with. At a time when divisive narratives can so easily dominate national discourse, celebrating local connection has never been more important.

During this partnership, our presence in the newspaper has grown from one page to two. The second page is dedicated specifically to young voices and youth action, ensuring that young people are not only represented but truly heard. We have also welcomed a resident political cartoonist whose illustrations comment on local and national social and political issues with sharp humour and insight. Additionally, we now host a regular column written by people living with disabilities, providing a vital space for perspectives that are too often overlooked in mainstream media. Together, these pages aim to be inclusive, empowering, and rooted in authentic storytelling that strengthens community identity.

Insights repeatedly show that audiences place a higher level of trust in local news sources than in national media. This trust stems partly from familiarity, where readers often recognise the journalists, understand the context, and see their own lived experiences reflected. Local outlets can offer nuance, explanation, and relevance that national coverage simply cannot replicate. This makes it far more difficult for misinformation to take root. A thriving local news ecosystem is, in many ways, the first line of defence against disinformation, helping to build an informed citizenry that is less susceptible to manipulation and more willing to participate in civic life.

Sadly, the ongoing decline of the local news industry, driven largely by financial pressures, threatens all these benefits. This is why, here in Enfield, we are committed to making the most of our trusted and much-loved community newspaper.

Henley Literary Festival

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A fabulous Saturday afternoon spent with Henley Literary Festival in collaboration with A Greener Henley, talking about the climate crisis on 4 October at 4 pm. We had about 150 people in the room.

I was sitting on the yellow sofa alongside the brilliant Tony Juniper, CBE, British campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser, and environmentalist. Tony is currently Chair of Natural England, and hearing Tony was a treat whose warmth, wisdom, and deep understanding of our natural world truly inspired me.

 

This conversation wouldn’t have flowed or been possible without the insights and thoughtful questions from Mike Barry, former head of sustainability at Marks and Spencer. Mike focused on our books. Mine, What Will Your Legacy Be? and Tony’s, Just Earth.

People often ask, ‘What can I do about the climate crisis?’ The truth is, it starts with talking about it. Conversations like this one matter; it’s where change begins.

Science at the Heart of the Vatican’s Pan-European Climate Summit

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The Vatican Pan-European Climate Resilience Summit, held from 28 to 29 August in Vienna, brought together mayors, youth leaders, scientists, innovators, and policymakers to tackle Europe’s most urgent climate threats. It was hosted by the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences with European partners; the summit spotlighted solutions in mitigation, adaptation, and societal transformation. Outcomes from Vienna will feed directly into the 2026 Vatican Global Summit, shaping a Universal Protocol for Climate Resilience to protect people and ecosystems across generations.

This was a Summit of hope, and one of the key participants was Ingmar Rentzhog, Founder and CEO of the global, pro-planet platform We Don’t Have Time. One of the things We Don’t Have Time did was to create a special video, which discusses the importance of facing the reality of the climate crisis and not denying scientific facts. This short film emphasises the need for people to speak up and take action, as the majority of the global population wants to address the issue.

Importantly, this film highlights the Vatican and the Pontifical Academy, which are working together to bring people from different backgrounds together to raise awareness and make a change. The video also mentions the inclusivity of the event and the importance of making science a priority.𝅺

And a highlight for me is that my book, What Will Your Legacy Be? – Conversations With Global Change-Makers About The Climate Crisis, has a walk-on part in the film. Can you spot it?

 

London Climate Action Week 2025 – #Make Science Great Again

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London Climate Action Week 2025 took place this June from 21 to 29, and it was action-packed. An annual event that aims to mobilise climate action in London and beyond, bringing together organisations, communities, and individuals to address climate change.

The week featured a wide range of events, including conferences, workshops, and collaborative discussions, focusing on practical solutions and showcasing London’s role as a global climate leader. I was pleased to be invited to the We Don’t Have Time Live Broadcast, which was a session focused on Making Science Great Again. It was a great panel lineup that included the eminent climate scientist Sir David King; Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President & Founder, Hip Hop Caucus; Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO and Co-Founder of the We Don’t Have Time platform; and me!

Make Science Great Again is a campaign focused on defending science, amplifying its voice, and reeducating policymakers. It aims to counter disinformation, support scientists, and ensure science plays a vital role in addressing global challenges like climate change. The campaign emphasizes the importance of dialogue and collaboration to achieve these goals.

OmTalks: Legacy And The Wild with Sangeeta Waldron & Melvyn Carlile

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On 17 June, I will be in conversation with the very brilliant Melvyn Carlile.

Mel is a visionary founder and the pioneering force behind the Mind Body, Spirit Festival, London. His work has helped to shape the modern holistic movement.

I could not be more excited about this event for many personal reasons. As a young girl of about 7, I used to be my mum’s plus one to the Mind Body Spirit Festival in London, held those days at Olympia. Never did I imagine that one day, I would be in conversation with the founder of this Festival about my book.

Life has just given me lemonade!

Tickets are only £4.50 and to book, click here