Meet Alice

Alice’s journey with Pledge for the Planet began years before its conception, as she discovered a deep love for running and a distinct want to make a difference. "I have always loved running... I ran my first Marathon when I was 18 and then just kept going from there". Her activism started with fundraising at the marathons she took on, raising money for several different causes, before she was compelled to create a pledge platform in 2019. "I created a little drop form with all these different ideas... I sent that round to friends and family and said, 'Look, I'm running the Edinburgh Marathon this year. Can you support me by making a pledge (a commitment to environmentalism)?'".

Amid a move to Australia in early 2020 and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Alice faced a suite of new challenges in getting Pledge off the ground. "Covid hit and all the races and marathons and triathlons were cancelled", forcing a temporary pause in the platform’s activities. In 2021, Alice was determined to revitalize the platform despite the pandemic's ongoing impact. She adapted the model to include virtual challenges, launching the 48-hour Mission. "I kind of altered the model slightly to allow people to support us through their sports and community groups. We created our own virtual challenge, which is called the 48-hour Mission". This pivot proved successful, drumming up climate action within those groups. Fast forward to now; Alice has made the bold decision to focus on Pledge for the Planet full-time which, in her own words "is driven by a strong sense of purpose".

When did you become aware of your sense of purpose?

Alice’s sense of purpose is deeply rooted in her upbringing and personal experiences. "My Mum and Dad are very salt of the Earth people, and they instilled a lot of empathy and caring for others within me". Of course, nurture can be so defining in our pursuit of passions and purpose. If you read Edition 3 with Jaime, you know I strongly believe in the concept that ‘kids do as you do’! It seems that Alice’s foundational values of service and change-making would undoubtedly steer her toward her passion for environmental activism. Activities like running and cycling only enrich that sense of purpose! Certainly, for me, those sports allow me to better connect with the land and oceans. Further to that, for Alice; "The races themselves really instilled that sense of purpose too, seeing people from all walks running for something bigger than themselves". We wholly agreed that lacing up your shoes to take on an epic challenge is something that can have a profound impact!

Your biggest goal

For Pledge for the Planet, Alice's most ambitious goal is to motivate 2 million people to make 6 million pledges for the planet over the next decade. She refers to this lofty goal as her "North Star," explaining, "It's important to have those big goals, they can be the guidance of every little decision that you make every day". Noting here, Charlie’s rhetoric - in Episode 2 - of ‘every single decision gets you closer to or further away from your dream’. This is super profound to me!

Alice has clearly identified the untapped potential in leveraging major events like marathons to achieve her climate action goals; "If we could get people to raise pledges for those events (in the same way that we raise a massive amount of funds) that would be epic." Alice’s global ambition is admirable and inspiring to say the least, and why shouldn’t she dream when you look at successful global movements like Movember?

Your biggest challenge

As is the case with everyone I speak to making bold moves toward pursuing purpose, Alice has faced significant challenges, particularly the Covid-19 pandemic. "What we had created wasn't really fit for purpose, and the pivot and the overcoming of that was the 48-hour Mission,". The technical and financial hurdles that came with those big pivots were also notable during our discussion. "Our tech has been a big problem," she conceded. Yet, Alice remains optimistic, viewing these challenges as opportunities for growth. "I like to think of myself as quite a positive person, and I’ve started to view a lot of the challenges, as positive (opportunities)".

Alice credits much of Pledge for the Planet’s progress to the support from sports clubs and community groups. "The people that have made Pledge what it is today have been the sports clubs, the community groups; they are the most important part of it all". I will add that, in my humble opinion, the person who created and advocated for such a movement, where people feel compelled to act and change, should take at least 99% of the credit!

Your proudest moment

One of Alice’s biggest sources of pride was the success of the 48-hour Mission. "Being in a room full of people who had been with us for three years - more than 500 participants - sharing the positive impact we had created". It was a moment that brought Alice to tears (not during our interview!) as she reflected on the overwhelming support and success of the initiative. Perhaps a more significant milestone was deciding to turn her back on a safe day job in the Design world to dedicate herself fully to the platform. "Taking the leap and quitting my day job was a very proud moment for me".

What keeps you going?

Whilst this question focussed specifically on motivators and drivers, it was lovely to listen to Alice recall a very defining and challenging moment during the 48-hour Mission: "We had about 12 different people on laptops in my living room, trying to get the leaderboard (that had broken) back up and running... during which I was in tears (during a perceived moment of failure)". It’s moments like these though that are evidently very special for Alice. The collective effort and support from her friends and family keep her resolute and this rings so true for me; when we can see that people have our backs and they want to see us win it just gives us this insane power, belief and drive to overcome and achieve.

Alice also draws inspiration from the broader impact of the platform. "Seeing people change habits, like starting to use keep cups or think differently about their choices - those little moments of breakthrough" are particularly motivating for her. She believes in making climate action engaging and positive: "If you make it easy, positive, and fun, you really can make change".

Words of Wisdom

The first words that Alice uttered in response to this question - without hesitation - were ‘just do it’. Nike really nailed it with coining that one hey? But seriously, all four of our guests have responded in the same vain to this one. "Taking the leap is the hardest part," Alice acknowledges. In saying that, we agreed there is actually a much greater risk in not trying to take that leap or opting not to pursue purpose. "Everything always has a way of working itself out, lean into communities and tell your story"; engaging with others and adapting as you go can lead to some incredible experiences.

How can we support your cause?

Alice and the team are very excited about the launch of a new platform on August 8, aimed at supporting community-based sustainability initiatives. The platform will feature the 48-hour Mission and a month-long corporate mission. The platform is also available to leverage for events like marathons and triathlons in order to raise pledges.

Additionally, businesses can participate in the new corporate mission, which will engage employees in sustainability efforts, which will look like the 48-hour Mission, but stretched out over a month.

Alice’s LinkedIn

Visit the website

Pledge for the Planet on Instagram

Sign up to the 48 Hour Mission